Raymond said:
Yes, I found them also, but I almost need to reset all MIME types in
the registered file types. This site helped to fix a few of the
issues, but not all of them. Thanks anyway...
Many filetypes are not defined until you install the software that
wants to use that filetype association. Could be you have a lot of
those and merely need to delete them (but then the apps, if still
installed, won't work or not behave properly).
A filetype association that is invalid (i.e., has no handler identified
or points to a server [file] that doesn't exist) doesn't do any harm
other than waste some bytes in the .dat registry files. Provided you
are expert at editing the registry, have you used a registry cleaner to
figure out how many of those filetypes actually are superfluous since
they point to a handler that no longer exists? After doing that
cleanup, go into the programs that let the user select which filetypes
it will handle, select them, and they'll get recreated for use by that
application. For example, I might install a program that rudely yanks
filetypes to itself but I want them used by another program so, for
example, I might go into Quicktime to have it yank back its filetypes
and then go into Windows Media Player to yank back its filetypes
(including those that Quicktime yanked to itself). I have to wonder if
the filetype or MIME handlers are "broken" then just what are you going
to "fix" them to use. If the application doesn't exist that will handle
the file or media type, what good would it do to change them? If the
application still exists, it should have an option to select what it
handles and, if not, an uninstall and reinstall will have it rudely grab
or create those associations. If the handler doesn't exist, "fixing" by
changing back to defaults won't fix anything.
If you don't want to use the minimal Filetypes editing in Folder Options
-> Filetypes and using the 'assoc' command line utility doesn't appeal
to you, you could use Nirsoft's FileTypesMan utility. You could then
use it to edit the filetypes to match those from a "good" host. For the
MIME types, see if Nirsoft's MMCompView lets you see and do what you
want.
You sure the problem is really with the file and MIME associations?
Maybe the problem is your "user" installed rogue, corrupted, or malware
codecs. These run code to decode multimedia content (well, that's what
they're supposed to do if they aren't rogue or malware codecs). Nirsoft
has their InstalledCodec utility plus the already mentioned MMCompView
will show the list of codecs on your host. Some programs add their own
codecs at install time. Some you have to get from the vendor of the
codec so beware of whose codec you are installing. Free-codecs.com has
many of them but I've never used them other than to trial their
alternative RealPlayer and alternative Quicktime players. I've read
where many folks will get their K-Lite Codec Pack to replace corrupted
or missing codecs. Again, I've never used it. I've been lucky in not
needing to use them. My media needs are sated with the codecs that came
with Windows or the various applications that included their own. I
also configured Windows Media Player (and any similar player) to NEVER
automatically download a codec. I don't need everyone's and anyone's
codec installed on my host because that site decided they wanted to use
some custom codec or provide encoded content that requires some oddball
codec that I've never heard of (so look into your user's WMP settings to
see if they allow auto-install of codecs). When I get prompted to
install yet another codec, I almost always say No. But, hey, if your
codecs are screwed and you're considering a fresh reinstall then it
won't hurt to trying installing the K-Lite package.
Before doing a fresh reinstall, I'd try a repair (inplace upgrade) using
the install CD to see if that reverted the filetypes and mime handlers
back to the defaults. If you "have a user" (which makes it sound like
you manage hosts at a corporation) then why don't you have standard
images to restore the host back to the state they where when the
employee first got the host (and ensure only company-approved software
is on those hosts)?
