file association fix for Windows 7

Hi spinquick,

a. Where have you stored the .zip file?


Set your default programs 

Use this option to choose which programs you want Windows to use, by default.

You can choose the programs that Windows uses by default.

If a program does not show up in the list, you can make the program a default by using Set Associations.

1.    Open Default Programs by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Default Programs.

2.    Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

3.    Click the file type or protocol that you want the program to act as the default for.

4.    Click Change program.

5.    Click the program that you want to use as the default for the file type you selected, or click the arrow next to Other Programs to show additional programs. (If you don't see Other Programs, or your program is not listed, click Browse to find the program you want to use, and then click Open. If no other programs are installed that are able to open the file type or protocol, your choices will be limited.)

If you don't see the program you want to use as the default, click the arrow next to Other Programs to see a list of programs available on your computer

6.    Click OK.

Notes
·         You cannot change an association for a file type or protocol and leave it blank or disassociated. You must select a new program.

·         The options you set here only apply to your user account. Your choices won't affect other user accounts on this computer.

Refer the following link for more information:

Change which programs Windows uses by default

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Change-which-programs-Windows-uses-by-default

Method 2: You can also rename the file to .zip.

Here's how to do it:

Go to Tools>>Folder options>>View>>Uncheck "Hide extention for known file type".


You will now be able to see the file extention, Change it to <filename.zip> 

 

Regards,

Divya R – Microsoft Support.

Hi Divya,

Thanks for your help.

I did find the how-to guide to set defaults for programs in the help menu, but thanks for sending it to me just in case.

The problem is that I can't find the .zip extension in the menu of available extensions. What I'm trying to figure out is what happened to .zip as an extension.

When I open Default Programs and then Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program, the list of possible file extensions builds, beginning with numeric extensions and then letter extensions, in alpha order, .aac, .acl ...just as you would expect it to do, except there is no .zip extension on the list.

There is only one entry in the extension list that begins with z and this is .zfsendtotarget

So my question is where is the .zip extension so that I can set a default program?

thanks for any advice

I'd be grateful to learn this as well!

See the ZIP fix: Restore Default Windows 7 File Extension Type Associations

---

Microsoft® Security MVP, 2004 - 2010

Thanks Don Patterson for the reply, appreciate the offer of help.

Followed instructions for the fix you refered to me--download .zip fix, extract reg file, click run, restart, but there is still no .zip extension in the list of extensions, but there is still an extension in the list named .zfsendtotarget

If I search C:  for .zfsendtotarget I get I short list of zipped(compressed) files, so it appears that the .zip extension is renamed .zfsendtotarget.

How do I change the name of the extension for .zip files from .zfsendtotarget back to .zip?

Quite strange that the file extension association feature under folder options as opposed to OSs winxp to below hv been removed in win7. If the reason is for tighter security, then how was it able to change .lnk files automatically to associate with programs not asked for by the user in the 1st place? Refered to this site to assist some1 with .lnk shortcuts opening with Word program. Only way i saw was to restore settings to last updated point, apart from meddling with registry fixing programs as stated by few 'experts'. If anyone could use reg fix progs to 'fix' win7 loopholes, don't you think the security has already been compromised? Try harder. 

This worked for me.
Great

Regarding the suggested procedure for selecting a program that is not already listed...

5.    Click the program that you want to use as the default for the file type you selected, or click the arrow next to Other Programs to show additional programs. (If you don't see Other Programs, or your program is not listed, click Browse to find the program you want to use, and then click Open. If no other programs are installed that are able to open the file type or protocol, your choices will be limited.)

If you don't see the program you want to use as the default, click the arrow next to Other Programs to see a list of programs available on your computer

..the "Other Programs" section (and the arrow and the "Browse" button) does not appear at all!

How does one remedy this situation?

File association fixes for Windows 7
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/file-asso-fixes-for-windows-7/ 

 

 

Solved!  I also had only the extension of .zfsendtotarget and still does not have it but I got it to associate correctly with .zip files as follows:
Right click the file and choose open with and then scroll down to 'Choose Default Program' then click browse and click in top menu bar the Local Disc (C:) which brings you back to C drive . Then click windows and then find explorer.exe  (NOT iexplore! which is elsewhere)
That's it, your icon now shows as a zip and works as a zip. Other solutions I had tried were installing 7-zip and winRar but that's not what I really wanted although they worked to open them as zip files.
I hope this helps someone!  Credit goes to DenisTheMenice here:
http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista/613227-opening-zip-files-compressed-folder.html