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.

[Big Frank]

here's an idea

download revo uninstaller
uninstall any pdf software that you have got like foxit or pdfcreator and especially adobe reader/acrobat
remove all registry traces of any pdf software
reboot (shouldn't have to but welcome to the whacky unstable world of windows)

go to a pdf file and double click it and open with xara and select that to be your default app for pdf

[AntonM]

Thanks Frank, I'll try that.

Does "any pdf software" include PDF-aware software that is not primarily aimed at PDF processing, such as IrfanView?

[Big Frank]

no, only software whose primary job is to either open or create pdfs