Archive for March, 2008

Incorrect Icon Shown for a File Type in Vista

Recently I received a query wherein the user had incorrectly associated .zip file type with Adobe Reader. Later they got the association problem straightened out by running the .zip association fix from the File association fixes for Windows Vista page. The problem is that the .zip file type is still showing the Adobe Reader icon, although the association settings are correct. (more…)

View Open Handles to a File or Folder From the Context Menu

Have you come across file in use or similar errors when deleting a file or folder, or when clearing the contents of the %TEMP% folder at some time? Ever wondered which program has a particular file or folder open?

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List File Extensions Registered in the System

Q: Is there a simple way to list all the defined file types on a PC and have the output redirected to a text file? I’m using Windows XP with Service Pack 2.

Yes. There are two options that I think of (without using a third-party tool). If you’re using Windows XP Professional, you can use the ASSOC command to get the list of file types registered in the system, along with the ProgIDs. Click Start, Run and type:

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Adding the Run as Administrator Option for .VBS and .JS Files

By default, Windows Vista does not include the Run as Administrator option in the context menu for Vbscript (.vbs) and JScript (.JS) files. Here is how to add the Run as Administrator option to the context menu.

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Add “Edit HOSTS File” Option in the Context Menu

The HOSTS file, originally introduced to resolve host names to IP addresses, is also an effective tool to block Malware. To modify the HOSTS file in Windows Vista, you need to elevate Notepad.exe or any other text editor which you use. Otherwise you’ll see the following error when trying to save the HOSTS file:

Cannot create the C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file.

Make sure that the path and the file name are correct.

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Register DLLs Elevated Using the Context Menu in Windows Vista

There are tips available on the Web on how to add the Register and Unregister commands in the context menu for DLL and OCX file types. The option is quite handy, instead of us having to manually type the regsvr32.exe command line. But what if you’re using Windows Vista? (more…)

Automation Error in Program Compatibility Wizard

When you start the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows Vista to test applications or run older applications under Windows Vista, the following error may occur:

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Yet Another Serious Disk Cleanup Issue

It was not so long ago when we saw a major problem with the Windows Vista Disk Cleanup tool, after a registry cleaner broke a vital handler information in the registry. Here is another such case, but on this occasion the system is running Windows XP. (more…)

Fix Search Association Settings in Vista

After installing Windows Vista Service Pack 1, when you click Start, type a search string in the Instant Search box, and press ENTER, one of the following problems may occur: (more…)

Windows Media Center – No Pictures Were Found

Q:   I opened Windows Media Center, clicked picture library and browse to a folder which contains my digital photos. To my surprise, none of the digital photos (mostly JPEG files) don’t show up, while the files are still on the hard disk. It used to show up the thumbnail images correctly, but now it shows the message No pictures were found. I’m using Windows Vista Ultimate. Any help would be greatly appreciated. (more…)