unable to associate file type

[phegger]

I am unable to associate .tpo files w/the default program, Topo. I use the
Set Association feature and when I get to Open With I navigate to the
topo.exe file but it never shows up in the list of Other Programs. Why oh
why??

Topo does show up in my list of installed programs BTW.

 

[phegger]

Nope...it doesn't seem to recognize the .exe file when I try to choose it to
Open With. The recommended program is Adobe Reader--go figure.

The Topo program, and the topo.exe file is installed on an external hard
drive. Does that make a difference?

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Registering programs with the "Open With" dialog:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/openwithadd.htm

OpenWithAdd 1.2 - Supports Windows Vista:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blogs/50/OpenWithAdd-12---Supports-Windows-Vista.html

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


I am unable to associate .tpo files w/the default program, Topo. I use the
Set Association feature and when I get to Open With I navigate to the
topo.exe file but it never shows up in the list of Other Programs. Why oh
why??

Topo does show up in my list of installed programs BTW.

 

[John]

The open with and browse choice does NOT work. Not on my vista home prim
um anyway. I browse, find the file (wmplayer.exe) and try clicking it,
double clicking, hiting enter, and doing all three while swearing at
Microsoft. Nothing works. It just bounces back to the original screen. i
have found no way to even get wmplayer on the list of options.

John

 

[Bob]

Have you already tried Control Panel>Associate a file type....?

 

[John]

Yes... you end up at the same place as right clicking the file/
properties/ change etc.

John

 

[Bob]

Have you had the problem from day one or did this start recently?

 

[John]

Recently... I think. I loaded the codecs for ogg and flac files. The
problem started when I tried to get media player to open those file
types automatically. Media Player doesn't come out of the box with any
knowledge of those particular file types and codecs. They were set up to
be opened by adobe reader for unknown reasons by the installer. They are
music compression codecs. After two hours of trying various methods as
recommended by help and vista instructions I started fooling with the
registry and figured out a solution. Have no idea whether I've screwed
up anything else though.

The surprising thing is that I can't get wmplayer into the vista
options. You would think it would come with that or that mediaplayer 11
setup would put it there.

John

 

[Bob]

You can fix the file association settings by using this command. Click
Start, Run and type:
regsvr32 wmpshell.dll

And then run this command:

%Systemroot%\INF\unregmp2.exe /SetWMPAsDefault

Back up your registry first!

 

[John]

What does that do? i actually have it all running ok now. Hate to mess
with it even if it is jusry rigged.

John

 

[Bob]

It does what it says it does. Keep it in case you need it.

 

[John]

Ok. My system is very strange now. For mp3's for example... right
clicking shows that the preferred program is Real Player while the list
of "Other Programs" doesn't even include Windows Media Player. Yet what
actually opens the file is Windows Media Player. Looking in the registry
again I find there is a thing called WMP11.AssocFile. So now I have a
way to make any file open with windows media player 11 by fooling with
the registry. I'll probably keep operating this way with associations
until everything comes crashing down because vista offers no better way.

John

 

[Bob]

I suggest you undo whatever you did to the registry or better yet restore it
from your backup (you did backup, right?) and then apply the fix I posted.