Hijacking file extensions

[Kledir]

Is there a freeware utility that prevents new installed programs from
hijacking already associated file extensions?

Found some stuff, but it's all shareware.

Anyone?

Kledir

 

[John Corliss]

Is there a freeware utility that prevents new installed programs from
hijacking already associated file extensions?
Found some stuff, but it's all shareware. Anyone?

I'm interested in that too. However, in the mean time and if you have
System Restore on your computer, be sure to set a restore point before
doing the install. Pay close attention to a program's install
procedure and never do a default install if there is another option
(usually "Custom install"). Sometimes custom installs allow you to
select file associations. Also, start the new program and then check
the options. You might be able to disassociate the program from the
file types it's hijacked there and doing this usually restores the
previous association. Otherwise, if a program hijacks file
associations and you can't undo the damage, you can uninstall the
program and see if that works. If it doesn't restore the previous
association and you're using ME or XP, use System Restore to correct
the problem.

 

[Peter TC]

Try the free one you've got - if it's XP.
In a DOS box look at assoc and ftype.
They don't prevent but they do fix.

 

[Andreas Perfora’tus [Stu]]

Is there a freeware utility that prevents new installed programs from
hijacking already associated file extensions?

Found some stuff, but it's all shareware.

Anyone?

Kledir

How about this one...

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,8150,00.asp

Association Manager 1.3a By Alexander Peckover

Do you want your .bmp files to always open in Photoshop? Your .mp3 files in
Winamp? This utility helps you organize the association between file types
and the applications that open them. You can permanently save your settings
so that programs don't change them without your knowledge, and you can
modify the file icon for each file type. If you want to see what your
current settings are, you can print an HTML list of all of your
associations.

113KB

http://ftp.pcworld.com/pub/new/utilities/file_management/associate.zip

 

[Alastair Smeaton]

How about this one...

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,8150,00.asp

Association Manager 1.3a By Alexander Peckover

Do you want your .bmp files to always open in Photoshop? Your .mp3 files in
Winamp? This utility helps you organize the association between file types
and the applications that open them. You can permanently save your settings
so that programs don't change them without your knowledge, and you can
modify the file icon for each file type. If you want to see what your
current settings are, you can print an HTML list of all of your
associations.

113KB

http://ftp.pcworld.com/pub/new/utilities/file_management/associate.zip

Author recommends that you do not use it on Win NT - despite this, i
tried it on my XP system, and it crashed :-(

For users of 95 or 98, it looks good though

 

[Glev Zarriontal]

Is there a freeware utility that prevents new installed programs from
hijacking already associated file extensions?

Found some stuff, but it's all shareware.

Anyone?

Kledir

I just found one that is freeware.
http://www.baxbex.com/openexpert.html

As long as you are running a Win32 based OS, you are fine.
"This is not to say there is anything wrong with people playing 2e, 1e or
whatever else you want to play. Your money, your time, your choice of how
you have fun. Long as you do that it doesn't matter what you play."
----"Lord_Anthrax" <[email protected]>
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dome/3918/ADD_Main.html

 

[Ravi/Shell-Shocked]

WAssociate - it always works for me. Pretty thorough program.

Link: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wstudios/Associate/

 

[WhItE RaBBiT]

I just found one that is freeware.
http://www.baxbex.com/openexpert.html

Yet another ( no install at all .

http://www.memecode.com/xpassociate.php