Windows Vista Set Association?

While trying to open An email (winmail) I was told that my computer was not programmed to open this particular email and that I needed to(set association) for it to open. I have no idea what this means or how to apply it, any help (and explanation) would be appreciated.
Vista for Dummies (yes I bought one) does not address this issue and I don't know if File association and set association in opening problamatic emails are one and the same. Thanks for your support.

 

Windows uses the file extension to decide how to handle each file type. The extension is the bit after the last full-stop in program names. So for an image "my_picture.jpg ", jpg is the extension and it tells Windows this is a JPEG image. In 16 bit windows days the extension was always three characters, but nowadays with 32 and 64 bit Windows the extension can be longer.

When you set a file association, what you are effectively saying to your computer is "when you open a file with this extension, use this program ". So for example, you can associate "txt" extension files with notepad and then your basic text files (that typically have the txt extension) will open with notepad. That is, when you double click on a txt file, notepad will open and display the file.

To set the file association in Vista:

• Locate a file of the type you are after. For example, if you were looking for a text file you could use the * wildcard and search for: *.txt
• Right click on a file of the appropriate type and select Properties.
• Next to the entry "Opens with" there is a button "Change ". Click on that button.
• Windows will then offer a dialogue box that will let you choose the program you want to use for this file type.

If winmail is not offered as an option in the list of programs to select, you will need to browse to the program and select that. For the built in Windows Mail system the path is:

C:\Program Files\Windows Mail\winmail.exe

 

Thanks,Tim

 

To change associations and more in Vista you can click on start and under the control panel link is the link to Default Programs. This allows you to set default programs, associate a file type, change autoplay and set program access and computer defaults.

This start menu link was so obvious, I had to do an online search for help to find how to change file associations in Vista. Microsoft changed many things I'm sure, just to make it different rather than better than what was the norm in XP. But the options are much better, once you find them.

 

Set Association in email

How exactly do I set an association in an email when it requires one to open it. It doesn't happen with all emails, just an occasional one.
Thanks,
Tim

 

Hi Tim,
If as you say the association occasionally just doesn't associate, then it sounds like you have a problem with the filetype windows is trying to associate with? In XP/W2K you could just delete the file from the association list and windows would put the missing file back into the list, often fixing the flakey association. I haven't needed to do that with Vista so can't give directions on how to delete an association. I'm on XP at the mo so can't experiment for you.

 

settting association

I'm using vista home premium and I'm lost,It's not that I have a file allready set to associate and open the in question emails, it's that when the window pops up to set an association in order to open it, I have no idea what to do.
Thanks
Tim

 

It sounds like you're trying to open a file that the email has attached to it. If this is so, what's the name of the attachment?

 

I have been wondering the same thing. Has anyone found a way to completely disassociate a filetype (make Windows "unrecognize" it)??

 

Go into the Control panel and select, under programs/default programs,
grab the option "make a file type open to a specific program "

 

That won't do it. zfreeland wants to get rid of the association completely. All you can do there is assign another default program, leaving you with yet another association.

I have yet to find a way to do it other than editing th registry.