User-specific File Associations

[Guest]

Is there a way to have separate file associations in different profiles with
Windows XP MC SP2?

Reason I ask:

My old machine had XP w/ Service Pack 1. I could use Winamp to play my MP3s
in my profile and my wife could use Windows Media Player. Unfortunately, the
old machine's power supply had a catastrophic failure nuking the Mommy board,
so I had to buy a new box. This new one has SP2 on it (and Media Edition vs.
the Home edition on the old one). Now there doesn't seem to be the ability to
have separate file associations on different profiles.

What I've tried:

It seems that with SP2, limited accounts (standard users) cannot change
their own file associations. So, I gave my wife administrative priveleges.
That worked in the sense that she could now change file associations. But
then any changes she made affected MY profile.

It seems to me that this new SP2 "upgrade" doesn't allow for separate file
associations across profiles. Is there anything I can do? I've read about
the ability to "turn on" user-specific file associations, but I have looked
everywhere I can think of, but have come up empty each time.

David

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Wow, what a great idea. Unfortunately, Windows doesn't do that (at
least, not yet). At present, file associations are global choices. But
who knows, perhaps there's a third-party app that can do a workaround.

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

Is there a way to have separate file associations in
different profiles with Windows XP MC SP2?

Reason I ask:

My old machine had XP w/ Service Pack 1. I could use Winamp
to play my MP3s in my profile and my wife could use Windows
Media Player. Unfortunately, the old machine's power supply
had a catastrophic failure nuking the Mommy board, so I had
to buy a new box. This new one has SP2 on it (and Media
Edition vs. the Home edition on the old one). Now there
doesn't seem to be the ability to have separate file
associations on different profiles.

What I've tried:

It seems that with SP2, limited accounts (standard users)
cannot change their own file associations. So, I gave my
wife administrative priveleges. That worked in the sense
that she could now change file associations. But then any
changes she made affected MY profile.

It seems to me that this new SP2 "upgrade" doesn't allow for
separate file associations across profiles. Is there
anything I can do? I've read about the ability to "turn on"
user-specific file associations, but I have looked
everywhere I can think of, but have come up empty each time.

David

I don't have Winamp installed on any of my systems so I can't
test this, but you might want to try the following:

Go to Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs and click on "Set
Program Access and Defaults" in the left hand column. Note: You
may also find this accessible through your Start Menu.
Click the down arrow next to Custom.
Look under "Choose a default media player" for Winamp.
Select it and hit the OK button.
Check to see if when you open an mp3 file Winamp is launched.
Log off your account and log on to your wife's account.
Follow the same procedure but have it set to Windows Media
Player.

I've used this procedure to set up iTunes as the default
program when mp3 files are opened in one administrator account
and Windows Media Player for another administrator account.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Guest]

I don't understand what you're saying. I can't do this with Windows? I know
I could do it with my last machine (XP Home SP1).

 

[Guest]

add-on:

....and there was no third-party add-on (as far as I know) that allowed for
this ability.