I’m unable to run almost all of the programs on my laptop. I get the following error message:

“This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel”

I can open some programs, such as WORD or Publisher if I click on a saved document. But these programs do not open if I click on the taskbar, desktop icon, or program startup icon.

I cannot open or run System Restore, even in safe mode. It will start in safe mode, but once it gets to the point in the process where it reboots the computer I get a message that the computer is unable to open rstu.exe (or whatever the system restore file is called).

I’m running XP. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

· Virus scan: clean
· Ad-Aware Pro SE scan: clean
· Re-set folder associations to default in Control Panel Folder Options
· Reinstall MS Office
· MS Knowledge base

I’m out of ideas. Any suggestions on what to do besides wipe out the hard drive and do a clean reinstall of Windows XP and start from scratch?

Hi,

This to me sounds like a file association problem. Check out this page.

File Association Fixes
That should help you out. Download the fixes you need and run them. That will restore your file associations.

B

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually I already tried that and of course when I try to run that file I get the same error message. (Which of course makes me wonder why that file is offered to fix *.exe file associations when of course it won't run on a computer that won't start *.exe files!)

Hi,

Ok, lets try doing this:

Open My Computer
Tools
Folder Options
File Types tab
Scroll down to ZIP
Click the change button
Select the zip program you use (the program you use to open .zip files. WinZip, WinRAR, whatever you may happen to use)
Apply/Ok

Note: you can go through that list and change the file assciation properties for each file, but using the 'fixes' is faster and easier. You might need to go there a few times, until you set (change) the file assciations needed to run the 'fixes'

Then redownload the fixes and try to run them.

Hope that helps.

B

I don't have any trouble unzipping the file. The file will not run once it's unzipped. I'm assuming that's because it is a exe file.

Any other ideas?

Hi,

The files are not .exe's. They are .reg files. Those are registry files. So what you are going to do is this:

Open My Computer
Tools
Folder Options
File Types tab
Scroll down to REG
Select it, click the 'Change' button
Select the program you want to open this type of file, in this case the Registry
Apply/Ok

Now, unzip the files and right click the .reg files and choose 'Merge' this will merge the file assciations into the registry and after you redo the file assciations your problem should be fixed.

Hope that helps.

B

OK, tried that. Then when I tried to run it I got the message that this is not a valid Win32 file.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Any other ideas?

Can you please post the exact word for word error message you get?

Also, what file types 'exactly' do you get the message:

“This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel”

Is it all file types or just executable ones?

B

This post has been edited by Besttechie: Feb 6 2005, 09:15 PM

Hi,

Ok, lets try this.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/fileassoc/xp_exe_fix.zip

Download it, run it, that should fix the problem.

Good luck!

B

I believe it's just executable ones, but it is only the main startup files that get the error message.

Example:

1. Start - Programs - WORD - Above error message
2. Desktop shortcut icon to WORD - Above error message
3. Control Panel - Almost all control panel icons result in the above error message. (The one exception is the Folder Options Icon which I can open and have of course used several times to reset everything to default).

Examples of exceptions - programs that do run:

1. Internet Explorer
2. If I click on a saved document, like a WORD document for example, it will open and run WORD and I can open a new document and so on.
3. Also, I can get many programs to run if I go directly to their folder, right click on the .exe file and selct "RUN AS."

Tried it and it won't run. I can unzip the downloaded file, but when I try to run it I get the same file association error message as everything else.

Hmm..Ok. Lets try something a little different.

What I want you to try is, something called a repair install. Look here, for all the information, and how to do it.

How to do a Windows XP repair install
Hopefully, that will fix the problem.

Good luck!

B

SUCCESS! At least partial. After much searching I discovered how to run the Doug Knox file association exe fix using Notepad and now my programs are starting normally.

BUT, I now have no Internet connection and cannot establish a new one (wireless). The network doesn't even detect the available networks.

This was working before I "fixed" the exe files.

What do I now need to do to get my wireless working again?

Thanks!

Hi,

Before I post the fix, are you running Windows XP Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2?

B

Neither. I just did a Windows XP repair install prior to fixing the file association. So because of the fact that I can't access the Internet, I can't do SP1 or SP2.