help = can't edit hosts file because it won't let me pick a program.

I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file, but
instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I got
a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program associated
with it for performing this action. Create an association in My Computer
by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".

Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so that
it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on notepad?

"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
| I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file, but
| instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I got
| a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program associated
| with it for performing this action. Create an association in My Computer
| by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".
|
| Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so that
| it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on notepad?

The HOSTS once created, has no extension. windows does, and likely you have
or the programs have, configured files to have extensions, and what program
is configured to work with it. Right click on the file and choose the editor
you want to handle files with no extensions. Make sure it is a text editor
NOT a full featured editor..

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
--
_________

SlickRCBD wrote:
I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts
file, but instead of being asked what program I want to use to open
it with, I got a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a
program associated with it for performing this action. Create an
association in My Computer by clicking View and then clicking
Folder Options".

Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so
that it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on
notepad?

Shift right click it and select "Open with". If Notepad isn't in the
list presented, browse to it. Be sure to check the box to "Always
open this program..."

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

dadiOH wrote:
SlickRCBD wrote:

I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts
file, but instead of being asked what program I want to use to open
it with, I got a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a
program associated with it for performing this action. Create an
association in My Computer by clicking View and then clicking
Folder Options".

Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so
that it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on
notepad?


Shift right click it and select "Open with". If Notepad isn't in the
list presented, browse to it. Be sure to check the box to "Always
open this program..."

Yes, but how do I get windows to go back to automatically presenting me
with a list of programs when I double-click on the hosts file like it's
been doing for years? That's the underlieing problem. I don't know what
changed, and want to put it back.

Also, I gave up checking the "always open this program" years ago. It
doesn't work for files with no extension.

MEB wrote:

"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
| I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file, but
| instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I got
| a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program associated
| with it for performing this action. Create an association in My Computer
| by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".
|
| Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so that
| it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on notepad?

The HOSTS once created, has no extension. windows does, and likely you have
or the programs have, configured files to have extensions, and what program
is configured to work with it. Right click on the file and choose the editor
you want to handle files with no extensions. Make sure it is a text editor
NOT a full featured editor..

For years, I've been double-clicking on my "hosts" file or an alias I
have on the desktop. After doing that, windows pops up with a dialog box
asking me what program I want to use to open the file.

Suddenly yesterday, when I double-clicked on the file, instead of
telling me it doesn't have an association and asking me to pick a
program, I'm presented with a dialog box that says "This file doesn not
have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an
association in My Computer by clicking "View" and then clicking "Folder
Options".

How do I make it go back to automatically showing me the list of
programs when I doule-click on the shortcut on the desktop, or the
original file in the C:\windows folder?

I'm aware of the problem of not having an extension, I just want to make
it go back to working the way it did before.

MEB wrote:

"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
| I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file, but
| instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I got
| a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program associated
| with it for performing this action. Create an association in My Computer
| by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".
|
| Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so that
| it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on notepad?

The HOSTS once created, has no extension. windows does, and likely you have
or the programs have, configured files to have extensions, and what program
is configured to work with it. Right click on the file and choose the editor
you want to handle files with no extensions. Make sure it is a text editor
NOT a full featured editor..

For years, I've been double-clicking on my "hosts" file or an alias I
have on the desktop. After doing that, windows pops up with a dialog box
asking me what program I want to use to open the file.

Suddenly yesterday, when I double-clicked on the file, instead of
telling me it doesn't have an association and asking me to pick a
program, I'm presented with a dialog box that says "This file doesn not
have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an
association in My Computer by clicking "View" and then clicking "Folder
Options".

How do I make it go back to automatically showing me the list of
programs when I doule-click on the shortcut on the desktop, or the
original file in the C:\windows folder?

I'm aware of the problem of not having an extension, I just want to make
it go back to working the way it did before.

"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..
I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file, but instead of
being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I got a dialog box telling
me "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this
action. Create an association in My Computer by clicking View and then clicking
Folder Options".

Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so that it goes
back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on notepad?

What happens if you delete the shortcut you presently have and create a new one for
the HOSTS file?

--


Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Windows Desktop User Experience }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

Not sure where I got this from, so thank them if you run across them
somewhere.

_________ COPY below including blanks at end
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.]
@="file01"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file01]
@="No Extension"
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file01\Shell]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file01\Shell\Open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file01\Shell\Open\command]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\Notepad.exe %1"

______Copy above to an editor and give it a *.reg extension, run/install to
the registry.

Change the above *@=C:\\{path}* to the full path to what ever you want to
use.
There is a dot at the end, that's what this uses to assign the *no
extension* to the editor of your choice.

--
MEB
http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com
--
_________

"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
...
| MEB wrote:
|
| "SlickRCBD" wrote in message
| . ..
| | I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file,
but
| | instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I
got
| | a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program associated
| | with it for performing this action. Create an association in My
Computer
| | by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".
| |
| | Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so
that
| | it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on
notepad?
|
| The HOSTS once created, has no extension. windows does, and likely you
have
| or the programs have, configured files to have extensions, and what
program
| is configured to work with it. Right click on the file and choose the
editor
| you want to handle files with no extensions. Make sure it is a text
editor
| NOT a full featured editor..
|
| For years, I've been double-clicking on my "hosts" file or an alias I
| have on the desktop. After doing that, windows pops up with a dialog box
| asking me what program I want to use to open the file.
|
| Suddenly yesterday, when I double-clicked on the file, instead of
| telling me it doesn't have an association and asking me to pick a
| program, I'm presented with a dialog box that says "This file doesn not
| have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an
| association in My Computer by clicking "View" and then clicking "Folder
| Options".
|
| How do I make it go back to automatically showing me the list of
| programs when I doule-click on the shortcut on the desktop, or the
| original file in the C:\windows folder?
|
| I'm aware of the problem of not having an extension, I just want to make
| it go back to working the way it did before.

Brian A. wrote:

"SlickRCBD" wrote in message
. ..

I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file,
but instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with,
I got a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program
associated with it for performing this action. Create an association
in My Computer by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".

Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so
that it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on
notepad?


What happens if you delete the shortcut you presently have and create a
new one for the HOSTS file?

Same thing, that was actually the first thing I tried, before posting. I
have the same problem when I opened c:\windows and double-clicked on
"hosts". There is no discernable difference (at least to the user)
between double-clicking on the hosts file and double-clicking on the
shortcut. I got the same unhelpful error dialog box instead of the
helpful "choose the application you want to open this file with".

SlickRCBD wrote:

I've just had something weird pop up. I tried to edit my hosts file, but
instead of being asked what program I want to use to open it with, I got
a dialog box telling me "This file does not have a program associated
with it for performing this action. Create an association in My Computer
by clicking View and then clicking Folder Options".

Something in the registry is probably messed up, how do I fix it so that
it goes back to giving me a list of programs so I can click on notepad?
Ok, I feel REALLY stupid for not trying this before asking for help. I
simply rebooted to "safe mode command prompt" and used "scanreg
/RESTORE" to restore to Sunday's backup.

I think I need to figure out what drivers I need to download so I can
reinstall windows. That's twice (different) things have gone FUBAR in
less than a week on this old machine, and twice it's been fixed the same
way.