 OpenExpert gives your the choice of more than one application for a certain kind of file. |
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Mar 27, 2008 / 5:00 am
Mar 27, 2008 / 5:00 am
If you want to change what program opens when you double-click a file, or make the Task Manager look like it used to, or put the Volume icon back in the system tray like it used to be last century, this week's column is for you.
How to change what program starts when you double-click a file
When you double-click on a file in Windows, you expect a certain program will open and allow you to view, edit, or print that file. What happens when the wrong program opens? What happens when Windows has no idea at all how to open a program? Well, we just need to tell Windows to associate a certain program with that file type.
In XP, there are several ways you can change the file association. The absolute easiest way, and the one to try first, is to go to the program you want to handle a certain type of file, and tell it to do that. Find the "Preferences" or "Configuration" or "Settings" menu and tell it to handle the file type in question.
If that doesn't work:
Double-click "My Computer"
Navigate to the type of file for which you want to change the file association
Right-click on the file
Select "Open with"
In the Programs list, click the program you want. If you don't see it, click Browse, and navigate to the program you want, then click it
Check the box for "Always use the selected program..."
OK your way out
If you want to have the choice of more than one application for a certain kind of file, I recommend a program called OpenExpert, available here:
OpenExpert
You can configure it to give you the choice of several programs. For instance, an mp3 file can easily be played in Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, VLC media player, and so on. OpenExpert makes it easy to choose.
If you're using Vista, the procedure is a little different.
Start Control Panel Default Programs Set Association
Choose the program from the list of recommended programs. If you don't see it, expand the box that says "Other programs" and select it from there. If you still don't see it, use Browse to find the program you want.
OK your way out
Sorry, Vista users OpenExpert won't work in Vista, at least not yet.
How to manage Task Manager
When you press and hold the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys at the same time, you bring up the Task Manager. This application provides information about running programs and processes, and about memory usage. Task Manager is commonly used to "End Task" on a program that won't otherwise shut down.
The most familiar "look" includes tabs and menus along the top, and the "End Task", "Switch to", and "New Task" buttons along the bottom. But there is also an interface with all that excess information stripped away, called Tiny Footprint Mode. (I am not making this up.) If you ever find Task Manager in Tiny Footprint Mode and you want to restore it to the more familiar default mode, just double-click anywhere on the frame, and it will be back to normal. More about Task Manager here:
Task Manager
How to put the Volume Control icon back in the System Tray
Several Vista users wrote because they can't find a way to put the volume control icon back there by the clock where it was in XP. I feel your pain I had to hunt up the answer to this one.
Start Control Panel
Type the word "taskbar" (without the quotes) in the search box
Click on "Customize icons on the taskbar"
Click on the tab called "Notification Area"
Check the box for "Volume"
OK your way out
As a refresher, the steps in XP are:
Start Control Panel Sounds and Audio Devices
Select the "Volume" tab
Check the box for "Place volume icon in the taskbar
OK your way out
Thank you to everyone who sent in questions, comments, tips and tricks. Please send me yours! My email is cate@rlis.com. You're welcome to look through the column archives at any time at:
Archives
We never seem to close.
How to change what program starts when you double-click a file
When you double-click on a file in Windows, you expect a certain program will open and allow you to view, edit, or print that file. What happens when the wrong program opens? What happens when Windows has no idea at all how to open a program? Well, we just need to tell Windows to associate a certain program with that file type.
In XP, there are several ways you can change the file association. The absolute easiest way, and the one to try first, is to go to the program you want to handle a certain type of file, and tell it to do that. Find the "Preferences" or "Configuration" or "Settings" menu and tell it to handle the file type in question.
If that doesn't work:
If you want to have the choice of more than one application for a certain kind of file, I recommend a program called OpenExpert, available here:
OpenExpert
You can configure it to give you the choice of several programs. For instance, an mp3 file can easily be played in Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, VLC media player, and so on. OpenExpert makes it easy to choose.
If you're using Vista, the procedure is a little different.
Sorry, Vista users OpenExpert won't work in Vista, at least not yet.
How to manage Task Manager
When you press and hold the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys at the same time, you bring up the Task Manager. This application provides information about running programs and processes, and about memory usage. Task Manager is commonly used to "End Task" on a program that won't otherwise shut down.
The most familiar "look" includes tabs and menus along the top, and the "End Task", "Switch to", and "New Task" buttons along the bottom. But there is also an interface with all that excess information stripped away, called Tiny Footprint Mode. (I am not making this up.) If you ever find Task Manager in Tiny Footprint Mode and you want to restore it to the more familiar default mode, just double-click anywhere on the frame, and it will be back to normal. More about Task Manager here:
Task Manager
How to put the Volume Control icon back in the System Tray
Several Vista users wrote because they can't find a way to put the volume control icon back there by the clock where it was in XP. I feel your pain I had to hunt up the answer to this one.
As a refresher, the steps in XP are:
Thank you to everyone who sent in questions, comments, tips and tricks. Please send me yours! My email is cate@rlis.com. You're welcome to look through the column archives at any time at:
Archives
We never seem to close.
The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet.
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