File associations

[Daddeo]

bigtoe, I have a couple of files that I can not open. I get this error message:

 "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel."

At one I knew how to make the connection between the file and a program to open it via "Folder Options". I have forgotten how I did it. Can you help?

[bigtoe]

Hi Ed .... I don't know which browser you're using or what the file extensions are so can't advise on specific programs to associate them with.... So, one easy way is to do a right mouse click on the file and choose to "open with..." . Click the Browse button and choose the program that is associated with the file extension ... for instance, the extension .doc stands for Word Document so you would select Microsoft Word.... The extension .ppt or .pps indicates the file is a Power Point presentation, and you would select either Microsoft Power Point if you have that installed or you can use the free download from Microsoft called "Power Point Viewer" or the free program called "Open Office" (free version similar to the suite of programs in Microsoft Office) which includes a power point program... an extension of .jpg or .png or .jpeg at the end of a file means it is a picture file and you need to browse to some picture/graphics handling program on your computer to associate with that extension..... Many times, you can just select your browser of Internet Explorer or Firefox and they can open many different file formats.... You can also do a Google search on the extension and find out what program created that type of a file, making it easy to right click and select "Open with..." and quickly pick a program to associate with the file extension.....

When you do that right click and select a program to "associate" with that particular type of file, you can put a click mark in the box to "always use this program to open this type of file"..... Now you will have a permanent association made and you won't have to go through this in the future when you find a file that you have to connect to a program to see the file....

If I knew which browser you are using and the file extension at the end of the file, I could give you more specific directions.... Hopefully, the above general practice will refresh your memory or work for you on those files you currently have....

Here's a tutorial that Sandy wrote on the subject of file associations:
http://www.compukiss.com/basics/file-associations.html

Happy Puterin', Al

[Daddeo]

Al, I guess I'm just too dense to grasp what these file associations are all about and what to do about them. To fill you in a bit, I use IE6 in XP and the file extensions I am having trouble with seem to be multiple. I do believe that if I could get the hang of associating one file with a program and get it to open, I might learn the process to apply to other cases. One case in point is a file named "Derinkuyu pps".When I try to open it nothing happens. I recognize "pps" as power point and I have PP reader installed. I also have"Open Office" on my computer. One thing you mention early on above is to "right mouse click on the file and choose to "open with.....". Click the Browse button and ..................etc. When I right click on the file, I get a drop down box but it does not include"open with" Somewhere along the line I am missing an important point, but I am at a loss as to what it is. Ed

[bigtoe]

Ed ... Not a problem.... Here are the directions for use with the IE6 browser and WinXP operating system. I am guessing that you are getting this Power Point Show file as an attachment in an email from a known and trusted person so you aren't opening some troubles... Do a right click on that .pps file and select to save it to a folder on your desktop so it is easy for you to find when doing the steps I'll list below.

   1. Open Windows Explorer by right-clicking the Start button, and then click Explore.
   2. Click a folder that contains the .pps file that you want Windows to open in a program that you select (this is all an association is, getting a program associated with a certain file extension - like associating your car key with your car, or a Pilgrims hat with Thanksgiving).
   3. Right-click the file and, depending on the programs installed on your computer, complete one of the following steps:
          * Click Open With to choose the program that you want.
          * Point to Open With, and then click Choose Program to choose the program that you want (Power Point Viewer).
   4. The Open With dialog box is displayed. Use one of the following methods to select the program that you want to use for this file type:
          * In the Programs list, click the program that you want to use.
          * Click Browse, locate and then click the program that you want to use, and then click Open.
          * Click Look for the appropriate program on the Web to browse the Internet for the program that you want to use (if you were without any type of power point program on your computer, or without another program for a different file type extension).
   5. Click to select the Always use the selected program to open this kind of file check box if it is not selected.
   6. Click OK.

Another way, perhaps easier to do, using IE6... right click on Start, select Explore.... click on Tools and then click on Folder Options.....and then click the File Types tab...... Takes a couple of seconds to load the different types, then scroll down to PPS and see what program is associated with it now.... you can click the Change button and select your Power Point Viewer...... I'm also wondering what version of PP Viewer you have on your computer, you likely need to upgrade (free) to a newer version of the Viewer at the Microsoft Download site, either Power Point Viewer 2003 or PP Viewer 2007 - I suspect you have an older version if you are still using IE6 browser... when it installs, it very well will automatically set itself as the associated program.... Has this always been a problem, or is it just with this one particular PP file, as it may have been created with PP 2007 or newer version of the program from the latest version of Microsoft Office....

From now on, Windows XP will open all files that have this file name extension of .pps in the program that you selected. To change this, you must follow these steps again and associate a different program with this file name extension. If you prefer to use the Open Office program, just a matter of selecting that during your browse look and not choosing to use PP Viewer.

You really need to update that very unsecure browser, at least to IE7 so you are afforded all the extra protections the newer browser gives you... If you later wanted to further update IE7 to IE8 you can do so later, but IE6 really has a lot of dangerous openings for the bad guys to inflict a lot of headaches onto your computer.

If you decide to later give Firefox browser a try (current version is FF 3.5.4) then I can give you some easy "file association" steps to use with that browser, similar to the 2nd set of directions I gave above for Windows Explore.

Hope these directions help, or Sandy's tutorial that I posted earlier..... Let us know how you make out and we can go from there....... Al

[Daddeo]

Al, At this point I don't know which is messed up the more, my computer or my head. I saved that "Derinkuyu pps" to my desktop. I right clicked on it and chose "Open With". In the "Open With" box I chose "Word Pad"( one of the two recommended). Now when I right click on the file icon I get an "Open With" box. When I click on "Word Pad" the file opens but it is just pages of gibberish. I know that the site is a compilation of pictures of  ancient underground passages because I opened it in Google. Any thoughts?  In the case mentioned above there happened to be an extension (pps) present, but in many cases of not being able to open a file there is no extension given so consequently the drop down box does not contain an  "Open With" as an option. What then?

I gave you some incorrect info last time out. I do have IE6 installed, but my day to day browser is MSN Explorer. I have Chrome and Opera installed and use them occasionally, but I am so used to Msn Explorer that it is hard to change. To add to the current miseries, it looks like I'm having a problem with my Power Point Reader. I have, just in the last day or so been getting a "The converter failed to save this file" message. Do you have any idea what that is all about? I have Power Point Viewer 2003 installed at the moment, but I might have to uninstall it and reinstall either it or 2007. If I decide to go to Firefox, I'll be in touch. What is your preference? Ed 

[bigtoe]

Hi Ed ... Word Pad is not a program that would open any picture files as it is a word processing program for opening and viewing text files or creating text files.....That is why the pictures didn't open up but instead you got the "gibberish" which is the computer language that is used to display the pictures.... Really not much difference between Internet Explorer and MSN Explorer.... MSN just imposed some of their stuff on the IE6 browser and renamed it (that's called an OVERLAY put ontop of the IE browser by MSN).... there are quite a few different named "browsers" which are in the same boat, just a modified Internet Explorer.... I use Firefox 3.5.4 almost entirely, but I know that folks enjoy the newest Opera browser (believe it is Opera 10).... Chrome has a lot of security weaknesses and I don't use it, but it is a quick browser that many do use and seem to like........ Joy of computers is that there is really just about anything to suit the needs of all of us....

The part in my earlier response that I changed to a blue colored font, might be the easiest way for you to check and be sure that your Power Point Viewer is set as your default program to open any power point files.... just scroll down to the PPS listing, single left click it to highlite it, and see what program is listed as "associated with" the PPS extension.... You can click the Change button and select Power Point Viewer 2003 (might need to include the .exe extension, but I don't think so... ), click Apply/OK and exit out of the Tools settings with Explore (not that is not the same as Internet Explorer or MSN Explorer... but is EXPLORE with no R on the end, found with the right click atop START and select Explore then Tools then File Types so you scroll down to find the PPS listed in the list of File types)...

If you sign up for a free Gmail address (go to http://mail.google.com ) you can send or forward your email with the attached Power Point File to that address.... Google Mail (Gmail) has a built in power point viewer which allows to see the file pictures...... Just another way for you to see the presentation...... Not to confuse things, just that there are so many different ways of doing this....

Since you're getting those warning messages, I would go to Control Panel and Add/Remove and uninstall the Power Point Viewer you currently have as it may be corrupted.... Then you can go to the Microsoft download page or to Filehippo.com at http://www.filehippo.com where you can get and download the free Power Point Viewer.... I would get the latest 2007 viewer, as it it backwards compatible and can open any Power Point Presentation file created with an earlier version of Power Point program.....I think that when you then install the new program it asks if you want it to be your default program used and you can just select YES.... then any Power Point Presentations that you get in an email attachment will auto open with that program...

And, after all of this.... the possibility still exists that the file you received in the email was corrupt and not playable.... I get those now and then myself in various emails that are forwads of forwards .....  ... In that case, nothing you can use will work....