File Associations

Do you have file association anxiety? Do your JPEG's open up in the wrong program (say your web browser and not your imaging software)? Do you have a file type that isn't associated with any program? Well, there is a solution!

1. Open Explorer (right-click the Start button and select Explore) and head to a file you would like to either associate with another program or get associated with a program for the first time.

2. Once you get to the file, hold down your SHIFT key and right-click it. You will be presented with a menu that gives you an option to Open With.... Select that.

Oh, if you're using XP, you may not even need to hold down the shift key to get this to work. XP usually give you an Open with item on the right-click menu with a sub-menu full of options. If you want to change the association, you'll need to select the Choose Program option.

XP Open With picture:

Note - in the sample pictures, we'll re-associate a JPEG with Photoshop - it was original associated with Internet Explorer. So, in the photo below I hold the SHIFT key down and right-click a JPG file.

3. This will open up a screen where you can tell Windows what program to open that particular file with. Choose the program and make sure the little "Always use this program to open this type of file" checkbox is checked. Hit OK.

That should do it. Windows will now use the new file association when opening the file you just worked with.