Q: Assigninig icons to File types

[DarkStar GT]

Short version:
i) How can I assign an icon within a third-party software app to a filetype?
ii) How can I remove the assignment of a program to "always open" a filetype?

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Background diagnostics:
In XP, a software app (Native Instruments' Kontakt 3) assigns different icons to several filetypes that it uses, so you can distinguish them in Explorer. This did not work in Windows 7. I wondered why.

Below is a screenshot of what I've found in Windows 7, plus a screenshot from XP showing the available icons). The filetype (.nki) is mapped to the Registry key: Kontakt.Instrument.3. And here are the exported Registry entries:

Exported from Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3]
@="Kontakt Instrument"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Native Instruments\\Kontakt 3\\.exe,1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Native Instruments\\Kontakt 3\\.exe %1"

------------------------------------------------
Exported from Windows XP Home
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3]
@="Kontakt Instrument"
"EditFlags"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Native Instruments\\Kontakt 3\\Kontakt 3.exe,1"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Native Instruments\\Kontakt 3\\Kontakt 3.exe %1"

I have noticed three things:
a) the Defaulticon data value has an extra \ just before .exe, but the Shell Open command works when I double-click an .nki file.
b) the icon index number is positive (although in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/57455-file-extension-icon-change-default-icon.html , negative index numbers are used),
c) there were DefaultIcon entries for the other filetypes with index values of 2, 3, and 4

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After creating a System Restore point and Exporting the Registry keys:
i) Will it be safe to remove the extra \ in the DefaultIcon data values?
ii) Will be be safe to delete the shell\open branch?

 

[dunfiddlin]

There's no reason why either should be unsafe to try. I'm a little baffled as to how it's working with the additional \ at all. The worst that can happen is that you can't open the .nfi files but then you can just restore the values. There should be no adverse effects on the system generally and you've always got the restore point to save you from disaster if by some freak ten billion to one chance there is a problem.

 

[DarkStar GT]

Update:

a) on closer inspection, the problem in the data value is not an extra backslash; rather it is the omission of the program name. For example, the Exported data value is:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Native Instruments\\Kontakt 3\\.exe,1"
It should be:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Native Instruments\\Kontakt 3\\Kontakt 3.exe,1"
[Exports form the Registry change single back-slashes in data values to double back-slashes]

b) I changed the values in the DefaultIcon and Shell-Open-Command keys for one element only. That still did not work; the icons were still not correct.

e) Here's the odd thing. I switched to another user -and the icons were correct for that user. I logged off that user, back to my normal one and the icons were wrong. Please see the attached screenshot.

f) That suggests to me that it is some sort of Windows 7 permissions problem, preventing access to those Registry keys in some cases.

g) let me give you some background details:
-- the Windows 7 PC is new, and one user account ("SF") was configured by the PC supplier,
-- I logged in as "SF" and created a second account ("DS") as an Administrator account
-- I logged in as "DS" and ran the program installer that created those Registry keys. So "DS" is the creator/owner.

h) But it looks like "SF" does have access to those Registry keys and "DS" does not.

i) I also checked the Defaulticons set up for filetypes when I installed 2 other programs as user "DS" (they were Foxit Reader and Reaper (a music production app). Those icons were displayed correctly for both users.

Does that make sense? It seems odd that the Windows 7 "owner" cannot access the Registry keys.

If I look at the Permissions in the Registry what should I expect to see? And any ideas how I can fix this?

 

[dunfiddlin]

I suspect that there is a second and overriding set of keys relating to the program elsewhere in the registry which apply only to the user account in which case it's not a matter of permissions at all.

However, the permissions associated with an Administrator are not those of the 'owner' (which is why we have so many tutorials on 'taking ownership'!) SYSTEM trumps Administrator when it comes to 'ownership' of Windows! But, as I say, I don't think that's the problem here

 

[DarkStar GT]

I suspect that there is a second and overriding set of keys relating to the program elsewhere in the registry which apply only to the user account in which case it's not a matter of permissions at all.

That's an idea, thank you. I'll double-check that. Apart from "Kontakt.instrument" any thoughts on what to look for?

 

[Arc]

Short version:
i) How can I assign an icon within a third-party software app to a filetype?
ii) How can I remove the assignment of a program to "always open" a filetype?

Hi Darkstar GT !!
I have a very little conception about the registries , but I have answers to your short version in my way.

1. You can use TuneUp Styler (bundled with TuneUp Utilities) to assign custom icons for the filetypes (though the program is not free)



As tuneup utility is not free, and it is not able to replace all the system icons, I follow http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73191-icons-change-using-resource-hacker.html#post642539 technique to change my icons.


2. Let us take the example of .jpg filetype . If we want to change the program to open .jpg by default, we are to ....
i] Right click on a jpeg file, and go to "properties"


ii] Click on the "change" button


iii] In the upcoming "open with" window, first search your desired program in "recommended programs" . If it is not there, search in "other programs" by clicking the button in the crossed box in the pic. If it is not even there, click the "browse button", and search it in C:\Program Files. When got, Click on "ok" button


iv] Finally, to give the change effect, Click on "apply", and then "ok" . And you are done.

 

[dunfiddlin]

I suspect that there is a second and overriding set of keys relating to the program elsewhere in the registry which apply only to the user account in which case it's not a matter of permissions at all.

That's an idea, thank you. I'll double-check that. Apart from "Kontakt.instrument" any thoughts on what to look for?

I'd just keep it simple and search for "Kontakt". You might get a lot of entries that aren't useful but at least you'll be relatively sure that you haven't missed anything!

 

[DarkStar GT]

Update and Resolution.

Well, after I bit of prowling around the Registry I did find some more entries. After editing/deleting them I have got rid of the problem.

For info:
After I had fixed the invalid path name for the DefaultIcon entry,
-- I found the keys

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.nki]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.nki\OpenWithList]
"a"="Kontakt 3.exe"
"MRUList"="a"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.nki\OpenWithProgids]
"Kontakt.Instrument.3"=hex(0):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.nki\UserChoice]
"Progid"="Applications\\Kontakt 3.exe"

-- I removed the "a" and "MRUList" entries from OpenWithList
-- I removed the UserChoice key

For completeness, for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Kontakt.Instrument.3
-- I removed the Shell key and its sub-keys


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I think that it was originally caused when I associated Kontakt 3 with the filetype as the default program to use to open the file. I am not about to try it again to confirm that idea.