registry hacking

[jes]

I did a search on google and found some cool tricks but not the one that I want. How do you use the Windows 98 registry to cause any .sys file to open with notepad? (not with file associations)

[Paul Komski]

Hope what you want is in HERE (http://www.windowsitlibrary.com/Content/368/07/1.html)

[jes]

Took me a long time to figure out that it isn't what I want.
I'm not sure that I explained it very well.
There is a way to have it that when you click on a .sys file in Windows explorer (in Win98) the .sys file will open in notepad. I know that it can be done quite easily with file accociations but understand that it can be done in the registry too.

[Sylvander]

What you aught to do is have it open in Wordpad, because Wordpad has a "Find" facility [very useful] while "Notepad" does not.
To do that you put a shortcut to Wordpad in the Windows "sendto" folder.
When this has been done you will be able to right-click on ANY file and have Wordpad open it.
There are lots of files which it would be useful to open in a text editor, especially one with a find facility.

HERE'S HOW
1. Go to "C:\Program Files\Accessories", right-click on "Wordpad.exe" and click "Create Shortcut".
Now right-click on the resulting shortcut and click "cut".
Now go to the "C:\Windows\SendTo" folder and right-click within the folder's window and click "Paste".

Since you now have a shortcut to "Wordpad.exe" in the "SendTo" folder, whenever you right-click on a file, the context menu will include "Wordpad.exe" and if this is selected it will ATTEMPT to open the file. If you're wise in your choice it will succeed.
It will open "Config.sys" for example and ".reg" files [which can be EXTREMELY useful].

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
DO NOT DOUBLE-CLICK ON A REG FILE NOR RIGHT-CLICK AND SELECT "MERGE",
Unless you know precisely what you're doing and why.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE FILE ASSOCIATION FOR SYS FILES!
You'll regret it if you succeed.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ALSO:
Go to
http://www.baxbex.com/downloads.html
and download and install "OpenExpert".
This allows you to open ANY file with any number of Programs of your choice.
You configure the context menu of any number of specific file types so that a number of programs of your choosing are available to be selected.
Hence, when [for example] you right-click on a ".sys" file you could make "Notepad" and "Wordpad" selectable.
You could open ".wav" & ".mp3" files in any of a number of players, by right-clicking and choosing one.
You must read the instructions, included with the program, to learn how to set this up.

[jes]

Thank you sylvander. That is good to know, but I need to do this with the registry. I have even done this before but forget how. It was in classes_root and had to do with searching for a file called "sys file" and then adding a key called command and changeing the default value of that to c:\windows\notepad.exe and the default of the "sys file" key to "Open with notepad". I know alot about how to set that up but am a bit fuzzy on it and can't get it to work anymore.
I'm sorrey. I wasn't very clear on what I needed.

[Sylvander]

Hello jes.

I know exactly what you want to do but I worry about it’s consequences.

However here goes.
1. Open “regedit”.
2. Go to “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT”.
3. Scroll down to “.sys” and read the “Default” “Data”, which is “sysfile”.
4. Scroll down to “sysfile” and click the “+” to expand the key.
5. Right-click on the “sysfile” key and select “New->Key” and type “shell”.
6. Right-click on the “shell” key and select “New->Key” and type “open”.
7. Right-click on the “open” key and select “New->Key” and type “command”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Scroll down to the “txtfile” key and navigate to “txtfile->shell->open->command”.
9. Right-click 0n “Default” and click “Modify”, then hit “Ctrl+C” on the keyboard to copy the “Value Data” in the “Edit String” dialogue box. This value is “C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD.EXE %1” in my case. Now click “Cancel to close the box.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Go back up to and click on “sysfile->shell->open->command”, right-click “Default” and click “Modify”.
11. Make sure the cursor is flashing inside the “Value Data” window and hit “Ctrl+V” on the keyboard to paste “C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD.EXE %1” into the “Value Data” window in the “Edit String” dialogue box. Make certain it is correct. That it only has one set of inverted commas around it for example, not a double.

Well, I must apologise to you and all. I’ve just done this and tested it and it works and has no dire consequences of which I am aware so far.

You could follow a similar procedure to make a “sysfile->shell->print->command”, using the “txtfile->shell->print->command” as a model.
The default command string on my PC is “C:\WINDOWS\NOTEPAD.EXE /p %1”.
The “/p” is for “print” and the “%1” tells the programme [in this case Notepad] to carry out that command on the file which has been selected or clicked upon.

[jes]

OK thanks.