Open with...

[AntonM]

How do I get my W7 desktop to list XDPX9 as a client for "Open with >" in the menu when I right-click on a PDF?

I had XDPX in the list before, and it was still there when I installed XDPX9, and I couldn't get the PC to realise that I now had a new version - perhaps because the .exe file in all XDPX versions is just called "DesignerPro.exe", even in XPP6! Why can't Xara give them different names to fit in with the version name?

Anyway, I googled how to remove things from the "Open with" list, and found one which used RegEdit (which I've used before). I successfully removed "DesignerPro.exe" from the keys, and rebooted the PC after uninstalling XDPX (previous version - 8, I think).

So, I tried to set up so that PDFs would have XDPX9 in the "Open with", and went through the usual procedure of "Choose default program...", and clicked on the "Browse" button (because XDPX8 obviously wasn't listed), navigated to "C:\Program Files\Xara\Xara Designer Pro X9", clicked "DesignerPro.exe" and the "Open" button. But instead of opening in XDPX9, the file opened in Acrobat Reader, and XDPX9 is still not in the list, either "Recommended programs" or "Other programs".

How do I fix this? I know I managed it when I upgraded to XDPX, with a lot of difficulty then, but now it won't work at all. Should I uninstall and reinstall XDPX9?

[gwpriester]

sledger will be along shortly and this kind of question is right up his alley.

[steve.ledger]

Try File Menu Tools
Freeware ► http://www.lopesoft.com/en/
(when installing, watch for the two additional apps it tries to bundle)

Add new command


Additional Open With option appears for PDF

[AntonM]

Thanks sledger.

I must still be doing something wrong -- I think I followed your examples correctly, but it's made no difference.

In fact, not even image files (JPG etc) offer XDP9 as an "open with" option -- only XAR files do (of course).

I attach screenshots of how I set FileMenu Tools up, and another of the resultant contexdt menu in the case of a PDF file.

After having applied the FMT command, I noticed it didn't yet work, so I rebooted, but it still didn't work.

What am I doing wrong?

Anton

[Big Frank]

i would open up your file associations list (just google how to do that in your version of windows)
and delete every entry for adobe acrobat reader
then double click a pdf file and it'll ask you waht you want to open it with
at least that should work

[steve.ledger]

What am I doing wrong?

Does it not show on right-click FMT flyout?

You can try BF's suggestion again, but it sounds like your registry is a little messed up.
Are you using any automated (resident) registry boosting/cleaning/monitoring/compressing tools? If so - remove them.

[AntonM]

Frank, I found this on googling it: "In Vista and Windows 7, the properties sheet has been replaced by a Control Panel utility: select Default Programs and choose the option that says "Associate a file type or protocol with a program". Alternatively, you can right-click on a zip file (or other file), select Properties, go to the General tab, and click the Change button to change."

So I did that, and it popped up the same window that comes up when you follow "Open with" from the filer menu. I went through the process anyway and, where it had Reader as the default, it dropped through to Acrobat (Reader is still on the offered list and still selectable as a default). It seems as if XDP is simply ignored, not recognised, or something.

"Default programs" does, however, list XDP as the default for XAR files.

After my last post, I uninstalled XDP (9, as well as earlier versions), and FMT, and reinstalled XDP9 (no change) and then FMT and set that up again as per sledger's instructions, but still no joy.

I haven't installed any registry software that I'm aware of.

[Scotty]

Hi,
After going to control panel>default programs> and brows to the program you want as default opener Select Xara then there should be a box for making it default program...make sure that box has a tick mark.
Jim

[Big Frank]

uninstall xara app(s)

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...s-restore.html

then reinstall xara app(s)

[AntonM]

Thanks Frank, Sorry about the delay in replying -- I was afraid to do anything that might put my PC or even just DP9 out of action as I needed it work, even if imperfectly, at the time.

Regrettably, still no change.

I uninstalled DP9 (it was the download version -- I'd received the CD since then, but had not used it yet). I also shift-deleted the Xara folder from Program Files.

I downloaded and ran the .REG files for PDF, GIF, TIF, TIFF, JPG, JPEG, PNG and merged them as per instruction in the link. The merge operation seemed to be successful (no error messages appeared, only alarmed "are you sure you want to do this?" messages).

Then reinstalled DP9 from the CD, which seemed to go smoothly.

Xara is still not in the offered list of potential executers in "Open with..." and trying to set it via "Browse" and clicking on DesignerPro.exe seems to confuse the computer, and it defaults to the first entry in the list of possible executers if none has been defined yet. Where there already is an executer, and I try to set DP9 to be an executer, the original executer remains the default, and DP9 still does not show on either the "Recommended Programs" or the "Other Programs" lists.

Should I try a registry repair program? Or any other suggestions?

PS. On re-reading the instructions, I see the only thing I did not do was to re-boot after running the REG files and before reinstalling DP9. Would that have made a difference? Is it worth repeating the exercise with a reboot included?