When a user double-clicks a file, the operating system reads the extension in its name and searches the registry for an application that is associated with this extension. When found, it launches this application and passes the file specified by the user to it. In Windows, there are several ways to associate a particular file type with the application you need.
Instructions
Step 1
Use the settings of the application itself, which should be associated with the file type you are interested in. As a rule, programs are able to enter the necessary entries into the system registry themselves and do this during the installation process. Those of them that are designed to work with several types of files allow you to do this after installation. For example, in the program for viewing graphics Fast Stone Image Viewer, press the f12 key, in the settings window that opens, go to the Assotiations tab, select the checkboxes of the required file types and press the OK button.
Step 2
Right-click any file of the type that you want to associate with the application you need. In the pop-up context menu, open the "Open with" section and click the "Select program" line. As a result, a window with the title "Select a program" will open with a list of applications. Select a program if it is in this list, and if not, click the "Browse" button and find it on your computer's hard drive. Then check the box next to "Use it for all files of this type" and click the "OK" button.
Step 3
Expand the main menu on the Start button and launch Control Panel if you are using Windows Vista. Click on the Classic View link and then double-click the Default Programs component. Select "Associate file types or protocols to specific programs" on the next page and you will be presented with a long list of all file extensions known to the operating system. Having found the desired one among them, select its line and click the "Change program" button. In the window that opens, select an application from the list presented in it, or click the "Browse" button and find the executable file of the required program on the computer media. After that click "OK" and close the component window.
Step 4
In Windows XP, a similar component is opened by launching Explorer (the win + e key combination) and selecting the "Folder Options" item in the "Tools" section of its menu. In the properties window, the list of file types is placed on the tab with the same name ("File types"), and to match the extension selected in this list to the desired program, press the "Change" button. As a result, the same application selection window opens, which is described in the second step.
