Dat file accidentally changed

[Guest]

Pleas Help...I'm new at this newsgroup stuff, so pls bear with me. I
accidentally changed one of my .DATfiles to open with WMP and now all of my
..DAT files have the Windows Media player icon. Some of my apps will no longer
open. I read a thread and followed all the advise, but ran into problems.
Firstly, when i go to Tools, Folder Options, File Types, there is not a DAT
file under my file types listed, so I have to create a new one which works
out oK. The dat file type appears in the type list with the WMP icon. Then I
click on advanced to bring up the change icon box. OK so far. Then I browse
through EXplorer and select notepad.exe and click open and OK. Then this is
where I start to have problems. You've say to " In the Action box, click
Open, then click Edit. Well, My "Action box does not have and "Open" button
and the "edit" button is shaded out. All I have is a "new" button. If I click
on this
"new" button, it takes me to the same place that I think you'r talking about,
but I'm not sure. It opens another window titled New Action. Under Action: Do
I then type the word "open"?? Under Application used to perform action: Do I
type C\WINDOWS etc.? or Do I nav through explorer again to notepad.exe? I
have tried what you've suggested including typing the line with the %1 at the
end. ( My DDE box is not checked) After I click OK, OK...It returns me to the
Folder Options window, but no changes have been made to the DAT file icon.
The "apply" button is shaded out (which usually is not after you've made
changes). And when i click the close button, everything remains as was. If I
go back into Folder Options, File Types, My DAT file that I thought I had
added is not even listed again. Obviously I'm doing something wrong, cos this
is not working for me. My PC is in a mess cos of this and so am I. Any help
that you can give me would be GREATLY appreciated... (using XP Home)
Thanks, Liz

 

[djs0302]

Why don't you simply go to the file types window and remove the DAT
file association completely. None of my DAT files have a specific
program associated with them. Removing the association does not remove
the file itself.

 

[Guest]

Hi and Thanks for the reply. I did try that in the beginning and it wouldn't
"save". The DAT files just kept returning with the WMP association. However,
the good news is that I've found the solution and deployed it. Everything
back to norm, Whewh! You guys out there helping us poor "slaves to
Technnology" really makes a difference. I was able to get an idea as to what
to do by snooping around the various forums. In a problem similar to mine,
someone suggested : Opening Regedit, navigating to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.dat
(they recommended backing up the key to a REG file bu I didn't) Then in the
right-pane, click (default) and then choose Delete.
The Default should now read (Value not set) which is the XP default setting.
On mine there was also a value below the default which said "Perceived
(Video). I also deleted this. I made sure the .dat key subfolder "Open with
list" had the Default set as (value not set) also. This worked great for me.
Thanks again for the help.