Windows 10: cannot associate "OpenWith.exe" as Opens With in Properties

I was configuring a plist file, and accidentally set the default app to open with to Notepad, this caused the plist file to be unusable. so I tried finding a way to revert it back to its default state.after searching, I found out that "Open With App" was the default file. And so i tried associating the plist file with the "OpenWith.exe", but it caused an error, saying "cannot associate file type with this program".I want to revert the associated file type back to "OpenWith.exe" but don't know how.If someone knows the answer, it would really help me out.

:)

 

My "Openwith" & "Open File Location" open is disabled and appears greyed out. What can I do to restore it?

I have tried fixing it with registry fix available online ("Openwith missing" fix).

I've updated the device.

I have tried scanning it with Bit-Defender for any issues.

Nothing worked.

Please suggest a solution as soon as possible.

 

OpenWith context menu issues (changes compared to Win7)

Yes, I already used that tool. Nice to see which apps can be in the list, but only for existing applications you can enable/disable/remove them.
Not to create a completely new entry in the list.

Maybe I should phrase the overall question to be more specific and discuss just one case which everyone can try to achieve in Windows 10:

- We invent a new file extension for which no application is assigned for sure:

.XYM

- We create a list under "Open With" which contains 3 batch files to open this new file type:

OpenA.bat
OpenB.bat
OpenC.bat

- Preferably use the build in Windows tools/setup screens etc to create such .xym openwith menu
- When not possible, what are all the steps to take in registry to get this working


I started this myself now and I'm not able to get any bat file under the OpenWith.

 

OpenWith context menu issues (changes compared to Win7)


Hi,

Since Windows 8 and now also on Windows 10 I have trouble getting the "old" way of creating the "Open With" context menu working as before.

On all previous Windows versions (up to Win8) it was easy to assign multiple applications to handle a specific file extension.
I really need to assign custom applications to extensions to get my productivity efficient.

Let me make an example:

I use several versions of a development tool which opens .apt files.
To develop on different projects using different dev environment versions I created for each environment a .bat file.
This bat file sets the correct PATHS, displays some info in the console and starts the needed dev environment version and opens the .apt file.

It was easy to assign those .bat files to .apt extension, having a list of bat files in the context menu of "Open with"

So:

Test.apt
->
Open with...
StartDev_Version3.bat
StartDev_Version4.bat
StartDev_Version5.bat
StartDev_Version6.bat

So right clicking on a .apt file gives me the "Open with" option which can be expanded and having the bat files listed.

How to setup this list previously?

- Right click .apt file
- Select Open With menu
- Choose default program
- In the dialog, select choose another program
- Browse to the bat file and select
- Uncheck the "always use this program to open this file"
- Press ok

The bat file is then executed and the .apt file is opened in the correct Dev version.

Afterwards when right clicking .apt file again, the previously selected bat file is now listed straight under the Open With menu as an item and can be selected immediately (no need to open the dialog to select the bat file).

This worked flawlessly and the list to be created was point and click.


On Windows 8 and now on Windows 10 this procedure to customize the list is not working.

1) The popupmenu under "Open with" does not get new items, even when the "Always open with this program" was checked.
The list keeps empty. I must select "Choose default program" to open the dialog.
2) The previously selected bat file is not listed in "Recommended programs". So even the annoying extra click is not enough.
3) I then must go to "Other installed programs", but the bat file is not even listed there
4) I then must press the browse button to relocate the bat file again

This workflow is annoyingly inefficient.

I searched these forums and other places on the web and found several info on registry keys for applications, extensions, protocols etc etc. And also some tools to edit the OpenWith list.
These tools actually seem not to work. There is not one tool which offers a clear editor to add/remove the items in the popup list of OpenWith. I can remove stuff or hide/disable it, but not add a completely new entry.

Also manually editing the registry is a pain. Somehow the settings are not taken into account.

I can not imagine others do not have this issue. There must be a change starting from Win8 which prevents to customize the OpenWith like we can in Win7.

I hope that this issue can be solved in this thread, even do manual registry stuff. I must have the old workflow working for a nice efficient productivity.

Question:
Is there a tool which actually is able to customize (add/hide/delete) the complete OpenWith feature?
So editing the popup list, edit the recommended programs, edit the installed programs and customize the overall features?

(if there is not a tool, a tip for me to create one !!!)

But the registry is too complicated and spread over to give me a clear view how to setup my popuplist even manually.
Nothing works.


I'm looking for a clear step by step way to:

- Add a new file extension
- Register any application / bat file
- Setup the default application for that filetype using bat file
- Configure multiple bat files to the file type and have them listed in the popup list

Any help is greatly appreciated !!