Windows 10: File Association Issue

I have an issue with file associations that is not related to the bug in 1803 (KB4462919). I have updated to 1809 and to 1903 insider to verify if the issue would be solved, but it has not. I have some file types that will not associate with the application no matter what. One of these instances is Powerpoint. In "Choose default apps by file type" pptx is not associated to an app, even if Office is installed.




File type potx is associated though:




When you click the + symbol, you are directed to the Windows Store which in turn tells you to install Powerpoint:






I tried creating the file association directly from the file with the "Open with.." command:




Even though I pick powerpoint, I receive this error:




If I try to change the association via properties:




Even choosing Powerpoint, the "Opens with:" stays at Unknown application. I know the file is fine because if I open powerpoint and browse to the directory, the file will open within Powerpoint. Powerpoint is not the only application file type that has this issue, I have various others that are not office related with the same problem. I've also tried uninstalling and cleaning up the installations and then re-installing. No luck.


Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

:)

 

File Association Helper in Startup

from another forum on May 6, 2018:
You can uninstall File Association Helper in less than 5 minutes. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1 — Uninstall File Association Helper via Control Panel

Simply go to Start > type Control Panel > double click the first result to launch Control Panel.
Then go to Uninstall a program > locate File Association Helper in the list and select it
Select Uninstall > wait until Windows completely removes FAH from your PC.
Restart your PC.
Step 2 — Clean the Registry Editor

Now that you removed the program, you also need to remove any traces or file changes associated with it. To do that, you need to open the Registry Editor.

Go to Start > type “regedit” > launch the Registry Editor
Locate the following keys and delete them:
KEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareFile Association Helper
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareFile Association Helper

Step 3 — Check all the hidden files and folders

File Association Helper may have left behind various hidden files and folders. In order to completely remove the software, you can also need to delete these files. Here’s how to do that:

Simply go to Start > type Control Panel > double click the first result to launch Control Panel. On Windows 10, you can also type “Show hidden files and folder” in the search box. Then simply check Show hidden files, folders and drives and jump straight to step number 3.
RECOMMENDED: Click here to fix common PC issues and speed up your system
Go to Folder > select Show Hidden Files and Folders
Locate the following folders:
Crogram FilesFile Association Helper
C*Biggrinocument and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataFile Association Helper
C*Biggrinocuments and Settings%USER%Application DataFile Association Helper

4. Delete them and then restart your PC.

Step 4 — Empty Temp Folder

The final step is to clean the Temp folder where all the temporary files are stored. To empty the folder, go to Start and type the %temp% command.

This will open the Temp folders. You can now empty them. If the system displays an error message when deleting some files, leave them. The files might be in use by Windows services or some running software.

Step 5 — Use a dedicated tool to remove software leftovers

After you performed all the steps listed above, you have removed 99.9% of all the files and folders left behind by File Association Helper. However, there may be a few file that escaped your scrutiny. In order to make sure that you have removed all of them, you can also use a dedicated software uninstaller.

These applications are specially designed to remove the selected application along with all of its files and registry entries. As a result, the application will be completely removed from your PC.

There are many great uninstaller tools available on the market, but the best are IOBit Uninstaller and Revo Uninstaller so feel free to try any of these tools.

 

When clicking the files getting error that the file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action.

Hello,

I understand that when you try to open the file, you are prompted that the files does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. We will certainly help you.

• What file are you trying to open?

This issue is caused if the file is not associated with any of the application or program to open it.

If those files are the pictures as I can see that you are trying to access the picture folder. I suggest you to follow the below steps and check if the issue resolves.

• Right click on the file and select Open with.
• Select Photo App or Photo Gallery.
• Double click and check if you are able to open that file.

Keep us posted if the issue is resolved. We are glad to help you.

 

File association not sticking

Hi Grant,

For us to narrow down your concern with file association, we would like to know the following:

• When did the issue first begin?
• Were there any changes made on your computer prior to the issue (e.g., updates, software installation)?
• To make sure that we have not missed on anything, what troubleshooting steps have you done so far?

We look forward to your response.