Vista - Open with - files associations - don't work

I have a serious problem which makes Vista practically unusable on my amd64 machine. Here is an example of it:

Having changed my default browser, the .html and .htm file associations had been set to "unknown". Don't ask me why.

Trying to set them via the usual mechanisms: "open with" or "file associations" menus does not work because they are populated only with MS programs. All attempts to select other programs via "browse" option fail. I can select the program but it is simply ignored and no change to the file associations happens. Nor is the selected program added to the list of programs available for selection.

As there is no option provided for typing in the full path, as used to be the case with earlier and better operating systems, and the "browse" option does not work, I am totally stuck.

Is this a new MS policy to prevent users from running non-MS programs??
Whatever it is, it is very frustrating and affects all programs and extensions, not just the .html of the above example.

Another very annoying thing is that even when I manage to run some non-MS programs manually, they will only work if run in "admin mode", as they are prevented from writing to disk. Are users not supposed to be allowed to write to our own disks anymore????

Actually in Windows Vista, third-party applications (browsers/mail clients) need to register with the Default Programs via the registry. Only the registered programs appear when you use the "Browse..." option in the Open With dialog when changing the protocol settings.

AC: Default Programs:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756951.aspx

May be I can help if you mention the name of the web browser you're using.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


"Hasta-la-Vista" <Hasta-la-Vista.329c61@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net> wrote in message news:Hasta-la-Vista.329c61@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net...


I have a serious problem which makes Vista practically unusable on my
amd64 machine. Here is an example of it:

Having changed my default browser, the .html and .htm file associations
had been set to "unknown". Don't ask me why.

Trying to set them via the usual mechanisms: "open with" or "file
associations" menus does not work because they are populated only with
MS programs. All attempts to select other programs via "browse" option
fail. I can select the program but it is simply ignored and no change to
the file associations happens. Nor is the selected program added to the
list of programs available for selection.

As there is no option provided for typing in the full path, as used to
be the case with earlier and better operating systems, and the "browse"
option does not work, I am totally stuck.

Is this a new MS policy to prevent users from running non-MS
programs??
Whatever it is, it is very frustrating and affects all programs and
extensions, not just the .html of the above example.

Another very annoying thing is that even when I manage to run some
non-MS programs manually, they will only work if run in "admin mode", as
they are prevented from writing to disk. Are users not supposed to be
allowed to write to our own disks anymore????


--
Hasta-la-Vista

PS. I would like to know, please, if there are any solutions to this, apart from my default one: deleteVista and install Linux?

Thanks Ramesh, it is Opera, installed in Program Files (x86) but it is the same for any other programs. I thought they get registered during the installation process? Why should I have to mess about separately with the registry, and how?

and why are all "third party programs" prevented from saving their settings? (See the end of my original message).

So, if there is some mysterious way of "registering" programs, why is this not mentioned anywhere? I spent ages trying to "browse" and set associations and searching for help but all it said was: "click on open with..." and such trivia.

I have just tried again to go through the control panel -> default programs, which I assume is what is recommended (or you implied in your first reply) and it takes me back to the same non-functioning "browse" menu... going round in circles here, with no way out.

It's not mysterious. Everything is documented at MSDN library.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


"Hasta-la-Vista" <Hasta-la-Vista.329e91@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net> wrote in message news:Hasta-la-Vista.329e91@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net...

So, if there is some mysterious way of "registering" programs, why is
this not mentioned anywhere? I spent ages trying to "browse" and set
associations and searching for help but all it said was: "click on open
with..." and such trivia.


--
Hasta-la-Vista

Ref: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...x#reg_examples

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


"Ramesh, MS-MVP" <ramesh@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:uxeq0HLSIHA.748@xxxxxx
It's not mysterious. Everything is documented at MSDN library.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


"Hasta-la-Vista" <Hasta-la-Vista.329e91@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net> wrote in message news:Hasta-la-Vista.329e91@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net...

So, if there is some mysterious way of "registering" programs, why is
this not mentioned anywhere? I spent ages trying to "browse" and set
associations and searching for help but all it said was: "click on open
with..." and such trivia.


--
Hasta-la-Vista

Well, I have now read all that but yes, it is mysterious, because it still leaves me, as a user, totally helpless and dis-empowered.

I have many applications, supposedly compatible with Vista, but not one of them has registered itself "for use with Default programs" during its normal installation.

That leaves me, as a normal user wanting to run programs on a computer, without the core Windows functionality, i.e. file associations.

Are you seriously suggesting that this is as it should be and all is well?