XP ‘File Type’ Problem (Home Edition)

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How do I get into XP’s root folder for Folder Options > File Types > Change > Recommended Programs, to show the listings (to delete)? I screwed up; & wound up with 2 different icons from the same program under “Recommended Programs.”

I was in the process of choosing a program to open a specific type file…in this case, “WaveLab,” to open all .wav files. There were 2 icons in the WaveLab program folder which I browsed to, one for WaveLab.exe; & one for WaveLab-app.exe. I chose the latter, which was the wrong one. I went back later & selected the right one, but now, I have two identical WaveLab icons under Recommended Programs (one undistinguishable from the other); & although WaveLab is now correctly my default app for opening .wav files, the WaveLab icon is not displayed in any Explorer window…only the default icon for Windows Wave Audio is displayed, which I don’t want.

I simply want to go back to square one, remove all the WaveLab icons from Recommended Programs; & start again; & wind up with the WaveLab icon displayed for all .wav files.

Can this be done?

Thanks,

mark4man

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A classic case of “why did they make this so hard?!”

This MSDN article might have a workaround. You can add a value to the HKCRApplication entry for the application you don’t want to use, and see if Windows then removes it from the list of programs. Here’s the relevant part of the instructions:

Excluding an Application from the Open With Dialog Box
The applications that are listed in the Open With dialog box are registered as subkeys of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTApplications. However, many applications should not be used to open files that are not members of their associated file class. To exclude an application from the Open With dialog box, add a NoOpenWith REG_SZ value name to the application’s subkey. For example, the following sample registry entry excludes MyProgram.exe from the Open With dialog box.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Applications
MyProgram.exe
NoOpenWith

Of course, it might be too late if it’s already on the Recommended list, but it’s something to try.

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jscher!

That worked! Thanks very much.

Also: The entire MSDN white paper seems very valuable.

Thanks again,

mark4man

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They are often valuable, and in line with Jefferson’s “Why Did They Make This So Hard?” point, MSDN has terrific papers, but even if you have a strong lifelong science background, and have been to schools that supposedly are based on strong science backgrounds, and have to apply one every day and night, if you don’t have a strong IT background, by virtue of hobby or profession they can be tough going because of the terminology and background required. Sometimes Technet will have corresponding papers that are easier to digest.

I always search Technet and MSDN–but I know if you don’t program, or aren’t a developer, “object this and object” and “shell this and shell that”, “WMI Collections and Querries” and “SWBemObjects” I don’t mean on this problem, but the level of terminology in general on MSDN, can be tough going with MSDN’s excellent library–at 100 level or 500 level–and I don’t expect the articles to be dumbed down for me.

SMBP

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I’m glad to hear that worked. I’m still puzzled where Windows stores the information about which of the programs is “recommended.” Perhaps it’s one of the many “most recently used” lists it stashes in the Registry” Fortunately, I don’t have an incentive to keep looking, so I might get outdoors today.

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