Vista Tutorial - Open With - Add Program

**Brink** · **METHOD ONE:**

How to Add a Program to Open With in Vista

Information

When you right click on a file and click Open With, a list of registered programs are displayed in the Open With window to choose from. This will show you how to register a program so that it will be added to the Open With list.

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: Open With Context Menu

EXAMPLE: Open With window

METHOD ONE:
Add to Open With Manually

NOTE

This will not always register the program and add it the Open With window for next time.

1. See METHOD ONE here: How to Associate a Individual File Extension Type With a Program in Vista

METHOD TWO:
Add to Open With Using a Program

NOTE

The program OpenWithAdd can be helpful in circumstances when you manually add a program and it does not get added to the Open With window. OpenWithAdd will register the program and add it to Open With a lot easier.
WRITTEN BY: Ramesh Srinivasan

1. Go to: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/openwithadd.htm

2. Click on the OpenWithAdd.zip download link at the link above to download the file.

3. Save it to your Desktop and extract the two files OpenWithAdd.exe and readme.txt.
NOTE: OpenWithAdd.exe is stand-alone exe file and does not need to be installed. You can move this file to where you want and create a shortcut for it.

4. Click on OpenWithAdd.exe to open the program.

5. Type in the full path of the exe file of the program you want to add to Open With, or click the browse (...) button. (See screenshot below)

6. If you clicked browse (...), then navigate to the exe file of the program you want to add to Open With. (See screenshot below)
A) Click on Select.

7. Click on Register. (See screenshot below)

8. It is now added. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Wildflower · 08-04-2009

You rock. I've been looking for a fix for this for weeks and yours is the easiest way. Others had me playing with the registry. thanks

**Brink** · 08-04-2009

You're welcome Wildflower, and welcome to Vista Forums.

All credit belongs to Ramesh though for writing the program.

Wildflower · 08-05-2009

Thanks for the heads up, but I would have never found it if it wasn't for you.

**whs** · 08-05-2009

I use a similar facility from Free programs to open any file extension! - that works very well too. But it never hurts to have options. The nice feature I found with that one is that it will propose downloads for a suitable program in case you have none fitting on your system.
Update: This is an example of the window shown after I right click on a word file and go to "open with":

Wildflower · 08-05-2009

This "OpenWith" program looks pretty simple to use......right up my alley! Thanks! And I really appreciate the people who attach pictures to explain how to use programs. Really helps me.

08-04-2009
Wildflower Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Vista 3 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program You rock. I've been looking for a fix for this for weeks and yours is the easiest way. Others had me playing with the registry. thanks
My System Specs

08-04-2009
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 (7600) x64 25,812 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program You're welcome Wildflower, and welcome to Vista Forums. All credit belongs to Ramesh though for writing the program.
My System Specs

08-05-2009
Wildflower Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Vista 3 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program Thanks for the heads up, but I would have never found it if it wasn't for you.
My System Specs

08-05-2009
whs Master Join Date: May 2008 Vista home premium 32bit 897 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program I use a similar facility from Free programs to open any file extension! - that works very well too. But it never hurts to have options. The nice feature I found with that one is that it will propose downloads for a suitable program in case you have none fitting on your system. Update: This is an example of the window shown after I right click on a word file and go to "open with": Last edited by whs; 08-05-2009 at 02:54 PM.. Reason: typo
My System Specs

08-05-2009
Wildflower Newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Vista 3 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program This "OpenWith" program looks pretty simple to use......right up my alley! Thanks! And I really appreciate the people who attach pictures to explain how to use programs. Really helps me.
My System Specs

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