Windows 7 Programs just stop working

Now, I have TWO applications that, when I try running them, I get a pop-up that announces that "XYZ has stopped working" and that "Windows is checking for a solution for the problem." The thing is, Windows never seems to find a solution. One application is APC PowerChute, the interface with an uninterruptible power supply. The other application is a genealogy program. I probably caused the genealogy program to fail but I can't understand why. All I did was to attempt to open a legitimate file with the correct extension other than the original file that was opened automatically upon running the program. I uninstalled the program but that had no effect.

I'm stumped.