How do you delete /OpenWithProgids

[blazerguitar831]

Dunno why I bother posting.

Your posts, I'm sure, are appreciative. But I have never trusted third party registry software. CCleaner excluded. Glennc, and others, are free to try third parties until they receive successful results. If unsuccessful, well..., "When all else fails".

 

[SIW2]

LOL.

Regscanner is not a registry cleaner.

It is a search tool. Nir Sofer is probably the most respected developer of all time.

 

[blazerguitar831]

Regscanner is not a registry cleaner.

Sorry, but in any of my previous post I never mentioned that Regscanner was a registry cleaner. I never mentioned Regscanner at all. I didn't mean to compare it to CCleaner as a registry cleaner. I was talking about third party registry programs in general. Be they cleaners, editors, scanners, etc...

 

[wilywombat]

I ask again for the last time...Tried post #8 yet?

 

[glennc]

It might be helpful to review exactly what the registry is and what it was meant to do.

The Windows Registry

A lot of people will say Windows 7 registy is not the same as Windows 98 or even Windows XP. And that's certainly true. But the basic underlying function is still the same . . . It keeps track of all software installed on the computer and (perhaps most importantly) how each program relates to and interacts with all the other programs on the computer. And this is where many registry editors/cleaners give the appearance that they're not doing the cleanup very well.

Let's say you uninstall Program A. It's very possible that Program A hooked itself into a couple hundred registry keys, and some of those keys belong to Program B and Program C. A registry cleaner (at least the reputable ones) will err on the side of caution and NOT remove the registry entries JUST IN CASE they are still needed by Programs B and C. Personally, I'd rather have a few hundred or even a few thousand unneeded registry entries than to have a program crash because a needed key was mistakenly removed.

And to repeat an often stated fact, Windows 7 is not your father's Windows XP where tweaks and cleaners were the norm in order to keep XP working the way it was supposed to.

Hello marsimar,
Thank you for the quick clear explanation of the more basics of the registry. I rarely use any program more intrusive than CCleaner. I get nervous. Thanks again.
Glenn

 

[glennc]

Rather than deleting them in the registry, why not change them in the File associations?

Go Start>Default Programs and select them from there.

Seems to me it's not accepting the changes because you haven't told it what to change it to.

Hello severedsolo,
Have attempted that several times. No luck. The particular file extensions don't even show up in File Associations. Thanks for another plan of action. Take care.
glennc

 

[glennc]

To reset your file associations to default you can follow this tutorial which will get rid of the Irfan problem (but also reset any others you have setup!):-
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Hello wilywombat,
Resetting my file associations to default through an unknown program, and let me say I have been on this forum long enough to trust Brink explicitly, is not my intention. I have file associations that I don't wan't back to default. I may have to resort to it, but I would just like to get the dang program boogers out. I have used blazerquitar's suggestion and I either failed to do it right or it doesn't work fully. All the OpenProgramWith stuff is back with the references to Ifanview and Foxit.
Thanks for you time and assistance. Take care
Glenn

 

[glennc]

Rather than deleting them in the registry, why not change them in the File associations?

Go Start>Default Programs and select them from there.

Seems to me it's not accepting the changes because you haven't told it what to change it to.

Why have those entries in the registry when the program is no longer installed on the system.
That is how the registry gets bloated. Entries from all kinds of stuff that is no longer needed.

Shootist,
Definitely agree with you! Bloated, but severely crucial. Thanks.

 

[glennc]

Rather than deleting them in the registry, why not change them in the File associations?

Go Start>Default Programs and select them from there.

Seems to me it's not accepting the changes because you haven't told it what to change it to.

Why have those entries in the registry when the program is no longer installed on the system.
That is how the registry gets bloated. Entries from all kinds of stuff that is no longer needed.

Just a small but very, very important point when advising anyone to go into the Registry. Always, Always make a backup of the Registry before you touch it. One very small mistake in the registry can stop your PC working completely. With a backup you can easily put things right, without it you could be in serious trouble.
Here's Brink's tutorial on how to backup the Registry;
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/4230-registry-backup-restore.html

Hellooo mitchell65,
Thanks for stepping in to the arduous fray. Thanks for the great reminder to do a Registry Backup. Excellent and I didn't think of it, in time. So hopefully I can still find a way out of the issue.
Glenn

 

[glennc]

You could have a look with RegScanner - search - then rt click each entry and Jump to key.

RegScanner: Alternative to RegEdit find/search/scan of Windows

I know you can do a similar search with Regedit - but this finds and lists them all in one go - bit more convenient.

Hello SIW2,
Just got to look at it. Seems a bit daunting. It relys on my knowledge of the registry, but does seem to be easier that regedit. Downloaded and now seeing if I am man enough to jump back into the fray. Thank for the assistance and your time.
glennc

 

[mitchell65]

The particular file extensions don't even show up in File Associations.

If when you select a program the particular file extension that you are using is not in the list that means that program cannot handle that type of file! What file extension/s and what program have you selected. That way we can replicate the problem!

 

[glennc]

Have you tried my suggestion in post #8 yet? It should work.

Hello wilywombat,
No not as yet. I am saving that as the weapon of last resort, for the reasons that I explained in your initial posting of this neat way to return to default. Thanks much for you time and advice.
Glenn

 

[glennc]

Hey blazerguitar831m
You are unfortunately correct. They have returned. I removed them, but found them back again. Frustrating, but that computers for you. Still appreciate your time and effort.
Glenn

BTW, thanks blazerguitar831!!!

You're welcome. But you might want to hold on to your gratitude for just a bit. After a recent restart I ran a registry scan and the errors returned. The deleted entries also returned in the registry. If sevenforums can't provide a solid solution to this problem we have then I doubt any other Windows 7 related forum can help us. Default Programs fail. Redundant file extensions related to the removed program still exist. System Restore fails. "When all else fails," a good clean install of the OS works every time. I've done a clean install more than half a dozen times in the past year and a half I've been using Win 7. Before Win7SP1 I could have my PC back online and looking as if I never installed Winamp in less than four hours from starting the clean install. After SP1, a little over five hours. But if a clean install is not an option for you or you would rather continue searching for a registry solution, then good luck my friend. And you're still welcome.

 

[glennc]

Dunno why I bother posting.

Hello SIW2,
Well I hope the answer to that is that you have a self-less and helpful nature, attempting to assist those less fortunate in experience then yourself. I am sorry that I have been recalcitrant in keeping up with the posts on this issue. I am attempting now to catch up. As of yet I am still plaqued.
With regscanner or however, when I go to /Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/fileext/ say .wma, what should I delete, there are several subcategores and multiple entries in each. The first time I just went the the OpenWithProg section and deleted the one of three lines that said IrfanView. This was apparently incorrect as they have returned. Appreciate any of your assistance, now and in the past.
Glenn

 

[glennc]

Dunno why I bother posting.

Your posts, I'm sure, are appreciative. But I have never trusted third party registry software. CCleaner excluded. Glennc, and others, are free to try third parties until they receive successful results. If unsuccessful, well..., "When all else fails".

LOL.

Regscanner is not a registry cleaner.

It is a search tool. Nir Sofer is probably the most respected developer of all time.

Regscanner is not a registry cleaner.

Sorry, but in any of my previous post I never mentioned that Regscanner was a registry cleaner. I never mentioned Regscanner at all. I didn't mean to compare it to CCleaner as a registry cleaner. I was talking about third party registry programs in general. Be they cleaners, editors, scanners, etc...

Dear gentlemen,
So far these have not been Germain or assistive in my quest for release of the dark powers of the registry using any method. BUT I do appreaciate you all's information and help.
Glenn

 

[Shootist]

Dunno why I bother posting.

Hello SIW2,
Well I hope the answer to that is that you have a self-less and helpful nature, attempting to assist those less fortunate in experience then yourself. I am sorry that I have been recalcitrant in keeping up with the posts on this issue. I am attempting now to catch up. As of yet I am still plaqued.
With regscanner or however, when I go to /Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/fileext/ say .wma, what should I delete, there are several subcategores and multiple entries in each. The first time I just went the the OpenWithProg section and deleted the one of three lines that said IrfanView. This was apparently incorrect as they have returned. Appreciate any of your assistance, now and in the past.
Glenn

Are you sure you have completely removed Irfanview from your system? Deleting the folder the program was installed to? Searching for any reference folder with the name irfanview, like in the user area ( your users name\Appdata\local and Roaming and in the All Users folders).

If the program is really removed/deleted/unistalled from your system then when you delete registry keys from that program or referencing that program they will NOT return.

You say some that you delete return. That shouldn't happen.

 

[glennc]

The particular file extensions don't even show up in File Associations.

If when you select a program the particular file extension that you are using is not in the list that means that program cannot handle that type of file! What file extension/s and what program have you selected. That way we can replicate the problem!

Hello again mitchell65,
I want to be crystal clearer. When I said they don't show up in the File Associations, I meant in the Windows Default Program options. Two that I remember are .rle and .wmf. In the registry they did show up, I just as of yet have been unable to rid myself of them successfully of a non-existent Open With Association or whatever the technical term is. I am trying not to do a default restore as I have numerous programs that take certain associations on purpose.
Thank you kind Sir!
Glenn

 

[glennc]

I ask again for the last time...Tried post #8 yet?

You wilywombat,
Again must apologize for not keeping up with the posts regularly. Don't want you to feel ignored. But I still haven't tried it as the two previous post's answer indicate. It is my safe reset final option. Thank you for your info.
Glenn

 

[mitchell65]

When I said they don't show up in the File Associations, I meant in the Windows Default Program options. Two that I remember are .rle and .wmf.

When in the Defaults program window you click " Associate a file type with a protocol or program" In the list that follows if as you say .rle and .wmf are not in the list I fear the only way you will solve your problems is a re install the operating system. I think you have a serious problem here. I have tried to ascertain how you could loose file extensions from the list and cannot so how it happened I have no idea!

 

[glennc]

Again I must say I appreciate all of your help. I have made snippets of what I see in the Registry Editor for .wma entry. It includes all the subsections in order. If you look you can see that Registry Editor show above the example I am showing, an entry for .wmf. Again this does not show up in the Default Applications.

Registry Editor for .wma



First Subsection



Second Subsection



Final Subsection



Hopefully you can tell me what of all or any of the entries in the subsections or the subsections themselves that should be deleted.
Thank you
Glenn