Trouble changing default program association

I'm having trouble with the incredibly simple task of changing a default program association. Following the very clear steps listed on this forum for at least 2 different procedures fail in my case. I could use some help.

Whether starting with the "Associate ..." function in the control panel or a right click "Open With" on a file I do a "Browse" to get to the old program in the old director and select it. But the file association is not changed - it still shows the new program's icon and still accesses the new program.

Background: I installed a demo of a new version of some software. The installation changed the program associated with the .sib file extension - same program (Sibelius.exe) but a different path.

Is the same program / different path messing me up, or is something else going on?

Have you taken a look at some of the Association tutorials? Perhaps you can get some guidance from one of these, and there are other tutorials as well:

How to Associate a File Type or Protocol Default Program in Window 7
How to Unassociate a File Extension Type in Vista and Windows 7
How to Set Default Associations for a Program in Windows 7
Restore Default Windows 7 File Extension Type Associations

Ztruker said:

Doing a System Restore to before you installed the program should fix this.

Yes, but I've made other changes that I'd rather not undo. And anyway, changing the default associations is something I should be able to do. A Restore would not help my coping with this if it should happen again.

Imperfect1 said:

Have you taken a look at some of the Association tutorials? Perhaps you can get some guidance from one of these, and there are other tutorials as well:

How to Associate a File Type or Protocol Default Program in Window 7
How to Unassociate a File Extension Type in Vista and Windows 7
How to Set Default Associations for a Program in Windows 7
Restore Default Windows 7 File Extension Type Associations

I'd looked at, and followed to the best of my ability, that first tutorial.

I don't have the Unassociate program. I may get it soon, but I'm a bit afraid of making the situation worse. (I'm hung up on the fact that I'm having trouble doing something that I've successfully done before - something is odd this time.)

I'm stuck on the "Set Default Association" procedure. Neither the old or new version of this application are in the displayed program list. (How do programs get there?)

I'd rather not restore the Windows default list. I've made lots of changes and don't want to have to redo them all. That is my obvious "last gasp" procedure, though.

By the way, I suspect this is significant: the new, demo program appears in my "Open With" list of programs; the old version does not. How do I add it? How do I remove the new version of the program from that list?

essenbe said:

When you do an open with, select the right file and make sure to check the check box that says always do this with this type. Have you tried that?

When I do (did) that the old program was not in the "Recommended programs" and "Always use ..." was greyed out. Choosing the correct program via Browse did nothing. The "Choose the program ..." panel was unchanged.

I finally gave up and uninstalled the demo program which reset the file association to null. I could then set the association using "Open with". (I'm almost certain the old program appeared in the "Recommended programs" list once the new program was uninstalled, but I may be misremembering.

BTW, the programs, both old and new, have a Repair function that is supposed to set program associations. I have no idea what it does beyond the standard Windows functions. (Maybe it sets multiple associations.) In any case, it didn't work for me.

I do want to reinstall the demo program so I may get a chance to try this all over again.