Ask Leo! by Leo A. Notenboom

Where did file associations go in Windows Vista?

Search First! Then browse: Categories | Full Archive | By Date | Newsletter
Ask Leo! on Facebook

Home » Windows » Windows User Interface

Summary: Several things are slightly different in Windows Vista, and the location of the File Associations dialog is just one.

I'm using windows Vista, how do I set file associations here? There is no files type tab in Windows Explorer Folders Options.

I read this question and went "huh?". But you're absolutely right; the file association dialog that we've come to love and hate that's been part of Windows Explorer is no longer there.

The question, of course, is where did it go? To a more logical place perhaps, but with nary a clue as to how to find it.

File associations are used to tell Windows what program opens what kind of file. For example after you install Microsoft Office, file associations tell Windows that a ".doc" file should be opened by Microsoft Word.

In the past when we've needed to view or modify these settings, we'd fire up Windows Explorer, click on Tools, Folder Options... and then the File Types tab. Only one problem on Vista: it's not there:

Folder Options dialog on Vista

On Vista we instead open up Control Panel:

Click on Programs:

Control Panel - Programs highlighting file associations link

Finally we see something that sounds appropriate. Click on Make a file type always open in a specific program:

Vista's file associations dialog

It'll take a few seconds to load up as it scans the registry for all the settings to be displayed. Once loaded, you can then change which programs open which file types.

Why the move?

It's hard to say, though I do frequently fault Microsoft for changing things that simply don't need to be changed. There's an argument that this should always have been in Control Panel and I actually agree with that. But to move it, without even a hint or a clue as to where to go instead, seems fairly unhelpful.

Article C3133 - August 28, 2007

Was this article helpful? «Yes» «No»

Recent Comments
45 Comments

One of the options I found useful in XP that was built into the File Types tab was the ability to create and edit menu commands (like the "Edit" command when you right-click on an image file) but in Vista I don't seem to be able to do that. It's annoying as I want the program to preview in Windows Photo Gallery, Open in Adobe Photoshop and Edit in Microsoft Paint. I wonder if that was something they took out of they simply moved it somewhere else.

Posted by: Gareth at May 5, 2010 11:44 AM

This is precisely why I tell my clients "Don't upgrade anything unless you have a specific reason to do so". In general, the new version of anything will run slower in the same hardware and will involve relearning things you do not want to have to relearn. I can only imagine they do it to give the ILLUSION OF PROGRESS.
For people who look at computers as a tool to get a job done, myself included, all these esthetic changes are a NUISSANCE.

Posted by: Carlos Coquet at June 30, 2010 4:10 PM

All well an good BUT my list of file extensions to choose from does not include .doc !!!it only has .docx.
But I have Office XP installed. So where why is .doc not on the list, and where did it go?
Is this something to do with having installed the Office 2007 convertor patch?

Anyway, what this means is that when I download a .doc off the web my computer cannot find a program to open it with. I am forced to save it to disk and open it from there. Barking mad. Any ideas?

Posted by: Graham at July 9, 2010 1:08 AM

Hello Gentlemen!

I have found those options and just tried to change the default, but it is not happening. The so called "Associate a file type protocol with a program" does not work and I am in a bad situation. my iTunes and some of my direct links to .exe files such as few control panel options are now opening in a OpenOffice document with blank page. I close the blank page but it reloads like virus.
If you can find a solution, please contact me at:
[email address removed]
Thank you guys,

~J~

Posted by: Jibran at July 21, 2010 8:48 PM

I am unable to send an attachment with a dat file and DO NOT show a dat file in file association.

If I do reset to dat will I have to change association back on future e-mail attachments?

Posted by: Stan at July 23, 2010 9:58 AM

Post a comment on "Where did file associations go in Windows Vista?":



(Name will be included when your comment is published.)



(Email Address will not be published.)

Remember Me?

By popular demand...
my tip jar
Cuppa Joe
Buy Leo a Latte!

(you may use HTML tags for style)

RSS feed Subscribe to the RSS Feed specifically for comments on this article.

Before commenting, please...

  • Read the article at the top of this page. If your comment shows you didn't, it'll be deleted and ignored.

  • Comment only on this article. Use the Google search box at the top of the page if you have a question about something else.

  • Don't include personal information in the comment. No email addresses. No phone numbers. No physical addresses.

  • Don't spam. Excessive links to unrelated sites within a comment or across multiple comments will cause all such comments to be removed.

  • Don't ask me to recover lost passwords or hacked accounts. I can't, and those comments will be deleted.

  • I can't respond to every comment. And I can't vouch for the accuracy of others who do.

Please wait. Your comment is being processed ...


Question? Ask Leo!