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How To...

By Cate Eales
Appeared March 27, 2008 on castanet.net

If you want to change what program opens when you double-click a file, or make the Task Manager look like it used to, or put the Volume icon back in the system tray like it used to be last century, this week's column is for you.


How to change what program starts when you double-click a file
When you double-click on a file in Windows, you expect a certain program will open and allow you to view, edit, or print that file. What happens when the wrong program opens? What happens when Windows has no idea at all how to open a program? Well, we just need to tell Windows to associate a certain program with that file type.

In XP, there are several ways you can change the file association. The absolute easiest way, and the one to try first, is to go to the program you want to handle a certain type of file, and tell it to do that. Find the "Preferences" or "Configuration" or "Settings" menu and tell it to handle the file type in question.

If that doesn't work:

bullet Double-click "My Computer"
bullet Navigate to the type of file for which you want to change the file association
bullet Right-click on the file
bullet Select "Open with"
bullet In the Programs list, click the program you want. If you don't see it, click Browse, and navigate to the program you want, then click it
bullet Check the box for "Always use the selected program..."
bullet OK your way out
 

If you want to have the choice of more than one application for a certain kind of file, I recommend a program called OpenExpert, available here. You can configure it to give you the choice of several programs. For instance, an mp3 file can easily be played in Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, VLC media player, and so on. OpenExpert makes it easy to choose.

Better pack up and go

If you're using Vista, the procedure is a little different.

bullet Start | Control Panel | Default Programs | Set Association
bullet Choose the program from the list of recommended programs. If you don't see it, expand the box that says "Other programs" and select it from there. If you still don't see it, use Browse to find the program you want.
bullet OK your way out

Sorry, Vista users; OpenExpert won't work in Vista, at least not yet.


How to manage Task Manager
When you press and hold the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys at the same time, you bring up the Task Manager. This application provides information about running programs and processes, and about memory usage. Task Manager is commonly used to "End Task" on a program that won't otherwise shut down.

Normal mode - Task Manager

The most familiar "look" includes tabs and menus along the top, and the "End Task", "Switch to", and "New Task" buttons along the bottom.

 

But there is also an interface with all that excess information stripped away, called Tiny Footprint Mode. (I am not making this up.)

Click on the frame border to change Task Manager from Tiny Footprint to Normal mode

 

 

If you ever find Task Manager in Tiny Footprint Mode and you want to restore it to the more familiar default mode, just double-click anywhere on the frame, and it will be back to normal. More about Task Manager here.

 

 

How to put the Volume Control icon back in the System Tray
Several Vista users wrote because they can't find a way to put the volume control icon back there by the clock where it was in XP. I feel your pain; I had to hunt up the answer to this one.

bullet Start | Control Panel
bullet Type the word "taskbar" (without the quotes) in the search box
bullet Click on "Customize icons on the taskbar"
bullet Click on the tab called "Notification Area"
bullet Check the box for "Volume"
bullet OK your way out

As a refresher, the steps in XP are:

bullet Start | Control Panel | Sounds and Audio Devices
bullet Select the "Volume" tab
bullet Check the box for "Place volume icon in the taskbar
bullet OK your way out


Thank you to everyone who sent in questions, comments, tips and tricks. Please send me yours! My email is cate@rlis.com. You can also browse the column archives at any time by pointing your browser here.  If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link.  It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here.


Links
OpenExpert http://www.baxbex.com/openexpert.html
Windows Task Manager http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Task_Manager
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
Get Cate's column by email http://www.feedblitz.com/f/f.fbz?Sub=20618
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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.

© Cate Eales 2008 – All Rights Reserved
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