how to get windows to change how it opens a file??

[no_nota]

can anyone tell me how to get windows 98se to change which program it uses to open a file, my bud must have used the wrong thing to open his pictures and now windows tries to use kodack image to open files he scaned with a hp scanner,says file can't be opened with this prog.
Used a puter that has 2k at work and it opened the pics right up.

[Force Flow]

This has to do with file associations. In a any folder, click "view" > "folder options"> click the tab named "file types". Now, right click on the file you are tyring to open and find out the file extention. Then, find it on the associations list. When you find it, highlight it and click edit. Click on "open" and click "edit". Now type in the address of the program you want your file to open in. Clear out the other boxes if they have things in them.

Click OK and then apply. Now when you double click on the file's icon, it should open in the program you want it to.

If not, try looking in the prog you want it to open it in and look for file associations. Set you file to be opened in the program.

Good luck!

[HAL9000]

Hightlight the file, hold the shift key down and right click, select open with... select the appropriate program and check the box to always use that program if so desired.

[Force Flow]

Lol! That's a lot easier than what I described.

[Dan]

I've found that Hal9k's method works with files that have not been associated with any programs yet, and sometimes will work to re-associate files...but it doesn't always "hold" the setting (i.e. the file will be opened by the previous association the next time you try to open it, even if you select "always open this file with this program")
In this case your method, ff2k2, is the only thing I know of that will work.

[Force Flow]

I just checked on my 98SE system. As Dan said, Hal's method does not seem to work when the file is already associated.

[gbirke]

This has worked for me. Run regedit. Do a find on the file extension, example .jpg. On the right side you should see default and the name of the program that is presently opening it. I delete the extension. Next time you try to open that type file it will ask what you want to open it with. WARNING: if you are not comfortable working with the registry be very careful or don't do it, you can mess things up bad.