Change File Association Windows 7

IT Problem

In windows 7 or vista, you want to change what program opens a particular type of  file, this is changing the file association. For instance you may want word to open txt files instead of notepad.etc.

IT Solution

This is a nice quick solution.

1) Go to control panelControl Panel is part of Windows Operating Systems. It allows the user access to many “applets” that allow the user to setup and configure various parts of the operating system. These applets are grouped into different sections such as “System and Security” and “Hardware and Sound”. Sometimes 3rd part applets are installed into the control panel. Most of these applets can be run by going to “run” and entering the app.cpl. Cpl is the extension to control panel applets. Here are examples or control panel applets. Accessibility Options access.cpl Add or Remove Programs appwiz.cpl Display Properties desk.cpl Windows Firewall firewall.cpl Add Hardware hdwwiz.cpl Internet Options inetcpl.cpl Regional & Language Options intl.cpl Java Control Panel javacpl.cpl Game Controllers joy.cpl Mouse Properties main.cpl Sound & Audio Device Settings mmsys.cpl Network Connections ncpa.cpl Wireless Network Setup Wizard netsetup.cpl User Accounts nusrmgr.cpl ODBC Data Source Administrator odbccp32.cpl Power Options powercfg.cpl System Properties sysdm.cpl Phone and Modem Options telephon.cpl Time and Date Options timedate.cpl Windows Security Center wscui.cpl Automatic UpdatesAutomatic Updates is a service offered by Microsoft to update Microsoft products with the latest patches, features and security updates. In earlier OS`s the system was web based only, you went to the update website such as www.windowsupdate.com and the site scanned your system for required patches. Windows 2000 sp3 and Xp used Background Intelligent Transfer Service to update without any user input, In later OS`s the pc or server polls the update server ( be it either a local WSUS Server or Microsoft’s update server ) to see if there are any updates to the operating system or applications running on the system. If so it will download and install them. The system is fully configurable, you can specify dates it will poll the server for updates, whether it will notify of updates and wait for you to run them or it can be set to fully automated and download, configure and install them all automatically. In Windows 7 and Vista, when the system has update it will initiate a countdown until it automatically reboots and completes the update process. You can catch this countdown and extend it if required. wuaucpl.cpl Active Directory Manager admgmt.msc and select “Programs”

2) Once your in the programs section, under default programs you need to select ” Make a file type always open in a specific program “.

3) You will then see the associate a file application. Scroll down to the file type you want to change, in my case it is “TXT, then select “Change Program in the top left corner.

4) You will then see the open with application, simply locate the application you would like to use and click ok. This file type will then open with that application.

Consider this book.

1. Windows 7 File,View and Edit buttons disabled
2. Turn off Windows 7 User Account Control
3. Create or Remove A Static Route In A Windows OS
4. Microsoft Office is slow opening files
5. Change Default View In Powerpoint