Windows file association shortcut

[KuJaX]

I use two different programs for PDF documents with work. One is better when I have a ton of PDF's open and flipping through them. The other is better for merging and editing.

I am constantly going in the control panel and manually going to the file association feature and then waiting for the list to populate to change the default program to open PDFs.

What is a shortcut way to do this through third party app or registry?

 

[gimp]

right-click -> Open With ?

assuming Win7, anyway.
You can get that in the right-click context menu on all files in XP with a reg hack, I believe it is.

 

[KuJaX]

Windows 7, and i've thought about that but the problem is that many times i double click on the PDF document from within an email which doesn't give a right click context menu

 

[PTNL]

Windows 7, and i've thought about that but the problem is that many times i double click on the PDF document from within an email which doesn't give a right click context menu

Ah... So the root cause is not Windows Explorer capabilities, but rather limitations in your email client. Alternatively, you could always drag to desktop and access "Open With" from there. But I do see your point as an enhancement idea.

 

[KuJaX]

Ah... So the root cause is not Windows Explorer capabilities, but rather limitations in your email client. Alternatively, you could always drag to desktop and access "Open With" from there. But I do see your point as an enhancement idea.

yeah doing that dozens of times a day is repetitive and a waste of time. ;(

Ideally what I would want is a little registry edit icon that I do "default to adobe" or "default to other". So that whenever I open a PDF, whether through email or in explorer that it opens to whatever default one is in the registry. As it is, I have to go to control panel, file association, and manually change it there.

 

[chinesepiratefood]

This actually should be fairly easy. In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT it contains a key for each registered file extension, inside each key is a (Default) value, and the data for the (Default) value tells it what application it is associated with. Adobe by default uses the data ArchoExch.Document. It should be pretty easy to find out what the name of each app you want to use is, but changing the file association in Windows and then refreshing regedit to see what its value is.

From there, you can make a simple 2 line .reg file that will change the default value to whichever program you want it to open in.

 

[PTNL]

This actually should be fairly easy. In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT it contains a key for each registered file extension, inside each key is a (Default) value, and the data for the (Default) value tells it what application it is associated with. Adobe by default uses the data ArchoExch.Document. It should be pretty easy to find out what the name of each app you want to use is, but changing the file association in Windows and then refreshing regedit to see what its value is.

From there, you can make a simple 2 line .reg file that will change the default value to whichever program you want it to open in.

Yes, creating two files to toggle the Windows Explorer setting is another idea. But the point is to have the choice within the UI of the email client so that extra steps, such as my alternate idea above and your suggestion, are not necessary.

Edit: Contacting the email client's creator would be the next step to submitting a feature request.

 

[KuJaX]

Yes, creating two files to toggle the Windows Explorer setting is another idea. But the point is to have the choice within the UI of the email client so that extra steps, such as my alternate idea above and your suggestion, are not necessary.

Edit: Contacting the email client's creator would be the next step to submitting a feature request.

Feature request for Outlook? lol I could only imagine how many years it would take before they would even entertain the feature idea.

 

[PTNL]

Feature request for Outlook? lol I could only imagine how many years it would take before they would even entertain the feature idea.

And by withholding the feature request, there's nothing for MS to entertain

I suggest putting in the request with MS. You wouldn't be any worse off afterwards, and, if it was implemented, you'd be happier for it.

 

[Shadow2531]

Associate PDF files with a batch file or something that redirects to the pdf app of your choice. You could then keep the batch file open in a text editor and change a variable and save whenever you want to switch apps.

Creating a shortcut to:

%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}

will get you the default programs part. There's probably an id for the file type list too for a certain program.

 

[KuJaX]

This actually should be fairly easy. In HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT it contains a key for each registered file extension, inside each key is a (Default) value, and the data for the (Default) value tells it what application it is associated with. Adobe by default uses the data ArchoExch.Document. It should be pretty easy to find out what the name of each app you want to use is, but changing the file association in Windows and then refreshing regedit to see what its value is.

From there, you can make a simple 2 line .reg file that will change the default value to whichever program you want it to open in.

Looking at the .pdf it currently shows "NitroPDF.Document" as the Default even though Adobe is the default in the file association. I downloaded another PDF software to test this with and made the file association to "FoxIt" and then refreshed the registry of .pdf and it still showed "NitroPDF.Document" as the Default.

So it doesnt seem to change regardless of what I put in the control panel -> File association

EDIT: Looks like [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf] is the correct location which updates. However, you cannot edit it directly through regedit NOR .reg file

Still need help!!

 

[KuJaX]

bump