Changing File Associations In Vista

[JSKY]

Upon helping a member here at BTs. I discovered you can no longer set the root association in Vista. How I missed something like this with all the playing I have done....

I discovered the Folder Options window in Windows Vista is missing the File Types tab found in earlier versions of Windows. So how do one go about editing file type associations in Windows Vista?

I have discovered three way to do this.

First Way

Open your "Start Menu" and choose "Default Programs" in the right column.

Then choose "Associate file types or protocol with a program"

Second Way

1. Right-click a file of the type you want to change, and select Properties.

2. In the General tab, click the Change button.

3. Choose a program from the list, or click Browse to select an .EXE file on your hard disk.

Third Way (view a list of file types):

1. Open Control Panel.

2. In Control Panel Home, click Programs, and then click Make a file type always open in a specific program.

Or, in the Classic View, open Default Programs and then click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

3. Highlight a file type in the list and click Change Program.

Unfortunately, neither method in Vista allows you to choose anything but the default programs, such as your programs listed in your files' context menus.

Searching around the net. I did come across one program that gives you the tools needed to associate extensions to the root files.

It's called Creative Element Power Tools. Found here at creativelement.com

Creative Element Power Tools hosts six categories of tools.

1. File Tools

2. Internet Tools

3. Search Tools

4. Folder Tools

5. File Dialog Tools

6. Interface Tools

With sub-categories for each set of tools. You can customize many aspects of Vista. Including Control Menu Speed, Changing the Registered Owners and Configure Hot Keys. It also list the root extension and file types now missing in Vista. And allows you to reset them if you accidentally move a file type.

I have been going through this program and I feel that this is a essential add-on to Vista for Power Users. (I'm going to keep this one around)

But read through the listing for using the Creative Element Power Tools on their website, to get a understanding on how to use these tools safely.

[saffionline]

Great Tips thanks

[Samuel4u]

Thanks for sharing this usefull information.