Remove 'Open With' entries?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Terry Pinnell
  • Start date Start date
T

Terry Pinnell

For several file types, as a result of trying to open inappropriate
programs with Open With > Browse, I now have these invalid options
listed in the r-click menu under Open With. Which registry entry holds
these please, so that I can delete them? Or is there another way of
doing so?
 
Ramesh said:
Terry,

How to Remove Programs from the "Open With" List:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=258860

Also, see OpenWithList & OpenWithProgids in this article:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d..._extending/fileassociations/fa_file_types.asp
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ramesh, appreciate that rapid response.

I also discovered this
http://decentdownloads.x-istence.com/Forum/lofiversion/index.php/t1093.html
I'm puzzled by its footnote:
"Or use Tweakui:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx"
I have Tweakui, but can't see a setting for Open With?
 
Ramesh said:
Terry,

TweakUI does not have that feature. If you wish to automate the removal of
OpenWithList entries, then you can try this tool:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_open_with.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks Ramesh - excellent service!

I installed and ran it, but unfortunately it allows no choices within
a particular extension. For example, taking my VOB file type example,
I can either remove all its programs, or all programs for *all file
types*. That latter is not something I'd ever contemplate! There's no
way I can use it to remove just 1 or 2 of the 6 programs currently
listed.

Not that they appear to be accessible in the r-click Open With menu
anyway! (See other post.)
 
TweakUI has these settings related to open/save dialog.

TweakUI
[+] Common Dialogs

Remember previously used filenames
[[When this is checked this allows the common file open/save dialogs to
remember the names of the files you most recently opened or saved. This list
of names is available by clicking the down arrow at the right-hand side of
the “File name” edit box. This is a per-user setting.]]

Show Back button on file open/save dialog
[[When this is checked the back button will be visible on the common file
open/save dialogs which allows you to navigate to the previous directory.]]

Places bar
[[This enables changing the location when a common dialog is opened. You can
use the default values or you can choose a custom location to open when a
common dialog box is opened. This is a per-user setting.]]

Show or Hide the Places bar.


--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Terry,

Did not realise that part. To remove individual entries from the listing,
you may need to follow the advice offered in Q258860.
 
Wesley Vogel said:
TweakUI has these settings related to open/save dialog.

TweakUI
[+] Common Dialogs

Remember previously used filenames
[[When this is checked this allows the common file open/save dialogs to
remember the names of the files you most recently opened or saved. This list
of names is available by clicking the down arrow at the right-hand side of
the “File name” edit box. This is a per-user setting.]]

Show Back button on file open/save dialog
[[When this is checked the back button will be visible on the common file
open/save dialogs which allows you to navigate to the previous directory.]]

Places bar
[[This enables changing the location when a common dialog is opened. You can
use the default values or you can choose a custom location to open when a
common dialog box is opened. This is a per-user setting.]]

Show or Hide the Places bar.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wes. Yep, knew of those top 3, and have all checked, but don't
think they affect the menu entries.

As for the Places bar, I'll have to go back and study that later, as I
don't really follow it. But again, not relevant here I think.
 
Ramesh said:
Terry,

Did not realise that part. To remove individual entries from the listing,
you may need to follow the advice offered in Q258860.
Click to expand...

Several puzzles have emerged here!

Taking the example of my .VOB files (which is what prompted my query),
the R-click > Open With menu had just 3 entries: PowerDVD, Nero
ShowTime, both of which are valid, and Creative PlayCenter, which was
not (I'd added it by mistake, not realising it couldn't open video
files, until it politely told me so the first time I tried.)

Now, a short while ago, having studied this
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=258860
I found 7 (not 3) entries at the registry key specified. I deleted the
Creative PlayCenter entry, and now have these 6:
ShowTime.exe
PowerDVD.exe
wmplayer.exe
realplay.exe
bsplayer.exe
dvdinfo.exe

So that's the main puzzle: why the extra 4 in the registry? Or,
conversely, why am I not seeing all 6 in the menu?

I then ran a program recommended to me elsewhere, called RegVac
http://www.superwin.com/index.htm
which lists these:

..VOB (FileExts) ShowTime.exe
..VOB (FileExts) PowerDVD.exe
..VOB (FileExts) wmplayer.exe

....raising another puzzle: why 3 and not 6?

So, still looking for the full picture <g>
 
Terry,

One reason why the other applications are not see in the Open-with sub-menu
is that, those applications don't have any entry here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\
 
Ramesh said:
Terry,

One reason why the other applications are not see in the Open-with sub-menu
is that, those applications don't have any entry here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\
Click to expand...

RealPlay and WMPlayer do appear in that key, Ramesh, but BSPlayer and
DVDInfo don't.

As for the two 'common' ones, PowerDVD is there. But I'm not sure
about Nero Show Time, as the only 'Nero' entries are
Nero.exe
NeroMediaPlayer.exe
NeroVision.exe

So still a bit of a murky picture <g>.
 
Sometimes I know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I do not.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Terry Pinnell said:
Wesley Vogel said:
TweakUI has these settings related to open/save dialog.

TweakUI
[+] Common Dialogs

Remember previously used filenames
[[When this is checked this allows the common file open/save dialogs to
remember the names of the files you most recently opened or saved. This
list of names is available by clicking the down arrow at the right-hand
side of the “File name” edit box. This is a per-user setting.]]

Show Back button on file open/save dialog
[[When this is checked the back button will be visible on the common file
open/save dialogs which allows you to navigate to the previous
directory.]]

Places bar
[[This enables changing the location when a common dialog is opened. You
can use the default values or you can choose a custom location to open
when a common dialog box is opened. This is a per-user setting.]]

Show or Hide the Places bar.
Click to expand...

Thanks Wes. Yep, knew of those top 3, and have all checked, but don't
think they affect the menu entries.

As for the Places bar, I'll have to go back and study that later, as I
don't really follow it. But again, not relevant here I think.
Click to expand...
 
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