How do I add new applications to the "Set Default Programs" list in Windows Vista/7?

How do I add new applications to the "Set Default Programs" list in Windows Vista/7?

In the Set your default programs window, you have the ability to allow an application to open all the file types it knows how to handle by default. I have installed several programs, but almost none of them show up. In fact, Mozilla Firefox and Postbox are the only two aside from the built in Windows applications (Paint, Windows Media Player, etc.). How do I add applications to this list so that I don't have to assign each file type to a specific application one by one?

Asked by: Guest | Views: 373

Total answers/comments: 4

Comments display order:

bert [Entry]

"According to MSDN, only applications which make use of this feature can add to the list

Default Programs has a new
infrastructure to manage per-user file
and protocol associations designed
with contentious applications in mind.
Applications need to register in order
to use the functionality of Default
Programs."

bert [Entry]

"To allow Chrome to appear in the Default Programs, use regedit to check the correct file path for chrome.exe appears here...

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ChromeHTML\shell\open\command

if not, change the original executable file from whatever it was,

eg. > ""GoogleChromePortable\App\Chrome-bin\chrome.exe""

to:

""C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\chrome.exe"" (or wherever your chrome is located)."

bert [Entry]

"Based on Ciantic's answer

If you want to do it to your program, just replace all that seems
necessary from following regfile.

For Chromium, replace at least the path: C:\Program
Copies\Chromium\chrome.exe with your chromium path, it is in two
places at the following reg file.

Put following snippet to somefile.reg:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Infamous capabilities:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Chromium\Capabilities]
""ApplicationDescription""=""Chromium - Beta Google Chrome""
""ApplicationIcon""=""C:\Program Copies\Chromium\chrome.exe,0""
""ApplicationName""=""Chromium""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Chromium\Capabilities\FileAssociations]
"".htm""=""ChromiumURL"" "".html""=""ChromiumURL"" "".shtml""=""ChromiumURL""
"".xht""=""ChromiumURL"" "".xhtml""=""ChromiumURL""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Chromium\Capabilities\URLAssociations]
""ftp""=""ChromiumURL"" ""http""=""ChromiumURL"" ""https""=""ChromiumURL""

; Register to Default Programs

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications]
""Chromium""=""Software\Chromium\Capabilities""

; ChromiumURL HANDLER:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ChromiumURL] @=""Chromium
Document"" ""FriendlyTypeName""=""Chromium Document""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ChromiumURL\shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ChromiumURL\shell\open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ChromiumURL\shell\open\command]
@=""\""C:\Program Copies\Chromium\chrome.exe\"" -- \""%1\"""" Then as
usual with reg files, you must double click to run them.

In addition to modifiying ciantic's regfile and running it, in Windows 10, I also had to go to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\ChromiumURL\shell\open\command] and change the default data value to the path of my chrome.exe. In my case, it was: C:\Program Files (x86)\Advanced Chrome\chrome.exe.

Once I did that it showed up as a default program and not just as options to open html and other browser files."

bert [Entry]

"This is how to complete this for SRWare Iron browser:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Infamous capabilities:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Iron\Capabilities]
""ApplicationDescription""=""SRWare Iron - Beta Google Chrome""
""ApplicationIcon""=""C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SRWare Iron\\iron.exe,0""
""ApplicationName""=""Iron""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Iron\Capabilities\FileAssociations]
"".htm""=""IronURL""
"".html""=""IronURL""
"".shtml""=""IronURL""
"".xht""=""IronURL""
"".xhtml""=""IronURL""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Iron\Capabilities\URLAssociations]
""ftp""=""IronURL""
""http""=""IronURL""
""https""=""IronURL""

; Register to Default Programs

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications]
""Iron""=""Software\\Iron\\Capabilities""

; IronURL HANDLER:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\IronURL]
@=""Iron Document""
""FriendlyTypeName""=""Iron Document""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\IronURL\shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\IronURL\shell\open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\IronURL\shell\open\command]
@=""\""C:\\Program Files (x86)\\SRWare Iron\\iron.exe\"" -- \""%1\"""""