Manually set file type association with non-installed program via registry?

Question

I seem to have an issue where I can no longer associate XML files with the editor I use, which is a portable version of EmEditor. It doesn't matter what I do, when I try to associate it using the "Open With" dialog it basically just ignores what I did. I've used the following reg file to reset the association:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Created by: Shawn Brink
; http://www.sevenforums.com
; Tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html


[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xml]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xml]
@="xmlfile"
"Content Type"="text/xml"
"PerceivedType"="text"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xml\PersistentHandler]
@="{7E9D8D44-6926-426F-AA2B-217A819A5CCE}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile]
@="XML Document"
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,01,00
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,\
  00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\
  32,00,5c,00,6d,00,73,00,78,00,6d,00,6c,00,33,00,72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,\
  00,2c,00,2d,00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\BrowseInPlace]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
  00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,00,73,00,\
  78,00,6d,00,6c,00,33,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,30,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Open\command]
@=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\
  00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,\
  49,00,6e,00,74,00,65,00,72,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,20,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,\
  00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,69,00,65,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,\
  65,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2d,00,6e,00,6f,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,\
  00,65,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Open\ddeexec]
@="\"file:%1\",,-1,,,,,"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Open\ddeexec\application]
@="IExplore"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Open\ddeexec\topic]
@="WWW_OpenURL"

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.xml]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.xml]
"PerceivedType"="document"

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xml]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xml\OpenWithProgids]
"xmlfile"=hex(0):

How can I modify this to explicitly register it with an executable?

Answer 1

Change the @=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\ 00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,20,00,28,00,78,00,38,00,36,00,29,00,5c,00,\ 49,00,6e,00,74,00,65,00,72,00,6e,00,65,00,74,00,20,00,45,00,78,00,70,00,6c,\ 00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,69,00,65,00,78,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,72,00,\ 65,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2d,00,6e,00,6f,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,\ 00,65,00,00,00 part in [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xmlfile\shell\Open\command] to @="\"C:\\example.exe\" \"%1\"". Replace C:\\example.exe with the path of the executable that you want to open the file with, writing \\ instead of \.