File association problem

[ntuser]

Your going to regret asking this:

A better idea is to post some detail on what is wrong, so we can try
to help you with that instead.

...but you asked for it. So here goes *ahem*:

First, a little background: I've had my PC for a couple of years now and
i've made several user accounts in that time. Everything has always worked
(with the exception of my disc drives causing system freezes due to Nero
software; but for some reason that problem went away of its own accord
so..*shrug*). Those accounts created have always been fully functional
whether they were limited or administrator accounts. However...

The present day: Lately I deleted those previous accounts except 1 and
created a new limited user account (for my PC inept family). After logging
in and importing the files from the deleted accounts I noticed that the
picture files (.jpg, .gif etc) were now represented by that icon for file
extensions that windows don't recognize (in windows explorer). I then tried
to double click and open them; I received the file type association dialogue
box asking me to associate a program for these fielt types (in this case;
..jpg). So I selected the Windows picture and fax viewer and ticked the
"always open with..." box and hit "OK". The files then opened up with the
program - no problem. Here's where things get complicated:

You would think that after going through this process that from then on all
..jpg files would be represented by that picture icon in windows explorer and
be refered to as a "JPEG image" and when opened; would automatically open
with the Windows picture and fax viewer wouldn't you? No such luck. Instead,
the files were still represented by the icon associated for files Windows
didn't recognize. My initial reaction was puzzlement but I then thought I
could remedie this simply by going to My Computer>Tools>Folder Options>File
types and finding the .jpg extension and associating permenantly. Once again
I was thwarted. There was no .jpg extension listed! So I created it and set
it to open with the Windows Picture and Fax viewer. However I noticed 2
things:

1. After creating the entry and the dektop refreshing - no changes were made
and the file type still wasn't recognized
2. After I closed the file association window and re-opened it; it was as if
I had never created the .jpg extension. Once again the .jpg extension was
missing.

I was confused. I then proceeded to re-create the .jpg extension and
assoicated program to open with. Only this time; before closing the window I
clicked the "Advanced button" of the file type window (the one that opens
with a window for "Edit File type"). Nothing happened it was as if the
button wasn't there. Clicking on it yielded no response. And of course,
after closing the window and re-opening it resulted in no .jpg file type
listed.

Once again I was confused. I created a test file type called "AAA" and
associated a program with it. This time, clicking the "Advanced" button
resulted in the "Edit File Type" window comming up as normal. Also, after
closing the file type window and re-opening it resulted in the "AAA" file
type still being listed and associated with my chosen program. I.e.
everything worked appropriately for the "AAA" file type I created. But no
matter how many times I did it, I encountered the same cyclical problem
described above for the .jpg/.gif etc file type.

Therefore whenever I double-clicked a .jpg/.gif file I would recieve the
window asking me to associate the file type with a program (the cycle
continued).

Despite all this; I was about to encounter something even stranger. In an
effort to fix this I deleted the account and created a new administrator
account and logged in. This time whenever I double clicked a .jpg/.gif etc
file type; it would open with...you guessed it - the Windows picure and Fax
viewer! I thought things were finally working. However I noticed several
things:

In windows explorer; the files were still relegated the unkown file type
icon. Despite the fact that they would open with the appropriate program -
Windows couldn't associate the .jpg/.gif etc as a "JPEG image/GIF image"
etc.

I then went to take a look at the My Computer>Tools>Folder Options>File
types window and sure enough; the .jpg/.gif file types weren't there! And of
course, I encountered the same cyclical problem as before.

Possible causes:
The only things I had done recently before creating these new accounts and
encountering this exasperating problem were the uninstallation of Microsoft
Office 2003, Counterspy (anti-spyware software that suspicioulsy enough
looks to have the identical features of Windows defender (don't ask me which
came first because I don't know)) and the testing of various registry
'cleaner' programs. One other event did occur however;

Despite Noron Internet security 2005 catching the "reger.exe" virus and
deleting; I was infested with mutliple pieces of incrediablly annoying
spyware (alexa etc etc). This all happened at once. It was if I was hit by a
spyware bomb. After evading spyware from the internet for years due to my
ant-spyware apps and Norton; it was finally "my turn". At the time of
infection I had un-installed counterpsy and had Lavasoft Ad-aware and Spybot
1.4 installed. I ran these and despite multiple detections and subsequent
deletions of the invading files. The files were always returned and were
re-detected seconds later. I.e. scan>detect>delete>scan again>detects same
files>delete>cycle repeats.

I was at a loss. Norton couldn't help either because as we know; spyware
arn't seen as viruses (mostly) and thus wern't picked up by the norton
anti-vrus scans. The only way I was able to remove the infections was
through a combination of Counterspy (which I re-installed) and the multiple
registry cleaning software I had downloaded (all registry cleaners on the
market pickup different things so I thought I'd cover my bases using
multiple apps - in the end I came to only user RegSeeker 1.45). My only
guess from this is that my registry was critically destabalised by these
events.

One more thing- I noticed a bug in Counterpsy that occurs for limited user
accounts. If you have Counterspy 1.5 installed and attempt to login into a
limited user account - the startup processes fail to load and you recieve an
error message (some generic thing i forget exactly the text). Shortly after
that
the user account crashes to login screen. However, this error is avoided if
you logon as an administrator. My guess is that the developers of Counterspy
rushed the production of the 1.5 version in an attempt to beat Windows
defender to the market and didn't fully debug it. Just my 2 cents.

I'ts unlikely that these events are the source of my file association
problem but I thought i'd mention it.

Additional remedie steps taken:
1. sfc /scannow off the xp disc
2. The attempted application of downloadable stable registry entries as
suggested by this newsgroup. However I now encountered a new type of error
when attempting to merge these stable reg entries into my registry. I would
receive a "Cannot import "file": Error accessing the registry". However - as
a test - I was able to merge these reg keys into my last remaining old user
account "Registry entries merged successfully". This led me to believe that
the error may be due to a corrupted ntuser.dat file and thus a corrupted
Default user profile that all new user accounts copy off from. One thing
didn't make sense however;

The hkey_classes_root reg hive had different registry entries for the .jpg
file type between the new user accounts and the old working account. I've
since learned that the hkey_classes_root reg hive is actually assembled as
thus:
/quote

The HKCR hive itself does not really exist, it's a combination of
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes (default settings) and HKCU\Software\Classes
(user settings) while HKCU\Software\Classes is dominant if the values
of identical settings differ. Therefore, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is both
system *and* user related.

/quote

This made things much more complicated for me as I now nolonger could
simpley merge good registry entries from the old working account to the
hkey_classes_root reg hive in the new account and hope to remedie the
problem. Not that I could anyway seeing as I still would receive the "Cannot
import "file": Error accessing the registry" error.

The only other things I have noticed is that this problem also effects the
default administrator only accessable through safe mode.

So there you have it; the scanario in full. Hopefully you have better luck
in ascertaining the source of the problem then I. My suspicion is that
i'll have to do a full reformat and re-install of the OS *sigh*. Does anyone
know a good driver backup program? >.<

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

That's about 9 kBytes of text, the equivalent of
three typewritten pages. Any chance of giving us a
concise summary of your problem and your question,
e.g. by leaving out the irrelevant bits?

 

[Guest]

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

Your going to regret asking this:


...but you asked for it. So here goes *ahem*:

 

[ntuser]

How do I get my new limited user accounts to function properly such that
double clicking an e.g. .jpg file results in the appropriate program opening
instead of receiving the cyclical file association window?

Windows refuses to acknolwedge the .jpg and .gif file types for all new user
accounts

How's that?

 

[ntuser]

Unfortunately as i've stated. Attempting to merge reg keys into the new user
account registries results in "Cannot import "file": Error accessing the
registry" error message.

 

[Cymbal Man Freq.]

| Unfortunately as i've stated. Attempting to merge reg keys into the new user
| account registries results in "Cannot import "file": Error accessing the
| registry" error message.
|

Didn't some Windows Critical Update wreck the Picture & Fax Viewer program in
favor of security recently?
Download the irfanview program, last I knew it was at version 3.97. Be careful
about file associations when installing that program, but you could start with
..jpg and a few others as the only files the program will associate with. I
believe your complaint is a Windows (Security Update) problem, that has a fix
that is beyond reprehensibly complex.

 

[ntuser]

Very nice summary! Some questions:
- Does the association work for existing non-admin accounts?

There are nolonger any previously existing lmited accounts; only new ones.
Therefore, no i.e. I receive the cyclical "windows cannot open this file
etc" message when attempting to open up a .jpg or .gif file

- Does it work for new admin accounts?

Yes and no. Although the .jpg and .gif files open up with the windows
picture and fax viewer by default as normal. I notice that the icon
relegated to that file in Windows explorer is that of a unkown file type and
that in My Computer>Folder options>File Types; there is no .jpg or .gif file
type association i.e. the same scenario for limited user accounts but with
the "windows cannot open this file.." error message. Weird huh?

- What is the verbatim error message?

Opening a .jpg or .gif file in a limited user account results in the
following cyclical error message:
"Windows:
Windows cannot open this file:
<file name>
To open this file, Windows needs to know what program created it. Windows
can go online to look it up automatically, or you can manually select from a
list of programs on your computer.
What do you want to do?
<select> Use the Web service to find the appropriate program
<select> Select the program from a list"

The error message I receive when attempting to merge good .jpg registry keys
into these new accounts (whether they bad administrator or limited) results
in the following error message:
"Registry Editor:

- What do you get when you run this command
from a Command Prompt:
associate .jpg
Use the attached version of associate if you do not
have access to your own.

I must be doing this wrong. After running the associate.ex file in your
attachment from the command prompt; i'm given instructions on how to
associate file extensions with programs. However upon executing e.g.
"associate .jpg notepad.exe" I get an error message:
"'associate' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable
program or batch file."

 

[ntuser]

I wish it were that simple. But attempting to associate .jpg and .gif files
to ANY program results in my problem as described in the OP. For some reason
I just can't associate .jpg and .gif file types to programs.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You must rename associate.ex to associate.exe.

There are nolonger any previously existing lmited accounts; only new ones.
Therefore, no i.e. I receive the cyclical "windows cannot open this file
etc" message when attempting to open up a .jpg or .gif file


Yes and no. Although the .jpg and .gif files open up with the windows
picture and fax viewer by default as normal. I notice that the icon
relegated to that file in Windows explorer is that of a unkown file type and
that in My Computer>Folder options>File Types; there is no .jpg or .gif file
type association i.e. the same scenario for limited user accounts but with
the "windows cannot open this file.." error message. Weird huh?


Opening a .jpg or .gif file in a limited user account results in the
following cyclical error message:
"Windows:
Windows cannot open this file:
<file name>
To open this file, Windows needs to know what program created it. Windows
can go online to look it up automatically, or you can manually select from a
list of programs on your computer.
What do you want to do?
<select> Use the Web service to find the appropriate program
<select> Select the program from a list"

The error message I receive when attempting to merge good .jpg registry keys
into these new accounts (whether they bad administrator or limited) results
in the following error message:
"Registry Editor:


I must be doing this wrong. After running the associate.ex file in your
attachment from the command prompt; i'm given instructions on how to
associate file extensions with programs. However upon executing e.g.
"associate .jpg notepad.exe" I get an error message:
"'associate' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable
program or batch file."

 

[ntuser]

Ok, I got it working. It says "association "jpg,notepad.exe" added".
I don't know where the executable is located for the Windows Picte and Fax
Viewer so I used notepad. Unfortunately though - the problem still persists.
Nice try though.

I did notice that if I just double click the assciate.exe file I get an
error message:
"Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. you may not have
the appropriate permissions to accesss the item. (note: this message is also
received even on my working old administrator account)

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Associating .jpg files with notepad.exe won't help you much.
On WinXP PCs it's usually
rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen

 

[ntuser]

Ok, did that. Only this time there was no message; it just went back to the
folder name. And the problem is still there. So either I didn't do it
correctly; or it didn't work. *sigh*

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

If you did it correctly then associate.exe will return this line:

rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen

 

[ntuser]

I typed the following at the command prompt:
"associate .jpg rundll32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen"

After hitting enter it just goes back to the folder location e.g.
c:\documents and settings\...etc etc.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

When dealing with Command Prompt commands, make it a habit
of using the help that is built into the command:
=================
C:\>associate /?
Registers or Unregisters a file extension operating system shell.

ASSOCIATE .ext filename [/q /d /f]

.ext Extension to be associated.
filename Execuatble program to associate .ext with.
/q Quiet - Suppresses all interactive prompts.
/d Delete - Deletes the association if it exists.
/f Force - Forces overwrite or delete without questions.

Examples:
Associate .Lst NotePad.Exe
Adds the association of .Lst with Notepad.Exe.

Associate .Lst /d
Deletes the association of .Lst from Notepad.Exe.

Associate .Lst
Returns the association for .Lst if it exists.

Return Value:
A return value of zero indicates success.
=================

From the third example you can see how to obtain the
association for a .LST file.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

In view of the many questions you posted during the
last two days I think a re-installation of WinXP would
be a good idea. It is likely to resolve all problems in
one fell swoop.

 

[ntuser]

"No association found" is the messsage that comes up if I type "associate
..jpg"

I've started looking for driver backup tools now lol. Espeacially because my
MB manufacturer has discontinued support for the model.

Thanks for the support anyway. I appreciate your help in this matter and
perhaps one day, i'll find the solution to this problem and i'll post it;
hopefully sparing others from suffering the same fate. ^_~