Alternate parameters for opening filetype with program

There are some programs that I can't get to open a file by double-clicking on it. If I associate the filetype in the registry with shell\open\command: "Path\Program.exe" "%1" it just opens the program, but doesn't open the file. It's a problem I've had with numerous programs. I know many programs might have specific arguments they use, but I just want some general advice. What are some common parameters/arguments that might work with some of these programs? ("Path\Program.exe" "%L") ("Path\Program.exe" --started-from-file "%1") ("Path\Program.exe" /open "%L") ("Path\Program.exe" -run "%1") are some examples of what I'm looking for.

Hi PDXmatt-

Go to Control Panel, Default Programs. There are a couple of ways of handling this.

Click on "Associate a file type............". You can look up the extensions that you want a particular program to open and set that program as the default.

Or, you can select "Set Default Programs" and select a program and set it to open all file types that it can open.

Does that help?

There is no standard at all, each and every program has its own convention and parameters. If a specific program fails to do what you want, look at its command line documentation for the correct set of parameters. It may also be entirely possible that the program doesn't support command line interface at all and it's simply incapable of directly opening a file.

The most common way of doing it is precisely your example, simply passing the target file name as a parameter and nothing else. When doing a shot in the blind "Path\Program.exe" "%1" is always a good starting point.

wither 2 said:

Hi PDXmatt-

Go to Control Panel, Default Programs. There are a couple of ways of handling this.

Click on "Associate a file type............". You can look up the extensions that you want a particular program to open and set that program as the default.

Or, you can select "Set Default Programs" and select a program and set it to open all file types that it can open.

Does that help?

Unfortunately that still just associates the filetype with the "Path\Program.exe" "%1" parameter, which I can do manually in the registry.

Alejandro85 said:

There is no standard at all, each and every program has its own convention and parameters. If a specific program fails to do what you want, look at its command line documentation for the correct set of parameters. It may also be entirely possible that the program doesn't support command line interface at all and it's simply incapable of directly opening a file.

The most common way of doing it is precisely your example, simply passing the target file name as a parameter and nothing else. When doing a shot in the blind "Path\Program.exe" "%1" is always a good starting point.

Yeah, I noticed after searching "shell\open\command" in RegScanner that there isn't really any standard parameters other than [B]"Path\Program.exe" "%1"[B]. The programs I've had trouble with never seem to have any commandline documentation, and searching on Google never helps. I think you're right that these programs just aren't able to directly open a file, which I figured was the case but I was hoping maybe there was a way.

I assume you're inputting the path to/and actual .exe file for the program you're associating a file type with in the Control Panel, Default Programs. If you are, doesn't that file type open in it's associated program when you double click on it?

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the problem.

wither 2 said:

I assume you're inputting the path to/and actual .exe file for the program you're associating a file type with in the Control Panel, Default Programs. If you are, doesn't that file type open in it's associated program when you double click on it?

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the problem.

What I mean is when you associate a file type with some programs it won't open the file with the program, it just opens the program by itself. I guess some programs just won't open files directly like that.

Thanks. I missed that distinction.

For a problem program, go to Control Panel, Programs and Features. Click on the program and select Change. Select the Repair option and run it.

Does that help?

wither 2 said:

Thanks. I missed that distinction.

For a problem program, go to Control Panel, Programs and Features. Click on the program and select Change. Select the Repair option and run it.

Does that help?

No, the issue is just getting the program to open files directly. Also the programs I have this problem with don't usually have installers anyway.

Can you identify some of the programs that don't work as expected?