File association not changing

JohnBrooking · Dec 09, 2006#12006-12-09T02:54+00:00

I have an odd problem. I searched the forums and didn't see exactly this problem addressed. It looks to maybe be a larger problem than Ultra-Edit, yet UE seems to be the only application affected by it.

The problem is that I cannot seem to add file associations! This manifests itself in at least three different ways (that I've tried so far):

1) In the Configuration screen, under File Associations, The Add and Delete buttons remain grayed out even after I enter an extension and a description, or choose an association.

2) When I double-click a file not associated with any application, UE is not included in the suggested applications list. Furthermore, I can browse to select UEdit32.exe, but when I return to the suggestion list, UE has still not been added to it!

3) In the File Explorer, where you can associate file types under Folder Options (I've never understand that menu item placement, but that's an MS issue), I can add the file type, but when I try to associate it with UE, I get the same behavior as #2 above.

Using option 2 or 3, other programs that I have installed are available for choosing, just not UE. I can also open the file by right-clicking, and UE is an option there, so I can at least use that. But I'd like to associate with new types, and have no idea why I can't.

Anyone ever encountered this? I am on XP Professional with SP2, using UE 12.00+1, registered. Thanks for any advice.

MrBillG · Dec 09, 2006#22006-12-09T04:23+00:00

Hi John

Some of the others could tell you exactly what version fixed what,
I looked and couldn't find it but I remember early on in version 12 there
was a problem that's just like the one you're describing.

My first suggestion is to upgrade to the newest full version 12.20a which I believe will fix your problem.

From version 12.20a we have had hotfixes, which are just the exe & dll's up to the current hotfix of 12.20a+5.
Basically hotfixes are zip files and you just replace the existing the uedit32.exe & *.dll's in the C:\Program Files\UltraEdit\ directory.

Because you are registered user, you are entitled to all upgrades in the version 12 family.

Good Luck

Mofi · Dec 09, 2006#32006-12-09T17:21+00:00

Update to latest v12 version is a very good advice. Additionally read File associations can't be modified in UE/UES which maybe helps you too.

Last I think on WinXP it is possible to disallow the creation of a file application with a specified program (or all programs) via a registry setting. I think, I have seen that when using Regmon from SysInternals while attempting to find Neil's problem. But I'm currently using a Win98 PC, so I can't tell you which registry setting it was or if I'm wrong here.

Well, you can also use Regmon to maybe find yourself the problem. But first update to latest version and read the thread I linked to. The thread has 2 pages!

twebster · Jan 16, 2007#42007-01-16T07:42+00:00

hi
I am using UE v12.20b+1, and want to be able to change the file associations using the File Associations tool in configuration.

Adding associations only seems to work if the file type is not already associated with something - eg test.twi. But when I try to associate UE with .txt or .reg it does not work.

After adding .txt the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT shows the following:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt]
@="UltraEdit.txt"
"PerceivedType"="text"
"Content Type"="text/plain"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\PersistentHandler]
@="{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\ShellNew]
"NullFile"=""

However - UE only becomes associated with .txt files if I delete the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell] branch which contains:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\open\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,4f,00,\
54,00,45,00,50,00,41,00,44,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,25,00,31,00,00,\
00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\print]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\print\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,4f,00,\
54,00,45,00,50,00,41,00,44,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,2f,00,70,00,20,\
00,25,00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\printto]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\printto\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6e,00,6f,00,\
74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,70,00,74,\
00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,32,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,\
25,00,33,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,34,00,22,00,00,00

If I try to manually associate .txt files with UE by right-clicking on a txt file - Properties. Then "Change" what it opens with to "UltraEdit-32 Professional Text/Hex Editor". This works but makes no change to the registry.

Any ideas?

Mofi · Jan 16, 2007#52007-01-16T13:51+00:00

I have done the same as you with UE v12.20b+1 with Windows XP SP2 and used free Regmon from SysInternals to look what registry keys are read when I double click on a file with the extension .txt.

Well, if I do this with my favorite file manager Total Commander, the default key UltraEdit.txt is read and so the file is opened with UltraEdit.

But if I double click on the text file with Windows Explorer, the Explorer also first evaluates the UltraEdit.txt key completely. But then it looks at

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithProgids\txtfile

and uses now the key txtfile for further processing (and hundreds of other completely useless keys which Total Commander does not read). Well, I use the notepad replacement, so the file is nevertheless opened with UltraEdit.

I don't know what the key FileExts with its subkeys is for. I run a quick search with Google and have found no useful information about this key. If you are interested in this issue, maybe you can find and post here, what Explorer since Windows ??? does.

I have now deleted in my registry complete key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts (yes, really, completely!) and now also Windows Explorer uses what I thought it always uses - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\UltraEdit.txt

But after next double click on a text file the key FileExts is recreated by Windows with following data:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithList]
"a"="uedit32.exe"
"b"="NOTEPAD.EXE"
"MRUList"="ba"

So it looks like Windows (Explorer) creates dynamically a user specific list which file should be opened with which program and uses always this information. I think, this is a Windows XP (2003, Vista, maybe also Win2K) Explorer only file extension handling.

The problem is now, how UltraEdit should handle this because the key is user specific. UltraEdit must check on every start the FileExts keys which of course are for Windows Explorer only and maybe change at least the OpenWithProgids keys of the extensions associated with UltraEdit. But I think, UltraEdit should not do that because this is a Windows Explorer key and a program should never modify keys of other programs.

tinu · Apr 18, 2007#62007-04-18T11:58+00:00

I'm working with version 13.00 and had exact the same problem - "Open With" dialog box didn't accept UltraEdit. Finally I found the problem. Before, I had installed earlier versions of UltraEdit in a different directory and this earlier version made a registry entry.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\uedit32.exe\shell\open\command]
@="C:\Programme\UltraEdit\uedit32.exe\" "%1"

...after changing this entry to the correct directory, all worked fine...

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\uedit32.exe\shell\open\command]
@="C:\Programme\ULTRAEDIT-32\uedit32.exe\" "%1"

It seems, that the setup doesn't update this registry information.
Best regards:
Martin

Pebblecrusher · Apr 18, 2007#72007-04-18T18:57+00:00

tinu's fix worked for me on v13.00a! Thanks!

raymondyee · May 10, 2007#82007-05-10T06:54+00:00

Tks, solved a big part of my problem. Now I have to go find out how to get the open with Ue when I use the right click for some of my files which have time stamp as their extensions.

Bego · May 10, 2007#92007-05-10T10:04+00:00

Hi raymondyee,

well, at least a right-click, "send to", "Ultraedit" will always work, if you create a shortcut to UE in your User-folder, that might look like this:
"C:\Documents and Settings\raymondyee\SendTo"

rds Bego

raymondyee · May 14, 2007#102007-05-14T14:52+00:00

Dear bego

A thousand thank yous. Done it and will spread the word ard my office.

Raymond

pedrino · Aug 20, 2008#112008-08-20T07:21+00:00

Good Morning,

shortly I bought a new PC and installed Win XP SP3 on it.-

Now I downloaded the German version 14.10 of UE and installed it with admin-rights for testing. Upon first start of UE with admin-rights it presented me (between others) also a file association screen and I marked the most left column (all general filetypes) and then UE worked fine for the admin-account.

The first time I started UE as "normal" user (not admin nor power user) this file association screen again appeared to enable the settings for this user. Again I marked the most left column and started working with UE. Upon all later program starts as normal user again and again and again and again the file association screen appears which is really annoying.

How can I get this screen working, i.e. creating the wanted file associations and thereafter disappear forever ???

BTW: the following did not work for me:

Code: Select all

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IDM Computer Solutions\UltraEdit\Settings]
"CheckAssociations"=dword:00000000
"Version"="V14.10"

Furthermore today I noted that - working as admin! - the files I had associated with UE still are not automatically opened when double clicking them in the Windows Explorer. They are still opened with notepad...........
After looking into the registry I also found that there were no file-associations done, but when working as admin the file association screen does not appear again.

Also the context menu-item "open with" in the Windows Explorer does NOT show me UE as one of the many alternatives...........

This is very strange for me because some time ago I worked with an older version of UE (I don't remember which one) and that did not have such problems.

Does anyone here in the community know what happened on my machine and/or with UE and can give me some hints to solve the problem?

1000 thanks in advance and have a nice day,

pedrino

Mofi · Aug 20, 2008#122008-08-20T08:43+00:00

First, only users with administrator privileges have the permission to make changes at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes respectively HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in the registry where all the file associations are registered. So only users with administrator privileges can create/modify/delete file associations.

Second, UltraEdit uses by default an INI file named uedit32.ini located nowadays after a new installation by default in %appdata%\IDMComp\UltraEdit for settings. So adding a setting in the registry does not change anything if you have not enabled in the configuration dialog of UltraEdit that it should use the registry instead of the INI for settings.
If you enter %appdata%\IDMComp\UltraEdit in the address bar of Windows Explorer (or copy it from here into the address bar) and hit RETURN, you will see that the environment variable referenced with %appdata% is a path which contains the current user name. So every user has its own uedit32.ini by default. Microsoft has made the directory specified by %appdata% by default hidden (hidden attribute set on the directory), so by default you will not find this directory in Windows Explorer if you have not enabled showing hidden files and folders.

Third, you can uncheck in the file associations dialog the option to display this dialog on startup. This setting is stored in the currently used INI or registry, if you have enabled to store settings in the registry. You can enable/disable this setting at any time also at Configuration - Application Layout - Miscellaneous - Check and show file associations on startup.

Fourth, I have detected that starting with Windows XP SP2 the Windows Explorer records itself which files are opened by the user with which program and often uses this records instead of the registered file associations - "Open with" for example is based on the records of Windows Explorer and not on the registered file associations. A program can do nothing against this. I think, Microsoft has implemented this "Open with" feature for restricted users which can't change the file associations. See UltraEdit not anymore in program list of Windows Explorer for more details on "Open with".

Last I suggest you check with your administrator account again the file associations using Configuration - File Associations in UltraEdit.

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