Guest Raymond Gabites Posted September 23, 2008 Posted September 23, 2008 I have a user that has managed to corrupt most of their File Types in Explorer. As this effects more than one type, I was wondering if there was a way to re-set this list to their default settings (short of re-installing their OS)?
Guest VanguardLH Posted September 23, 2008 Posted September 23, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. Raymond Gabites wrote: > I have a user that has managed to corrupt most of their File Types in > Explorer. As this effects more than one type, I was wondering if there was a > way to re-set this list to their default settings (short of re-installing > their OS)? Found through a Google search: http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm
Guest Raymond Gabites Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. "VanguardLH" wrote: > Raymond Gabites wrote: > > > I have a user that has managed to corrupt most of their File Types in > > Explorer. As this effects more than one type, I was wondering if there was a > > way to re-set this list to their default settings (short of re-installing > > their OS)? > > Found through a Google search: > > http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm > Yes, I found them also, but I almost need to reset all MIME types in the registered file types. This site helped to fix a few of the issues, but not all of them. Thanks anyway...
Guest VanguardLH Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. Raymond Gabites wrote: > "VanguardLH" wrote: > >> Raymond Gabites wrote: >> >>> I have a user that has managed to corrupt most of their File Types >>> in Explorer. As this effects more than one type, I was wondering >>> if there was a way to re-set this list to their default settings >>> (short of re-installing their OS)? >> >> Found through a Google search: >> >> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm > > Yes, I found them also, but I almost need to reset all MIME types in > the registered file types. This site helped to fix a few of the > issues, but not all of them. Thanks anyway... Many filetypes are not defined until you install the software that wants to use that filetype association. Could be you have a lot of those and merely need to delete them (but then the apps, if still installed, won't work or not behave properly). A filetype association that is invalid (i.e., has no handler identified or points to a server [file] that doesn't exist) doesn't do any harm other than waste some bytes in the .dat registry files. Provided you are expert at editing the registry, have you used a registry cleaner to figure out how many of those filetypes actually are superfluous since they point to a handler that no longer exists? After doing that cleanup, go into the programs that let the user select which filetypes it will handle, select them, and they'll get recreated for use by that application. For example, I might install a program that rudely yanks filetypes to itself but I want them used by another program so, for example, I might go into Quicktime to have it yank back its filetypes and then go into Windows Media Player to yank back its filetypes (including those that Quicktime yanked to itself). I have to wonder if the filetype or MIME handlers are "broken" then just what are you going to "fix" them to use. If the application doesn't exist that will handle the file or media type, what good would it do to change them? If the application still exists, it should have an option to select what it handles and, if not, an uninstall and reinstall will have it rudely grab or create those associations. If the handler doesn't exist, "fixing" by changing back to defaults won't fix anything. If you don't want to use the minimal Filetypes editing in Folder Options -> Filetypes and using the 'assoc' command line utility doesn't appeal to you, you could use Nirsoft's FileTypesMan utility. You could then use it to edit the filetypes to match those from a "good" host. For the MIME types, see if Nirsoft's MMCompView lets you see and do what you want. You sure the problem is really with the file and MIME associations? Maybe the problem is your "user" installed rogue, corrupted, or malware codecs. These run code to decode multimedia content (well, that's what they're supposed to do if they aren't rogue or malware codecs). Nirsoft has their InstalledCodec utility plus the already mentioned MMCompView will show the list of codecs on your host. Some programs add their own codecs at install time. Some you have to get from the vendor of the codec so beware of whose codec you are installing. Free-codecs.com has many of them but I've never used them other than to trial their alternative RealPlayer and alternative Quicktime players. I've read where many folks will get their K-Lite Codec Pack to replace corrupted or missing codecs. Again, I've never used it. I've been lucky in not needing to use them. My media needs are sated with the codecs that came with Windows or the various applications that included their own. I also configured Windows Media Player (and any similar player) to NEVER automatically download a codec. I don't need everyone's and anyone's codec installed on my host because that site decided they wanted to use some custom codec or provide encoded content that requires some oddball codec that I've never heard of (so look into your user's WMP settings to see if they allow auto-install of codecs). When I get prompted to install yet another codec, I almost always say No. But, hey, if your codecs are screwed and you're considering a fresh reinstall then it won't hurt to trying installing the K-Lite package. Before doing a fresh reinstall, I'd try a repair (inplace upgrade) using the install CD to see if that reverted the filetypes and mime handlers back to the defaults. If you "have a user" (which makes it sound like you manage hosts at a corporation) then why don't you have standard images to restore the host back to the state they where when the employee first got the host (and ensure only company-approved software is on those hosts)?
Guest Raymond Gabites Posted September 25, 2008 Posted September 25, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. Yes, I am looking after a corperation, small as it is. The only problem is they have been relying on white box computers for a while, and I am trying to get them into a deel with a major computer supplier (Dell, HP, etc...). This does not help me at this time, as I don't have anything other than the recovery CD for this computer. I will have a look into your suggestions, but the company provided software requires that the standard user is a local admin (I have also been trying to get figure out how to change this, but it is not easy as they have 10-15 in house applications to work through, but I am getting there). At this time, I am not sure what the user has done to their system, and it is somethign different almost every other week... What little hair I had when I started here is slowly disappearing... Thanks for the help and advise in this matter.
Guest ju.c Posted September 25, 2008 Posted September 25, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. You can download a BAT file (zipped) that will restore all of the "default" associations that XP ships with: http://dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_fileassoc.zip ju.c "Raymond Gabites" <RaymondGabites@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:D7CB14F3-AE16-45AF-915F-D06BC357279F@microsoft.com... > Yes, I am looking after a corperation, small as it is. The only problem is > they have been relying on white box computers for a while, and I am trying to > get them into a deel with a major computer supplier (Dell, HP, etc...). This > does not help me at this time, as I don't have anything other than the > recovery CD for this computer. > > I will have a look into your suggestions, but the company provided software > requires that the standard user is a local admin (I have also been trying to > get figure out how to change this, but it is not easy as they have 10-15 in > house applications to work through, but I am getting there). > > At this time, I am not sure what the user has done to their system, and it > is somethign different almost every other week... What little hair I had > when I started here is slowly disappearing... > > Thanks for the help and advise in this matter.
Guest VanguardLH Posted September 26, 2008 Posted September 26, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. ju.c wrote: > You can download a BAT file (zipped) that will restore > all of the "default" associations that XP ships with: > > http://dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_fileassoc.zip When responding, it's best to read all the prior posts before adding yours. Read my first post. The OP didn't like that solution as it wasn't complete enough for him or his user. When the user so fvcks over their host that it requires tons of work to get it back to not only a prior state but also a stable state for reliable usage, often if it better to simply slam their fingers in the drawer and flatten the host back to a sysprep or ghost image, a standard one provided to all employees. Sometimes it is better and more cost effective to flatten and restart than try to repair. Eventually they'll learn that the company's property is not their property and might stop or reduce their polluting and tweaking the cr@p out of it. After all, it's not the IT folks' responsibility to support unsupported configurations.
Guest ju.c Posted September 26, 2008 Posted September 26, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. > "When responding, it's best to read all the prior posts before adding yours." Sorry, but how can I read something that doesn't exist? That's what happens when people remove pieces of a thread. ju.c "VanguardLH" <V@nguard.LH> wrote in message news:e6CX375HJHA.3548@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > ju.c wrote: > >> You can download a BAT file (zipped) that will restore >> all of the "default" associations that XP ships with: >> >> http://dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_fileassoc.zip > > When responding, it's best to read all the prior posts before adding > yours. Read my first post. The OP didn't like that solution as it > wasn't complete enough for him or his user. > > When the user so fvcks over their host that it requires tons of work to > get it back to not only a prior state but also a stable state for > reliable usage, often if it better to simply slam their fingers in the > drawer and flatten the host back to a sysprep or ghost image, a standard > one provided to all employees. Sometimes it is better and more cost > effective to flatten and restart than try to repair. Eventually they'll > learn that the company's property is not their property and might stop > or reduce their polluting and tweaking the cr@p out of it. After all, > it's not the IT folks' responsibility to support unsupported > configurations.
Guest VanguardLH Posted September 26, 2008 Posted September 26, 2008 Re: Resetting all WinXP Pro Registered File Types to default. ju.c wrote: > Sorry, but how can I read something that doesn't exist? > That's what happens when people remove pieces of a thread. In Windows Live Mail, you need to configure it to thread together the posts within a thread. Right after the original post, mine was the first reply (and currently there's only one subthread for this discussion). If you still can't see it then something is wrong with WLM or with your newserver in not having a copy of the prior posts comprising this thread. Try the following links: news:e2C$XgcHJHA.4884@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl or http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/ffe3d24e303c4d04 (use More Options to see the thread view) If you haven't learned how to snip your replies (and probably why you are complaining about replies not carrying forward every scrap of detail) then it's time you learn to snip posts so that only relevant info is present in your reply. Do you reread all prior chapters when you return to reading a book? You can read the prior chapters if you need to catch up. That's why threading works: you can go back through the thread(s) to get up to speed on the discussion already in progress before you joined.
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