Vista - Open With - Add Program

**Brink**

How to Add a Program to "Open With" in Vista and Windows 7

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.

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 to the Open With window for next time.

1. For Vista
A) See METHOD ONE here: How to Associate a Individual File Extension Type with a Program in Vista

2. For Windows 7
A) See: How to Change the Default Program a File Type Opens with in Windows 7

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

Related Tutorials

**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.

**Geekophelia** · 06-07-2010

THANK YOU!!

I registered just so I c ould say that! I usually hafta spend a lot more time on stupid simple fixes, but your post did it for me!

**Brink** · 06-07-2010

You're most welcome Geekophelia, and welcome to Vista Forums.

**Klexur** · 11-21-2010

how do you remove entries added by this program?

**Brink** · 11-22-2010

Hello Klexur, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You can use the program in the tutorial below to remove it.

Open with - Clean Up and Remove Programs - Windows 7 Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn

08-04-2009
Wildflower 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 Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 29,534 posts Texas, USA	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 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 Vista home premium 32bit 1,806 posts Germany/Florida	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 01:54 PM.. Reason: typo
My System Specs

08-05-2009
Wildflower 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

06-07-2010
Geekophelia Home Premium 32 1 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program THANK YOU!! I registered just so I c ould say that! I usually hafta spend a lot more time on stupid simple fixes, but your post did it for me!
My System Specs

11-21-2010
Klexur Vista Home Premium x64 3 posts	Re: Open With - Add Program how do you remove entries added by this program?
My System Specs

11-22-2010
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 29,534 posts Texas, USA	Re: Open With - Add Program Hello Klexur, and welcome to Vista Forums. You can use the program in the tutorial below to remove it. Open with - Clean Up and Remove Programs - Windows 7 Forums Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

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