Windows 7 File Associations Problem

[vlw]

I have installed Irfanview by downloading it and uninstalled it several times because it changes many of my desktop shortcuts so that they lead to irfanview. Also,on some, I cannot see what they are unless I point to them. Some including explorer will not work when I click the red blot that its shortcut has been changed to. My picures and all my games have been changed to it and will not work each time I install it. I have gone to file associations and clicked none, tried just JPG, and all the other ideas that I could think of. I even put all my shortcuts in the recycle bin and when I downloaded it again, it changed them there also. I had used Ifanview on my old computer for at least 2 years with no problems. Any ideas? I am not very computer savey, but can follow directions acurately. Is there a direct link to Irfanview where I can ask them?

[pdun459]

Did you ever figure out what was causing this? If not, you might download a different version of Irfanview from FileHippo and see if it still does it. That might tell you if it's a Windows issue or Irfanview.

Sorry I can't be of more help. It sounds pretty messed up.

[Sam_Zen]

I don't run Win7, so I hope others will have an answer to this, but it sounds pretty messy indeed.
But I don't agree about downloading IrfanView from another site than the original one.
Besides, this FileHippo doesn't offer the right plugins pack with the program.

[pdun459]

FileHippo's one of the most reliable and safe sources for downloads that I know of. I only suggested it because they maintain a good collection of all the previous versions. You don't have to have the plugins to test whether Irfanview will work on your operating system; they might actually be a source of the problem.

[Mij]

There are problems with file associations in Vista too. It is something to do with Resource protection. You probably associated all those files with Irfanview by mistake when first installing, probably by failing to uncheck one of the options. It is easy enough to change the associations to other programs but very difficult to set the associations back to none at all. As I understand it, when you try to remove the association completely Windows just puts it back again from its backup copy.
So uninstalling Irfanview is not a solution. Sorry but I do not know what is.

[Sam_Zen]

You don't have to have the plugins to test whether Irfanview will work on your operating system

You've got a point here.

2 vlw : Maybe you can correct this problem with the File Types Manager

[audreygreen]

If it's indeed a file association problem, you may want to try file extension fixers like filecure to help you out. It scans your computer and identifies the types of files currently installed on it. It then lists any file problems that it finds as well as file types that are currently working as expected. After that,it will fix broken file associations and continue monitoring your computer for any file association changes.

[matera]

If it's indeed a file association problem, you may want to try file extension fixers like filecure to help you out. It scans your computer and identifies the types of files currently installed on it. It then lists any file problems that it finds as well as file types that are currently working as expected. After that,it will fix broken file associations and continue monitoring your computer for any file association changes.

WARNING! The above post, while not linked, is teetering on the edge of spam because it suggests using worse-than-useless scamware. Paretologic FileCure is often foisted on the unwary, bundled with other downloadable products. FileCure will NOT "fix" your broken associations. It will only suggest that you download other programs that will open the problem files. This is not a cure, it is sneaky salesmanship. The programs that it suggests are never freeware, and I suspect that there is a kickback in many cases.

Heh, I just happened to notice the new post in this old thread, and a recent encounter with Paretologic's foistware on someone else's machine had my alarm bells set to go off.