re: How do I add programs to the ''Open With'' list?'
Tuesday, July 29, 2003 at 3:40 am
Windows XP Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by markus
(1 messages posted)
Hello,
there are at least two ways to do this.
The easier way
Right click on a text file and select 'Open With' for example. You will see two applications,
Notepad and Wordpad to open your file with. Click on 'Choose Program...'. Now you
can select any additional program, for example 'Microsoft Word'. You have not to
select 'Always use the selected program to open ..'. Click Ok.
Again, right click on a text file and select 'Open With' for example. You will see
Microsoft Word added to the context menu.
The long way
Open regedit and search for 'OpenWithList' in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. You will find some
entries below
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts
. Search further to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithList
In there are these keys and values (registry export)
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithList]
"MRUList"="a"
"a"="NOTEPAD.EXE"
add a string value with name 'b' (not necessarily the next alphabetically 'free'
character) and set its data to 'winword.exe' for example. Update value 'MRUList'
to 'ab'. This value must contain all entries (not necessarily alphabetically contiguous)
you wish to have in 'Open With'.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithList]
"MRUList"="ab"
"a"="NOTEPAD.EXE"
"b"="winword.exe"
Again, right click on a text file and select 'Open With' for example. You will see
Microsoft Word added to the programs.
Now add string value 'd' and set its data to 'edit.com' and value 'MRUList' to 'dab'.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithList]
"MRUList"="dab"
"a"="NOTEPAD.EXE"
"b"="winword.exe"
"d"="edit.com"
This will enable you to use good old ms-dos edit program :-))
One thing I did not come across is the way to affect the sequence of each entry in
the context menu. It is possible for each entry except Wordpad, which I assume is
included by registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithProgids.
Play with the sequence of characters in value 'MRUList'
|
All messages in this thread [show all]
 |  | | | | |  | re: How do I add programs to the ''Open With'' list?' (markus: Tue, Jul 29, 2003, 3:40 am) |
| |
| |
Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum
|
|
