Manage - Fix "File does not have a program associated"

How to Fix Manage "File does not have a program associated with it" Error​

   Information

This will show you how to fix the This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action error message you get when you click on the Manage context menu item for the Computer button in the Start Menu.

   Note

This is usually caused by trying to change the shortcut overlay arrow icon using the improper XP method of deleting the IsShortcut string value in the registry instead of using the proper Windows 7 method.

EXAMPLE: Error message
NOTE: When you right click on the Computer button in the Start Menu and click on Manage, you get this error:

"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."

OPTION ONE

To Fix Using a REG File Download

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Fix_Manage_Error.reg

Download


2. Save the .reg file to the desktop.

3. Right click the downloaded .reg file on the Desktop and click on Merge.

4. Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

5. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you would like to.

   Tip

If your still get an error afterwards, then download and merge the lnk (LNK) option in the tutorial below to restore all of the default association for shortcuts (lnk), and try again.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

OPTION TWO

To Manually Fix in Registry Editor

1. Open the Start Menu, and type regedit in the search box and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (if administrator) or enter the administrator's password (if standard user).

3. In regedit, navigate to the location below.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile
4. In the right pane of lnkfile (LNKFILE), right click on a empty space and click on New and String Value. (see screenshot below)

5. Type in IsShortcut for the name and press enter. (see screenshot below)

6. In regedit, navigate to the location below.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Manage\command

7. In the right pane of command, right click on a (Default) and click on Modify. (see screenshot above)

8. Type in the data below if it is not already there, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
%SystemRoot%\system32\CompMgmtLauncher.exe


9. Close regedit.

   Tip

If your still get an error afterwards, then download and merge the lnk (LNK) option in the tutorial below to restore all of the default association for shortcuts (lnk), and try again.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add or Remove Manage from Computer Context Menu
• Fix Empty Favorites in Navigation Pane Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Restore Missing "Pin to Taskbar" and "Pin to Start Menu" Context Menu Items in Windows 7 Shortcuts
• How to Disable or Enable "Context Menus" and "Dragging and Dropping" in the Start Menu

 

[fanaudi]

You're welcome Brink ,
Any clue of what causes this issue ?
Thanks ,
Regards ,
Chris .

 

[Brink]

Chris,

This is usually caused by trying to change the shortcut overlay arrow icon using the improper XP method of deleting the IsShortcut string value in the registry instead of using the proper Windows 7 method.

 

[fanaudi]

Like using Tweak Manager to remove shortcuts arrow ?
Thanks again .

 

[Brink]

LOL, could be.

 

[fanaudi]

Got it Shawn , thanks again .
It's a real pleasure surfing on this forum .
Regards ,
Chris .

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Chris.

 

[marnel]

I downloaded both of these mentioned above and I added them. I still have this message.'The file does not have a program associated with it.'
I have tried to go into my regedit and it gives me the same message above. 'The file does not have a program associated with it.' so I can't even get to it to try some of the manual methods.
I also tried to download the malware mentioned in one of the other replies but it won't let me open anything I download it gives me the same message. 'The file does not have a program associated with it.'

I did shut down after each of the seperate fix's... not sure what else to do please help.

 

[Brink]

Hello Marnel, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you do not see a Merge option when you right click on the REG file, then you will need to check in Default Programs to set the reg file extension to have it's Current Default program set as Registry Editor (C:\Windows\regedit.exe). Afterwards, try merging the REG file again.


Next, see if downloading and merging the EXE and LNK (lnk) options in the tutorial below may be able to help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[marnel]

Ok I redid all that again after reboot and it seems to have worked.

I was told that I had a message from my Kapersky Anti Virus program, apparently my dd and her friends were dl'g some files and not sure what happened but it says that this was quarantined: PDM Generic Trojans.
Could this have caused that error message? It probably would have helped if they told me that last night

I was also able to dl the malware bytes on my computer...
Is their anything else I should do or know?

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that it worked for you this round.

It's possible that it may have contributed to the error.

It sounds like the malware was taken care of, but it wouldn't hurt to do a full scan of your system with Malwarebytes free, and with Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper at boot to be safe.

 

[marnel]

I was running malware as i was posting the above message. It seems it found 2 other items and it took care of it.
I will dl the MSSW anything to help, I don't need a virus to take down this laptop as it's only been mine for a month :/

Thank you for all your help you saved my sanity as I've been at this since yesterday but found this place this am.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Marnel. I hope that it comes back as clean afterwards. Just to be safe, it wouldn't hurt to scan your system each day for a few days to help make sure that it's still clean.

 

[Gouron]

is it bad if I can't find Inkfile under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT? I was trying to follow option 2 tutorial when I ran into that problem :/

 

[Brink]

Hello Gouron,

It's Lnkfile (L) instead of Inkfile (I) , but you may not have reached lnkfile yet. You would need to scroll past all of the file extenstions listed first before the alphabet starts over to then find lnkfile.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Six9siX]

The reg file worked fine on my system
"manage works again"
But after restart little arrows on shortcuts are back.
Again remove arrows, manage not working.
So I think its a linked thing manage or arrows.

 

[Brink]

The reg file worked fine on my system
"manage works again"
But after restart little arrows on shortcuts are back.
Again remove arrows, manage not working.
So I think its a linked thing manage or arrows.

Hello Joe,

It is if you use the old XP method to remove shortcut arrows. See the blue note box at the top of the tutorial for info and a link on how to remove shortcut arrows in Windows 7 instead.