WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Add to "Recommended Programs" section of the Open With dialog
NOTE: In Windows 7 this will also show on the "Open with" context menu for registered file types (see image below).
![enter image description here](../../I/static/images/fa3059df71540929381cc9071c6b8f20ff47d5ec53706de06fba1a1abade21f1.jpg)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts
Find or add a subkey of your chosen extension i.e ".bin", add or select subkey "OpenWithList" and add a REG_SZ
value with a name a
to z
depending on existing entries just use the next available letter and set the value to the name of your application executable. This may mean having an entry already available in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications
that matches your executable name (see Add to "Other Programs" section of the Open With dialog section below).
You can control the order they appear by modifying the MRUList
REG_SZ
that will exist in the same subkey (see other extensions if you are unsure for how this is displayed).
You can also use subkey OpenWithProgids
instead but this works differently and relies on you having a registered ProgId in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
hive of the registry.
Here is an example exported from my .asp
subkey
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.asp\OpenWithList]
"a"="PSPad.exe"
"MRUList"="bca"
"b"="NOTEPAD.EXE"
"c"="WinMergeU.exe"
Add to "Other Programs" section of the Open With dialog
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications
Create a Key called your executable for example "myapp.exe" using this as an example create the following structure (taken from a registry export .reg file);
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\myapp.exe\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\myapp.exe\" \"%1\""
i couldn't understand what you mean. you want to open a file with a program (or file) which is not listed in "Open with" dialog? – Armin Taghavizad – 2014-02-17T23:11:48.673
Have you tried OpenWithView? It won't associate a file extension with a program but it should help you to get a program into your "open with" list.
– JC2k8 – 2014-02-17T23:23:09.587After you click OK to select the program, and browse in the dialog that appears, be sure to change the files of type to All Files. Doing so will allow you to navigate to any folder and pick the application you want. – martineau – 2014-02-18T00:02:21.157
@Armin - yes, "Open With">[Browse]>{Select MyAppProg.exe} >?> then it does not show up in the "Open With">"Other Programs" section in order to select. – George 2.0 Hope – 2014-02-18T01:18:17.730
@JC2k8 Ideally I'd like to not use an external program... if I can't solve it otherwise, then I'll try it. – George 2.0 Hope – 2014-02-18T01:19:23.640
@martineau no effect... either way I see the MyAppProg.exe file, & I select it; but when I click [Open], it doesn't show under the "Open With">"Other Programs" section in order to select. – George 2.0 Hope – 2014-02-18T01:21:16.947
Maybe you could use the Right Click Enhancer and add your application to the right-click Send To context menu instead.
– martineau – 2014-02-18T04:50:38.550yes it is possible by tweaking the
Windows Registry
. which extension (.xyz file) do you want to associate? – SMR – 2014-02-18T10:06:03.550You should be able to use my answer to add to or set your own file association preferences including "Open with" dialog visibility. Whether it be manually or by coding it into your application.
– Lankymart – 2014-02-18T14:01:54.460