Editing File Associations does not work

[Criftus]

Hi,

I heard about this from a friend who left ACDSee and thought this was similar though better. I have to say he's right on - it's quite an excellent program. Thanks to Pierre for the replacement.

Anyways, here's my problem. I have Windows XP Pro SP2, and I've associated a few filetypes with XnView, but when I go to Tools- Folder Options- File Types, none of the filetypes show up in the list! BMP, JPG, JPEG, TIF, etc. all open fine when I double-click on the files, but there are no entries in the File Type list confirming the file association (so I can't change icons, or add additional commands to the extensions, for instance).

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

[Lostclown]

'File types' is for selecting the image types you are able to save from XnView.
Go to 'Associations' to find what you are looking for.

It has been suggested that the 'File types' option group should be renamed as it can easily be misunderstood.

Regards, Lostclown

[Criftus]

I think you misunderstand. I'm talking about the file types tab in Windows XP's Folder Options.

[goomish]

Anyways, here's my problem. I have Windows XP Pro SP2, and I've associated a few filetypes with XnView, but when I go to Tools- Folder Options- File Types, none of the filetypes show up in the list! BMP, JPG, JPEG, TIF, etc. all open fine when I double-click on the files, but there are no entries in the File Type list confirming the file association (so I can't change icons, or add additional commands to the extensions, for instance).

Yep, I can confirm that. This is probably because of quite unusual way that XnView handles Windows Explorer's file extensions. It writes registry entries for filetypes that should be opened in XnView by doubleclicking in Windows Explorer in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts key (for example HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bmp
"ProgID"="XnView.bmp") which points to HKEY_Classes_Root\XnView.bmp\Shell\open etc. instead of HKEY_Classes_Root\.bmp (XnView.bmp) which points to HKEY_Classes_Root\XnView.bmp\shell\ etc. (or if it would be designed on per-user basis - in HKEY_Curent_User\Classes key

As a result You can't change any action for XnView file types in Tools- Folder Options- File Types dialopg box, becauseanything what is shown there is read from above mentioned HKEY_Classes_Roo\

[Criftus]

Thank you for confirming! Maybe this could be changed in the next release? =)

Thanks!

[jhartmann]

I not only "can" (must) confirm this, I second it's a must to change that. (It's simply a bug.) As a workaround one can only copy the registry entries where they belong, but that's nothing one could tell users ...

[Lostclown]

I think you misunderstand. I'm talking about the file types tab in Windows XP's Folder Options.

OK, sorry

Actually, the file types associated with XnView do show up in the "Folder options - File types" dialog of Windows Explorer on my system!
And there I can modify actions and icon !

I am running Windows2000. Is it possible this has something to do with the OS version?

Regards,
Lostclown

[goomish]

I am running Windows2000. Is it possible this has something to do with the OS version?

Hmm, maybe... on my Windows XP (SP2) for filetypes handled by XnView I can only change used application or revert to previously used one (which in my case was MS Paint ) - see the screenshot:

(red marked button is Change and the other one - Revert / Restore).
I can't add / remove or change any actions for XnViev's filetypes like for example on this screenshot:

The red marked button is now called "Advanced"

[Lostclown]

I am running Windows2000. Is it possible this has something to do with the OS version?

Hmm, maybe... on my Windows XP (SP2) for filetypes handled by XnView I can only change used application or revert to previously used one (which in my case was MS Paint )

I have had this problem with MS Office documents, when I wanted OpenOffice to handle those documents. Looks like MS is holding tight onto some filetypes here!

Lostclown

[goomish]

I have had this problem with MS Office documents, when I wanted OpenOffice to handle those documents. Looks like MS is holding tight onto some filetypes here!

He he, I don't think this (Microsoft's apps) is the case MS Office's files, like many other nowadays are handled by msi installer, which prevents "important" registry entries and files from being altered by hand or other application(s). BTW - this importance is sometimes quite funny. For example ACDSee 6.x consider as "very important" its readme.txt file and when i tried to delete it, after next run ACDSee popped up an installation procedure "because some files are missing or corrupted"

Anyway, to conclude: It would be nice if XnView developer(s) consider fixing this minor bug (or rather inconvenience) in one of next releases
Plus a little wish from me - easier to distinguish icons for each file type.

[helmut]

Thank you all for your posts and discussion. From what I can read this really sounds like an installation issue which should be solved.

[jhartmann]

No, it's not an installation issue (at least if installation means that of the application) but rather an issue with settings handling (where file association settings are not properly written to the windows registry _not only during installation_). But yes, it should be solved - since as long as this does not work XnView is simply not usable for double-clicking uncommon file types in Windows XP. (It's the same at least in SP1 and SP2.)

[xnview]

Anyways, here's my problem. I have Windows XP Pro SP2, and I've associated a few filetypes with XnView, but when I go to Tools- Folder Options- File Types, none of the filetypes show up in the list! BMP, JPG, JPEG, TIF, etc. all open fine when I double-click on the files, but there are no entries in the File Type list confirming the file association (so I can't change icons, or add additional commands to the extensions, for instance).

Yep, I can confirm that. This is probably because of quite unusual way that XnView handles Windows Explorer's file extensions. It writes registry entries for filetypes that should be opened in XnView by doubleclicking in Windows Explorer in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts key (for example HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bmp
"ProgID"="XnView.bmp") which points to HKEY_Classes_Root\XnView.bmp\Shell\open etc. instead of HKEY_Classes_Root\.bmp (XnView.bmp) which points to HKEY_Classes_Root\XnView.bmp\shell\ etc. (or if it would be designed on per-user basis - in HKEY_Curent_User\Classes key

As a result You can't change any action for XnView file types in Tools- Folder Options- File Types dialopg box, becauseanything what is shown there is read from above mentioned HKEY_Classes_Roo\

What must be present in registry to work?

[Guest]

What must be present in registry to work?

Sorry for late reply

Nothing special. Because in almost every Windows version there are always some associations to image files (at last for those most popular - bmp, jpg, gif, etc - for Paint, Imagine or previously used image viewer) XnView just have to check if (for example for bmp filetype) there is a HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp key and what is its Default value. If there is one - it could write some backup, like this: XnViev.bak = "Paint.Picture". Then XnView should set Default value to "XnView.bmp"

Code: Select all

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bmp]
XnView.bak"="Paint.Picture" (or whatever was in Default before instaling/setting XnView)
@="XnView.bmp"

The rest is alredy done : in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\XnView.bmp\shell\...

Of course if You (or XnView users) will prefer per-user filetype associations it should be done in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\ key, for example:

Code: Select all

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.bmp]
XnView.bak"="Paint.Picture"
@="XnView.bmp"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\XnView.bmp]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\XnView.bmp\shell]

etc...

[xnview]

Of course if You (or XnView users) will prefer per-user filetype associations it should be done in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\ key, for example:

Code: Select all

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.bmp]
XnView.bak"="Paint.Picture"
@="XnView.bmp"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\XnView.bmp]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\XnView.bmp\shell]

etc...

So the correct key is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\ and not HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts, right?