Windows 7: "Open with" dialog broken.

Hi,
I just discovered that if I right-click a file ( .txt , .avi , etc), and attempt to use "Open With", I do get a previously used list of programs to select from in the drop down list that appears.

However, if I then select the "choose default program ..." dialog box to find an alternative program, I keep ending up with the error message:

"This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the default programs control panel."

To add insult to injury, I follow the instructions from the error message, by opening ''default programs / Set associations / Change program, and I get the"Open With" program selection box. The tick-box "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" is greyed out though! Therefore, I can't choose to set a program on a temporary setting.

Something is obviously broken, but I can't find anything on the net or these forums, so far. I tried re-booting without success. Looked at system restore and (STUPIDLY), I only have 2 very recent restore points to go back to yesterday with, (I've since increased the restore storage allowance for the drives).



Any help greatly appreciated, folks

Hello Boothy,

Try the download in the tutorial below for each file extension that you are having this problem with. They will restore all of that file extension's default associations. If one that you need is not listed, then please let me know and I'll add it.

Default File Type Associations - Restore

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hello Boothy99, welcome to Seven Forums!



After you get the file associations sorted, have a look at the tutorial at the link below, it' very useful, especially #4 A; be sure to keep us informed.

System Restore Point : Create at System Startup

Thanks Brink & Bare Foot Kid, for getting back to me with advice.

Unfortunately, the default file types doesn't seem to be the problem, as all my files do have default programs associated with them. I can even select one of the alternatives from the right-click pop-up option menu. I can also open and use the Default Program application via Control Panel.

The error message comes up as soon as I click on "choose default program...", from the bottom of the pop-up menu. It's as though that dialog isn't associated with the "Open with'' application anymore.

When I can get to the "Open with" application through other means, ..... the darn "Always use...." is greyed out, so it becomes a permanent selection / rather than temporary. Double checked the procedure on my other PC, and everything works as I thought it should.

I know I can sort a work-around out to re-select a default program, in a round-about way, ... but I'd just love to sort whatever has gone wrong with the right click context menu.

Obsessive compulsive??, ... haha .... probably, but I can't help it.

...... getting tired now .... feeling the problem may be in the "context menu handler", ....( but to be honnest, ... I haven't got a clue )... having searched around a bit more.

Just tried reading some of this:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff521657%28v=VS.85%29.aspx

If anyone can translate something from the above, hehe .... or offer me another few crumbs of hope for what direction I might go, in searching out where a potential registry error has occured, I'd be eternally grateful

Going to sleep on it a bit,

G'night for now, and thanks again.

Boothy,

I think the easiest and fastest way to fix this would be to do a repair install without losing anything.

Boothy,
Have you tried Method 3 in this excellent tutorial by Brink?

Default Programs - Vista Forums

Thanks again for the suggestions.

@ Brink - thanks again, I'm willing to give that a try, .. but I'd prefer to leave that one for a bit, just yet. I'm fairly sure it's something to do with the Right-click context menu for "open with", in the registry some place. Please feel free to shoot me down if that's utter rubbish

@ Bill2 - Cheers, but it's not that I can't change a default program for a file type, rather, it seems that the context menu (handler ?) has become confused / corrupted, for ''Choose default program....".

Whilst browsing around, this morning, I came accross this (but for Windows XP):
Clicking the "Open With" or "Choose Program..." option always opens the file with Notepad?

Note the second suggested error message. It's almost exactly what I'm getting in Win 7.

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

Win 7 (my error message): "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the default programs controll panel."

I followed the registry tree to the same key, but obviously I'm not going to enter / change anything with an XP value replacement, in Win 7.

Might I be on the right track, by any chance? Could this have become corrupted? Here's what I found...........

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command
Then double clicked default, and here is the value data for (Default):

%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1

Is it the same for anyone else on Win 7 64Bit ?


Cheers.

I get the same in my less than a week old clean install of 64-bit Ultimate.

Thanks Bare Foot Kid, ..... probably not that key then. Ah well, ... I was hopeful for a bit there.

Sorry mate, maybe someone will come along with the answer; keep checking back.