Windows 10: Two simple questions about unwilling Windows 10

Hi,

Recently upgraded to Win10. Several teething problems, like some incompatible software, mostly due to lack of adequate updating by the software maker or provider (a main culprit being Hewlett Packard, which was unable to adapt its central utility "Solution Centre" to Windows 10 - and even admitting it, saying that users must wait for a special MS update; however, I've given up waiting meanwhile). Otherwise everything works fine, except that I don't see much improvement over Win7 - and like the aesthetics of 7 more.

However, I encountered two problems, for which I could not find a solution.

1. Whatever I do, I cannot arrange for the lock-screen to do the slideshow, as much as I tried to set Settings correctly, and trying out other folders. When I do the settings, everything seems to work fine and I can check this by locking the session. However, after a reboot, the lock-screen returns to a single image... So, how can I overcome this quirk?

2. Far worse, Windows insists on opening most of my graphics with its own viewing utility, even when file associations are set to other apps. It does the same with my pdf files, which it insists on opening with its so-called "Edge". Curiously, on a refresh of the large icons showing a thumbnail of the graphic, the icon of the associated app is shown. As for the pdf, it's the Edge icon which appears, before turning to the thumbnail of the 1st page.

Can I perhaps tweak the registry (I am not afraid of doing this) so that associations go to the right app, and not to what the people at Microsoft believe to be better for me.

Looking forward to a reply,

Best



:)

 

A simple question about E63

this is for voice recognition and voice tags

 

A simple question about E63

Guys,I just wanna ask,when the phone is on the standby screen and I keep pressing on the green key for about two seconds I see(recording started) message.what does that mean? I checked the gallery as I thought it may be a sound recording shortcut but I
got nothing Any body know about this issue?

 

Hi, file associations have always been for the users to choose. A change from Win 7, introduced in Win 8, is that programs can no longer set their own associations.

There are several ways to set your defaults.

The traditional control panel is still available
(Windows key + X, Control Panel, Default Apps)
- and this is useful when changing defaults via Win 10's Settings doesn't quite do the job- e.g. http for hyperlinks.

Open with (in the right click context menu) is another way, as ever, albeit a bit different to what you're used to.

Default Apps - Choose in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Settings, search for 'default' is the Win 10 way.

 

The appearance needs work. You can see clever use of highly adapted high contrast themes in the Customisation section. Win 10 is very restricted in terms of how you can adapt it.

However, with some work, you can do this, for example:



- Quizo's Qttabbar to adapt explorer and control panel colours and add tabs
- Aeroglass - borders, colours, transparency
- a simple reg hack (well known) for many other areas
(colour lost on resume from sleep etc unless supported by a trick I worked out)
- Y'z shadow for drop shadows if wished.

Icons - many set to Win 7's using Iconchanger + manual move of imageres.dll

Start menu- Classic Shell (so you can use your normal start menu properly) and even have a Win 7 start button if you wish (still allows you to use the Win 10 start menu).

 

Hello Dalchina,

A great many thanks for the prompt reaction.

Shame on me: I didn't even know that one could access a simple "start" of sorts by using Win-key+X. And of course, I ignored the existence of the "Default Apps" possibility for changing the associations.

It takes some doing to change those associations: several retries with anything associated with that clunky photo app or the clunkier Edge - while any change occasions a great "revolution" on the desktop, what with icons coming and going, green line moving along, etc, due to a continuous refresh. But what's worse: Windows almost immediately reverts to its "own" apps afterwards - and on the "Default Apps" window, the association which was so painfully achieved, has gone back to the Win apps.

What's even worse: all of a sudden, after doing the png-adobe reader association, the whole machine froze. After a while, strange things seemed to happen to the desktop. Characters changed to something looking like an old Arial Bold, all icons dispappeared and were replaced by black-and-grey squares, the background changed to black, etc. Task Manager showed enormous activity on all fronts. And when things calmed down, I had to reset the them of my desktop to what it was via Settings. Conclusion: I do not think that in Windows 10 it's very healthy to try to "force" it to do things it has decided otherwise. Goodness: it was a mess!

However, I may have done something wrong... perhaps!

The Qttabbar Quizo seems to work quite well. And also many thanks for that.

Best regards

 

Hi, you shouldn't find that associations change back like that. That said, there are some threads about people reporting associations reverting after restarting - yours sounds a different one I've not seen.

This tends to be a permissions issue, perhaps resulting from your upgrade.

You could try repairing registry permissions using Tweaking.com's cautious repair tool. However, you may end up deciding a clean install is the way to go...

Note this way to set multiple associations at once:



You can do the same thing from the traditional control panel and more.

 

Hi again,

And again thanks for following this so swiftly.

Indeed, doing it the "simple" way seems to work... after some reluctance and temporary reverts. And then, again after a short while... reversion to the Windows ways for pdf (Edge) and jpg/png (Photo viewer).

Tomorrow, I will try out the Tweaking.com utility to see what can be done. Reinstalling seems a bit over the top for such a simple thing - but I just did this with Adobe Reader - same (lack of) result.

I'll keep you informed - and thanks again!

 

Sigh.

Whatever I do, whatever I tweak, Windows keeps reverting to its dreary "Photos" and/or "Edge" after a reboot.

Still, thanks to all who took pains to reply to this ticket.

H

 

The other possibility is a permissions issue on your disk, assuming you've tried Tweaking.com's repair tool.
Could you post screenshots of Properties, Security, for C:, for each user.

Another thought to try would be to change the permissions, log off, log on, and see how they are affected, then if ok, try a restart.

 

Thanks again. Will try that tomorrow. But what a hassle for such a simple thing!

H

 

Another thing to do is to look for solved threads- e.g association solved - also assocation reset etc etc.

Here's one person who found a solution:
I think I have found what was screwing with my file associations - I was using a very old version of WinZip (v12 from 2008). For some reason, opening WinZip made my desktop + taskbar icons flash and associations change back to default. Installing v20 x64 WinZip seems to have fixed things.

I know people are going to say 'impossible' etc, so I did a before and after Camtasia video - you can see the icons flash. Here on YouTube (unlisted) -

Old version WinZip causing problems in Windows 10 - YouTube

So some installed programs can demonstrate some weird incompatibility- maybe 'cos they exploited programming loopholes now closed...???? who knows.

This might suggest installing and running Sumo (free) - be sure to get the Lite or 'nork' version without adware- a great program updater. It scans your progs and identifies updates- although actually getting them is very untidy. (You may as well just search for the ones you're interested in).

 

I don't use WinZip but 7-zip. But I'm sure there's something lurking somewhere similar to what the "solver" suggests. However, I've still got a free ticket to consult Microsoft here in Belgium. If we can't find something I'll have them sort that one out (they almost had to drag me screaming and kicking to upgrade to Win10 since I was doing fine with Win 7). Several things are not yet sorted out with that upgrade - like Win10 unwilling to do a slide show on that lock screen... But at least I can live with that.

Thanks for your continuing concern.

Best

H

 

I'm not at all suggesting the cause of your problem is Winzip in particular... hence my recommendation to use Sumo.

Winzip is a particular case... generalise.. and it could be some other obsolete or old version program.

Or it could be sthg else entirely...*Confused

Issues like this certainly need to be brought to MS's attention, but I doubt MS will solve this for you unless you're very lucky. They'll likely go the SFC/DISM/in place repair install/clean install route.

 

I'll try that - certainly. Because having to wade thru "Open With" every time is beginning to gall me.

Indeed! And thinking about the trouble I've had to make make older programs compatible, nothing will surprise me. But it's not all MS's fault. I got here a HP utility, which HP gave up adapting to Win10 - even if they acknowledge that there's something terribly wrong with that utility vs. Win10. If it interests you have a look at the Hewlett Packard site and the item "Solution Centre"...

Oh yes, but it still galls me...

Quite right. In the end, they always resort at MS to such drastic suggestions which are no solutions. To wit, the reason that I had to upgrade from Win7 to Win10 far sooner than I intended to: Their annoying reminder to upgrade kept popping up. So on their suggestion, and a reg correction they mailed me, I could stop that reminder... to see it replaced by a recurring flag from within updates telling me to upgrade. That would not have been so annoying were it not that now I could no longer update Win7 itself... before I had upgraded to Win10!!! A vicious circle if there was one. They tried and tried to have me get rid of that annoyance, to no avail. So, the only remaining solution was... to upgrade to Win10. Never saw such clunky situation. And I can assure you that my computers are well maintained... Big sigh.

But, again thanks for your help!

H