What app. to use for what??

[Ray Stainer]

I recall sometime ago I found (under the guidance of THE forum), access to all my applications from where I could more or less decide which apps. should open which files.

Can anyone remind me where I need to do this from

Thanks

Ray

[david eaton]

Hi Ray.
Not certain exactly what you're looking for, but if you open "my computer", go to View menu, file types, you will find the file associations. Assuming you are running win98/ME. Dunno about XP(drool)

If that's not it post back and someone else can have a go.


David

[tommy]

Ray - Might you be referring to Associate.exe?

Here are two excerpts from its readme file:
"Current features:
- Store and restore sets of file associations.
- Create new and edit existing associations.
- Associate files with already existing associations.
- Delete associations."
"You can get the latest version of this software from:
http://www.weyoun.freeserve.co.uk/project/associate.zip"

It is freeware. It doesn't say specifically what WINs it works with but says it does NOT work with NT. I am using it successfully on WIN95.:) :eek:

[YODA74]

To Edit a File Association
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Click the View All Control Panel Options link, if present.
Double-click Folder Options.
Click the File Types tab.
Click the file type whose association you want to change, and then click Advanced.
Click the action you want to edit, and then click Edit.
Edit the file association as necessary, and then click OK.
-------------------------------------------------------------
To Restore Default File Associations
Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Click the View All Control Panel Options link, if present.
Double-click Folder Options.
Click the File Types tab.
Click the file type whose association you want to restore, and then click Restore.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Changing file associations in Windows

Open up Windows Explorer (or right click the Start button and click 'Explore').
From the View menu, select Options.
Click the File Types tab.
Click the New Type button.

Enter a general description under Description of Type.

Enter the extention you want to add under Associated Extension (e.g., "jpg").

Press the New... button near the bottom of the dialog box.

From the Action menu, select Open.

Type in or browse to the pathname of the program that you want to open this type of file (e.g., "c:\program files\Netscape\netscape.exe"). Press OK.

Highlight Open in the Actions list, then press Set Default.

Click Close.

Click Close.

[CuratoR]

Well you can do as david eaton is saying, from the start menu go to settings==> Folder Options==> File types. Select the file type you want to edit and click the edit button. I'm talking about win98. The thing is more or less similar in XP but I think u have to go to the Folder Option==>File Types from one of the menu in the explorer, probably View or the Tools menu. I think YODA47 has already posted it.

If you are using Windows98 or below, there is a little program winfile,(which is the file manager from 3.1) that can be used to change file associations. Run "winfile" from start menu==>run, ofcourse without the quotes.While in File manager, browse for the file you want to change the association of, select it by clicking and then go to the File menu, go to Associate and scroll and select whatever program you want to open that type of files. For eg if you want to make all the the text files(*.txt) to be opened by the wordpad, browse and select any one text file from the manager, go to File menu, go to Associate and select wordpad document, you are done. Now, whenever you double click a text file, it will be opened by the wordpad. You can have more than one type of file(extension) opened by a single program. You can also select none from the Associate so that every time you try to open the file it will ask you to choose what program to use.

Alternatively:
Anywhere within windows, you can select the file with a single left button click, hold down the Shift key and press the right button(while holding the Shift key). This way a "Open with" tab will appear on the menu, which you can use to select the program which is going to open the type of file you selected. You can either choose the program from the given list or you can use the "Other..." button to browse for the program(if it isn't given in the list). There a tick box "Always use this program to open this type of file". If you tick it, the selected type file will always be opened by the selected program whenever you double click it. Well, If you leave it unticked, you will be asked to choose for the program whenver you double click the type of file.
Hope this helps! :)

[Sylvander]

Once you're happy with your file associations:

You could install "OpenExpert", which allows you to right-click on any file and configure it to open with ANY of a number of programmes of your choosing.
Once configured, you can right-click on the file and select one of the programmes and it will open the file.
You can do this for as many file types as you like.
Each of the file types you have configured has available, its own set of programmes which you have chosen.
You can add or subtract from this list at any time.

Get it here
http://www.baxbex.com/downloads.html

P.S. Is everyone aware that Microsoft draws a distinction between:
"Select" = [one click] Highlights it.
"Choose" = [two clicks] Activates it.

My Etymology says:
Select = pick, collect.
Choose = taste, give a taste of.

First you pick, then you taste [or chew(ise)?]

[Mark Miller]

If after using view files as David suggested [it does work in XP] and still not sure, it happens to me all the time. You can use the check the web option [inXP{] and usually it comes up with what you can open what with. I hope I'm being clear. This is all under view file types under tools.
Mark