How to setup and modify file associations
A registered file type is one that is tracked by the system registry. A file association is a process in which you set files of a particular type ( e.g. all those ending in .doc) to open using a particular program or application (for example "Microsoft Word") when you double-click on that file. If file is launching the wrong application, you can change the association. The process for setting up a new file association and changing an existing one is the same. Note: You can only have one association for each file type, for an explanation of why, click here
Setup or change the association between the file type and the application which opens it (quick and easy)
Recreate an association for a file type (a little more control and customization)
Find out what application will open when I click on a file type.
Setup or change the association between the file type and the application which opens it.
Launch Windows Explorer.
Find a file of the type you want to open with a particular application. Click once on the file to highlight it, then right-click on the file.
Click on Op en with, then select Choose Program .... An "Open With" window will open.
Under " Choose the program you want to use" scroll to find the application you want to use to open that file type.
If the application you want to use is not in the list click on the Other... button and browse for the program.
Click once to select the application and highlight it
Click Always use this program to open this type of file. Note: When you make this change all files of this type will be associated with that program.
Click OK.
Now when you double click files of that type your chosen application should launch and load that file.
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You can recreate an association for a file in Windows
Recreating a file association allows you a little more control and customization over the process. For example, you can assign a name to the file type that you will remember.
You can recreate an association for a file in Windows 2000
Launch Windows Explorer.
Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options...
The Folder Options window appears. Click the File Types tab.
You will see a warning message. Click Yes.
You will see a warning message. Click Yes.
An "Open With" window will open. Under " Choose the program you want to use" scroll to find the application you want to use to open that file type.
If the application you want to use is not in the list click on the Other... button and browse for the program
Click once to select the application and highlight it. Click OK.
An "Edit File Type" window will open.
Next to the " Change Icon ..." button is a box for the name of the file type. If you wish to change the name, click in the box and type the new name.
To choose a new icon click on the " Change Icon ..." button and browse for the new icon, then click OK.
Click OK to close the Edit file Type window.
An "Edit File Type" window will open.
Next to the " Change Icon ..." button is a box for the name of the file type. If you wish to change the name, click in the box and type the new name.
To choose a new icon click on the " Change Icon ..." button and browse for the new icon, then click OK.
Click OK to close the Edit file Type window.
Click Close to close the Options window.
Your reassociation should work when files of the indicated type are double-clicked.
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Find out what application will open when I click on a file type.
This is kind of a trick question because the easiest way to find out is just double-click on the file and find out.
You can find out the association of just one file type by:
Click on the Start button, then select Run ....
In the box type CMD
A window will open. Type assoc {file type}
For example if I want to find out what is associated with .vsd I would type assoc .vsd
Note: besure to include the "dot" indicating the start of a file type.
You can also explore the file associations list.It will list the file types and the application that will be launched if the file is double-clicked.
To view the file association list:
In My Computer click the Tools menu, and then click Folder Options ....
Click the File Types tab.
In the list of file types, click the one you are interested in. The settings for that file type are shown in the File Type Details box next to "Opens with":
If there is nothing there or you don't understand it then click Edit. An " Edit File Type" window will open.
In the Actions field click on " open" then Edit. If there is a file association established you will probably see it in the box under "Application used to perform action." If there is no "open" then that file type has not been set to open with any particular
If you want to make a change:
Enter the path for application in question as Application used to perform action or click the B rowse... button and look for the application and double-click on the application you wish to use.
Click OK.
Click Close to close the Edit File Type window.
Click Close to close the Options window.
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File association sets up a table so that every time a file of a particular "type" is double-clicked the file will open in a pre-determined application. It is important to understand that the operating system is not really looking at the file itself to decide what application to use. Instead it looks at the "file type" label on the file. The "file type" is identified by an "extension" to the file name. For example - an Excel file will end in ".xls", a Windows bitmap (graphic) file will end in ".bmp", and a Word file will end in ".doc." File association relates each of these "extensions" to a particular application. That is why you cannot use this method to have a file type sometimes open in one application and sometimes in another. For example, if you set a ".doc" file type to open in "Word" and then you double click on a ".doc" file created in "WordPerfect" it will open in "Word" not "WordPerfect".
You can always launch the application, then open the file. Your file associations will not affect that functioning.
Hide or restore prompt to "Confirm Open After Download".
By default when you click on a file link in Internet Explorer a "File Download" dialog box appears with the following options:
Open this file from its current location
Save this file to disk
Always ask before opening this type of file
In some cases this prompt may disappear. You may not be prompted for the location in which to save the file that you are downloading.This behavior can occur if you clear the "Always ask before opening this type of file" check box. The associated application will skip the prompt, download the file to your Temporary Internet Files folder and attempt to open the file. In some cases this will cause errors. A better practice is to keep the prompt so the file can be saved to disk, then open the application and open the file from within the application. To change whether you receive the prompt select your operating system below.
Hide or restore prompt to "Confirm Open After Download" on Windows 2000.
Launch Windows Explorer.
Click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options...
The Folder Options window appears. Click the File Types tab.
Check the box next to Confirm Open After Download if you want to be able to choose whether to open the associated application or save the file to disk.
Uncheck the box next to Confirm Open After Download if you want to the associated application to open with the file without requiring you to answer a prompt.
Click OK to close the Edit file Type window.
Click Close to close the Options window.
Your reassociation should work when files of the indicated type are double-clicked.
If clicking on a .bat file no longer restarts the batch file you can repair the association
Click on the Start button, then select Run ....
In the box type CMD
A window will open. Type
assoc .bat=batfile
Your reassociation should work when files of the indicated type are double-clicked.
Created by the PeopleSoft Knowledge Management Team.
Copyright © 2001
All rights reserved.
Created: db 03/26/1999
Revised: db 05/09/2001