How to really, really re-assign file extensions to new application?

At first an important request: Please read my problem carefully.
The solution is not as easy at it seems to be at the first glance!

Since WinXP I have a problem when I want to re-assign a file extension to another
application (=the program which should be used when double clicking on a certain file in WinExplorer).
This problem appears particularly when the old, current application is NOT existing any more!

Assume the following step-by-step simplified sample scenario:

1.) File extension *.avi is assigned to the well known videoplayer VLC in
D:\videoplayer\vlc\v1\

2.) Now I extract another PORTABLE videoplayer foobarplayer.exe into
D:\videoplayer\foobar\

3.) I delete the vlc player directory
D:\videoplayer\vlc\v1\

Ok, I admit it would be better to officially uninstall it. But the problem shouldn't exists here anyway.

4.) Now I want to re-assign *.avi extension to the new player. Therefore I right click in WinExplorer on an *.avi
program and select

Open With->Choose default program->Browse

I navigate to the new program foobarplayer.exe and click OK.

Surprisingly the OpenWith dialog still marks the old videoplayer program vlc or NO program. Even worse: The
new program is oftentimes not visible in this dialog. This drives me crazy.

It seems that internally Win7 still has Registry settings linked to the old default program which CANNOT be
OVERWRITTEN (by this way). The official often recommended re-assigning does NOT work.

I tried to find another way without luck. It seems to me that direct hacking the Registry is the only way.
Can this be real? I cannot believe that WinOS do not offer a real smarter enforced overwrite of file extension associations.

There are older programs as "assoc" and "ftype" which help me to do the job. But they are almost as uncomfortable as editing the Registry directly. This problem is NOT porgram specific but happened with a couple of programs in the past.

Probably it is because of the two-step association which cannot be handled by this way:

*.avi--->videofile--->videoplayer

So again is there a real easy way/tool of re-assigning file extension to new programs regardless of what crap stuff is currently existing in Registry for that file extension?

Thank you
Peter

Hello pstein,

Assigning VLC mediaplayer with the avi file manually is different from having VLC Media player do it. In addition, deleting VLC Media Player in the Program Files folder, manually does not include registry uninstallations. In order to remove it, we must do it manually, here's how: Open with - Clean Up and Remove Programs

In making Foobar your default player, use the Default Programs application found in the start menu.

sibbil said:

Maybe I'm not really getting it (not unusual), but when you get to this step:

Open With->Choose default program->Browse

I navigate to the new program foobarplayer.exe and click OK.

Do you also click the checkbox "always use this program to open this type of file" before clicking OK?

Yes. If possible, assigning it to the program, rather than directly on the .exe will be more appropriate. Did you see foobarplayer in the Other Programs Menu?

Please navigate to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Associations. Highlight the extension whose file association you want to change. Click on Change Program Button on the top right and choose the program if need be by browsing that you would like the extension to open with.

That is all.

Actually, I deleted that post almost immediately after posting (but you were quicker). Anyway, I deleted because I thought I really didn't get it!! The reason, is that I think I've seen the exact same thing happen; where you browse to the app, select, click ok, and it immediately opens the app/file without giving you the chance to click that option I mentioned.

sibbil said:

Actually, I deleted that post almost immediately after posting (but you were quicker). Anyway, I deleted because I thought I really didn't get it!! The reason, is that I think I've seen the exact same thing happen; where you browse to the app, select, click ok, and it immediately opens the app/file without giving you the chance to click that option I mentioned.

That is because you are setting it from "Open With", do change it through what wanchoo said:

wanchoo said:

Please navigate to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Associations. Highlight the extension whose file association you want to change. Click on Change Program Button on the top right and choose the program if need be by browsing that you would like the extension to open with.

Influx said:

sibbil said:

Actually, I deleted that post almost immediately after posting (but you were quicker). Anyway, I deleted because I thought I really didn't get it!! The reason, is that I think I've seen the exact same thing happen; where you browse to the app, select, click ok, and it immediately opens the app/file without giving you the chance to click that option I mentioned.

That is because you are setting it from "Open With", do change it through what wanchoo said:

I don't think so, if you use "Open With" (which should only appear if the extension is already assigned) it will still go back to the dialog box that lets you select it as the default, before you actually open it.

I've always done it with the right-click 'Open With..." function.

IF the program isn't listed, click 'Choose default program', drill down to its 'exe file' and select.

And DO make sure that 'Always use the selected program....' is selected, or the settings won't hold.

I have never had a problem doing it this way.

Although there are at least two other ways of getting it done, I don't think we're getting what was actually written.

pstein said:

I navigate to the new program foobarplayer.exe and click OK.

Surprisingly the OpenWith dialog still marks the old videoplayer program vlc or NO program. Even worse: The new program is oftentimes not visible in this dialog. This drives me crazy.

It seems that internally Windows 7 still has Registry settings linked to the old default program which CANNOT be OVERWRITTEN (by this way). The official often recommended re-assigning does NOT work.

When you get returned to the "Open With" dialog box after selecting the desired app, is it maybe just that you need to scroll down to find your app?

The original program should always show as selected, as that is the current default, but all you have to do is click your desired program (if you can find it), and make sure the "Always open with..." is selected before clicking OK.