Setting File Associations: .CRV to Aspire 3.0

[gerald_martin]

This should be ridiculously simple, I know...

I'm trying to set .CRV files to open in Aspire 3. The problem is that when I click on the Aspire.exe file in the application folder it does not go into the list of selectable programs (windows 7 pro)

Then, (I knew better...)I clicked on the Aspire internet shortcut icon in the folder - and it took that association...now that needs to be un-set.

If I check the association of .crv3d files it lists Aspire 3 - published by Vectric Ltd.

So the computer recognizes the program...

See attached photo. Any help appreciated.

Gerald

[Gary Campbell]

Gerald...
Try this..

Control panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program.

You should be able to set/unset all that you desire there

[dlcw]

For some reason, in Windows 7, when you try to associate Aspire to a CRV file, Aspire is not recognized. I can click "Change Program" then "Browse" to the Aspire directory, select Aspire.exe and Windows won't recognize the selection. Not sure if this is a Windows bug or something in Aspire that won't let itself be associated with CRV files.

Kinda annoying :confused:

[Gary Campbell]

Don...
Is PWKs or VCPro on the machine also? Could either of those be set as the default prog for .crv?

[gerald_martin]

For some reason, in Windows 7, when you try to associate Aspire to a CRV file, Aspire is not recognized. I can click "Change Program" then "Browse" to the Aspire directory, select Aspire.exe and Windows won't recognize the selection. Not sure if this is a Windows bug or something in Aspire that won't let itself be associated with CRV files.

Kinda annoying :confused:

Gary & Don, thanks for responding. I don't think I've ever had Vcarve Pro or PartWorks on this PC. (obviously, with a library of .crv files, I've used these programs in the past.)

On my other computer with windows XP, no problem, I can set the association and doubleclicking the file opens the program.

On the windows 7 computer, no joy - have to open Aspire first then use it's open file dialog window to find my file.

Maybe Brian or Tony will chime in here? If this is a bug surely Vectric has seen it already?

Gerald

[srwtlc]

While it works on my Win 7 system (I can change back and forth fine), I vaguely remember this situation happening to me some time back but with another program. It may well have to do with an update or upgrade of the program. There does seem to be an issue with Win 7 though according to some searches on the topic.

At the time, I found a little program that would allow you to unassociated a file in Win 7 and then I added it to the registry to make it work. http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/231/1/An-Utility-to-Unassociate-File-Types-in-Windows-7-and-Vista.html

But, try this first. Open Regedit (Start and type in search "regedit") and navigate to or do a find for "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VCarve Pro.Document\shell\open\command. Once there, right click on "Default" in the right pane and choose "Modify". Note what is there in case you want to undo it later or you can right click on command and choose to export that key and if you want to undo at a later time, just right click on that file and choose merge to replace it. In the modify dialog, change the location of the program used to open files. In your case, it would be Aspire 3.0\Aspire.exe (be sure to keep the rest of the formatting in that dialog, just highlight the part that needs to be changed. Once done, close Regedit and go back to the default programs and see if the association has changed. If it has, try a file and see if it works.

[adrianm]

For some reason it's a problem that seems to happen a lot in Windows 7.

A while ago I couldn't associate GIF files with Xara. No matter what I did it was the same story as Gerald is getting with Aspire. Browse to the exe but it wouldn't put it into the list.

None of the other ways of associating (short of going into the registry) would work either.

In the end I used this program http://defaultprogramseditor.com and it's worked perfectly every time.

[meatbal80]

Have you tried right clicking on a .crv file and choosing the "open with" option. In the window that opens there is a selection box that you can choose to always use this program...

[dlcw]

Joel,

The same thing happens with your suggestion as does other attempted ways to do file associations in Windows 7.

Seems there is a problem in Windows 7 and file associations. I hope it gets fixed in a patch.

I've got a couple of friends in Microsoft and will forward this issue to them so they can get it to the product group. Seems going through the Microsoft website to report an issue is a total waste of time.

[srwtlc]

Gerald and Don,

Have you tried the Registry method I describe above? I just checked my shop computer and the same thing happens as you describe, but if I apply the change in the registry, it works just fine. Give it a whirl.

[gerald_martin]

I'm going to try this when I'm back at that computer, and I'll post results.

OK, here's what happened. I found .CRV and .CRV3D in the registry and copied the properties from the .CRV3D file type and pasted them into the .CRV

After reboot, Aspire was in the list of selectable programs to associate with and now the .CRV files have Aspire icons and open in Aspire.

I don't think I followed Scott's steps totally, but the principle did help me get it fixed.

Reminder to everyone though that you should have some computer knowledge before you start editing a registry. Apparently I had just barely enough to fix it, and probably enough to break it too.

Gerald