Vista - OPen file with running program

How can I open a file in an already running program by double click in the
explorer?

That's exactly how.

"potternharry" <potternharry@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:97801249-47AD-4543-82F4-C89DBFECB926@xxxxxx

no, it is not exactly that ...
a double click opens a new program / new window

"Bob" wrote:

Hi,

Not sure what you are asking.
Lets say Word is open and you want to open another file in Word. You can
select on the File menu Open and search for another file. If you have Word
open and double click another word file in Explorer then it will open in
Word. On the Task Bar you can switch between each one. Other than this I
haven't a clue what else you are trying to do.

--
All the best,
SG

Is your computer system ready for Vista?
https://winqual.microsoft.com/hcl/

"potternharry" <potternharry@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:97801249-47AD-4543-82F4-C89DBFECB926@xxxxxx

hi

don't know word, but what if word has a tab-bar like firefox or IE, do you
want to switch on the taskbar or in the tabs? or with gimp, do you want to
search for the right toolbox (say out of 10 looking equal) for the picture
you are working with?
I think, it is useful not to start a new instance of a program, if one is
running and can do the job ... but in vista, it seems to me, there is no way
to achive this ...

"SG" wrote:

It would be much easier to offer you some help if you posted a specific
example.
Including Type of file and Program.


"potternharry" <potternharry@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1273522E-4172-4024-96D8-AFFBDECCC00D@xxxxxx

When you double-click a file Explorer simply executes the file open command
for that file type. The exact behaviour depends on the command line and the
application, not the OS. Some applications check if there is already an
open instance and then open the file within that instance, others look for a
switch in the command line to determine how to open that file, while others
open a new instance regardless.

If you indicate what program is opening when you select those files, someone
might know how to configure the file type to force it to open with a current
instance, if the application supports that option.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"potternharry" <potternharry@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:97801249-47AD-4543-82F4-C89DBFECB926@xxxxxx

Some programs will open the file without creating another instance if you
drag and drop the file onto the open program window.
If the applications window is hidden, you can drag the file to the taskbar
button of the running app and hover there for a second or so and the
applications window will display.

"potternharry" <potternharry@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:97801249-47AD-4543-82F4-C89DBFECB926@xxxxxx

why does the same program show a different behavior in XP and Vista?
for texniccenter I tried the documented switches (dde-commands) now it opens
only one file, with the following it does nothing ...
for gimp there seems to be only the option to start a new instance

"Jeff Richards" wrote: