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    Pending Hijacking of File Associations on Installation

    I had the same problem. IrfanView associated to itself almost all files it recognizes.

    Originally posted by Mij View Post
    You probably associated all those files with Irfanview by mistake when first installing, probably by failing to uncheck one of the options.
    That isn't what I did. Initially, all options were unchecked. I verified this, and checked only .pcx. It associated pretty much everything else, too.

    When I uninstalled and reinstalled, it did not re-associate files to itself, regardless of whether or not I had them checked. Checking the files seems to do nothing, except after three tries I was able to get it to finally associate .pcx to itself. But files which are still associated to it are sort of stuck that way; upon uninstalling it, the files lose their association entirely, and as soon as I reinstall IrfanView, they immediately become re-associated with IrfanView. I have to painstakingly re-associate each and every file type with something else to get them to not be associated with Irfanview, or I can just not have IrfanView installed.


    I am running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 and my IrfanView version is 4.52. I just downloaded and installed the program for the first time today.


    This is a major bug and has caused damage to my operating system. Please investigate this serious issue and correct it.
    Last edited by thereaverofdarkness; 18.12.2018, 11:05 PM.

    #2
    Yep, I can confirm the above complaint too. I'm a long time IrfanView user, using Windows 7 64 bit, and I just updated v4.51 to 4.52 and just like thereaverofdarkness all my image file associations were hijacked by that awful squashed cat icon (the only bad thing about IrfanView IMHO)

    The icon/default program hijacking included the most common types used: JPG, PNG, BMP none of which I have associated with IrfanView.

    This has to be a default IrfanView v4.52 settings issue because I was just upgrading, no user settings were changed.

    The only one still shown in the IrfanView associated extension list I have ticked is GIF because Win7 won't animated them by default. IrfanView does. All the other file types in the list are unticked yet they've been hijacked.

    I tried a file unassociation program which worked but as it clears all associations I came to conclusion it was just too much work and in any case I thought there was a good chance that if v4.52 was launched it might hijack them again. So in the end I had to use System Restore and revert to v4.51. Having to do that has caused me half a day's hassle as I was doing my other weekly updates too including Windows.

    I'm not exactly pleased about this.

    Comment


      #3
      A recent Windows 10 update may also be to blame. It broke file associations with programs other than IrfanView.

      My problem was the opposite. I had to re-associate my image file types with IrfanView using Windows Explorer, Open With. That seems to have worked for the time being,

      It is no use complaining here. There are only other users in this forum. Send a bug report to the program's author.
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        #4
        I was really just posting it here as a bit of a warning to others who might be just about to update to v4.52.

        It should be said that this is the first time I've had any trouble with an IrfanView update. I have had icon display issues, not unique to it, which have occasionally caused me a bit of extra work. However this is more serious than that as the associations for the three main image file types I use had been changed even though, as said, the Settings still showed, correctly, only .GIF associated with IrfanView.

        Comment


          #5
          Did you ignore this warning when you installed IrfanView 4.52?

          Click image for larger version

Name:	File Associations Warning.png
Views:	1
Size:	3.9 KB
ID:	83225
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            #6
            I was aware of that and no, I was updating an existing installation. The file associations screen in the installer specifically says it is optional and those who are just updating should just leave the boxes unticked. I did not change, deliberately or accidentally AFAIK, any settings prior to installation. Why would I?

            I'd also remind others here that thereaverofdarkness has also posted an almost identical description of the same problem he's had with v4.52 on 18.12.18. It is what prompted me to post here rather than start a new thread.

            I've just gone part way through the v4.52 installer process to confirm that I hadn't made some embarrassing error during installation. It would be very difficult, I'd say impossible, not to notice if all the image associated file type boxes had been ticked. I'm 99.9% sure they were not and I certainly did not get that warning dialogue box shown above.

            Even with that warning the installer is, I'd argue, set up to make a mistake at that point because in all versions (I've tested a couple of older versions to check this) the "Image" button on that associations options screen is highlighted rather than "None".

            All I remember doing is clicking Next on that screen as I've done many times before without any similar occurrence.

            The fact is that after installation of v4.52 its own Options > Properties/Settings only showed my existing IrfanView .GIF association. I've made that clear before.

            Even if I'd accidentally hit the "Image" button in the installer and hadn't noticed all the image file types had been ticked they should have been shown ticked in the new v4.52 installation - they were not.

            BTW in this case I was using Win7 64bit OS with the IrfanView v4.52 64bit.exe installer sourced from the well known FileHorse site, one of the approved mirrors listed on the download page.

            At the same time I updated a virtual machine WinXP installation with the 32bit version too but thankfully never launched it. When I discovered the problem on the host PC it was immediately uninstalled and replaced with a fresh installation of the previous IrfanView version. So I have no idea if this file association problem applies to the 32bit.exe version too.
            Last edited by BadRobot2018; 23.12.2018, 01:56 PM.

            Comment


              #7
              I thought as it was the new year I'd try installing IRF v4.52 again but this time I took the precaution of putting in a completely fresh restore point just in case.

              Glad I did - exactly the same problem repeated. On launch IRF v4.52 took over all image file associations (JPG, PNG, BMP etc and even PDN) despite the fact I took great care to use the "None" option in the installer. I checked the file associations in IRF itself and they were showing just the GIF box association ticked as per my previous preferences.

              I used system restore to return everything back including IRF to v4.51 and all was good.

              The installer used was the 64 bit one from the FossHub link. My previous download of the same was from FileHorse, one of the recommended mirror download sites.

              BTW I checked the SHA-256 checksum provided on the IRF homepage linked download site:-

              SHA-256 checksums:
              iview452_setup.exe - e7ccab6695f158599436237042d7aab875dd54488cf1e00b91 7baa48c63cbb26
              iview452.zip - 47eb3500dafc944fa3be74516a57eb6f2b9287a68ac1f03d5f 5067ac2afa43e0
              iview452g_setup.exe - 409ac729a1263ba70b198eaf55d4f3bc16bd9698801dcf2873 e2e6b164fe5946 (german installer)
              iview452g.zip - d067c070501639fb4a47fd816997780da0433288a94e628ac8 b06f400525859e

              and none of those actually match the 64 bit installer:-

              HashMyFiles shows the 64 bit installer from those two as both being:-

              1e2e020cbf08ccb540c92f423f6b8b44296d0f30af8f904b33 3cdf0cd9052776

              I checked that with one of the other sites: FileForum and it was the same too.

              I guess the second SHA-256 installer .exe listed is the 64 bit installer but for some reason only applies to the German one and we're getting the primary English language version.

              The first installer .exe SHA-256 is definitely for the 32 bit installer as HashMyFiles confirmed that they matched when I tested the 32 bit download. I did not try to install that so I have no idea if the same file association hijacking problem applies to that.

              So to confirm: the v4.52 64 bit download versions are all the same, apparently genuine but no way of confirming that 100%. The two tested both cause the same trouble described.

              I found other comments about v4.52 64 bit on other download sites which also report the problem.
              Last edited by BadRobot2018; 07.01.2019, 02:21 PM.

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                #8
                I am happy with fixing the problem afterwards by Right-Click, Open With, or Default Programs in Settings, but there is clearly a bug here, so I split the recent posts to a Bug Report thread.

                If it bugs you, send a bug report to Irfan Skiljan, and let us know the result. Then I will update the thread.
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                  #9
                  Thanks for the reply. How do I send that report to Irfan Skilijan?

                  EDIT

                  I've contacted him and he has, very commendably, reported back quickly no similar problem with v4.52 on Windows XP, 8 and 10. But he does not mention testing it with Windows 7 64 bit. That seems to be the common factor here and one of the other instances I found reporting this problem elsewhere who also mentioned their OS.

                  What happens now I do not know but I suspect it needs some more people using Windows 7 64 bit to report the same problem for it to be taken any further.

                  BTW

                  If you instead go to this page:-



                  rather than the linked page you're sent to by IrfanView direct to with the recommended download sites and mirrors it does include the clearly marked SHA-256 64 bit installer download ID that I posted earlier.
                  Last edited by BadRobot2018; 09.01.2019, 02:54 PM.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Worth bumping this thread to say that Irfan Skilijan has responded very quickly to this since and seems to have confirmed there is an issue with Win7 64bit perhaps due to a change made to accommodate a Win10 matter. Anyway a workaround for Win7 64bit users is being looked into.

                    Up until then the recommendation is to use the portable 64 bit version of v4.52. That is actually found on the same page I linked too in the previous post. By coincidence I was trying that out when Irfan Skilijan emailed me back.

                    It works fine, no association hijacking and seems to pickup any existing configuration settings you have for the currently installed version, presumably from the IrfanView AppData folder.

                    BTW please read the notes included with the portable version first because you have to enable Unicode in the INI configuration file it uses. The notes explain how but it is very simple.

                    Only additional thing is that it won't be added to your right mouse Open With menu options if you still have the previous installed version. It might work if you change the name to eg. IrfanView Portable v4.52 or something different from the existing installed version and add it manually.
                    Last edited by BadRobot2018; 10.01.2019, 12:16 AM.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Hi everyone,

                      I'm having the same issue with 4.52, also using Windows 7 x64

                      Also set the file association to "none", finding myself having IV associated to many file types.
                      Some of them, already associated with other programs seem to remain untouched (I have .bmp with Paint.net for example which avoids the 'hijack').

                      If I go to "Default Programs/Set Default Programs/Control Panel list" and look for IV, I see that many boxes are checkmarked but I can't uncheck any of them (I have administrator privileges). Using specialized tools (like Default Programs Editor) didn't help.

                      Haven't check using portable installation yet.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        That screenshot confirms what we've been saying here. IrfanView extension associations are all shown 'unticked' but Windows > Default Programs clearly show that all the image file types have been 'hijacked' by IrfanView v4.52.

                        I suspect that the difficulty in reverted it back is a Windows issue though. I've just checked that Default Programs/Set Default Programs/Control Panel list myself and with my still installed v4.51 my GIF default (IrfanView 64) is the only one ticked but you can not 'untick' it.

                        I opened IrfanView, unassociated GIF, saved, restarted the PC, checked it was still unassociated then went into Windows default programs and it was still ticked there and could not be 'unticked'.

                        This is typical of Windows unfortunately ie. being able to associate programs fairly easily but not allowing you to unassociate them as easily forcing you to use a third party tool like Default Programs Editor or editing the registry.

                        So in the case of IrfanView v4.52, except by using a restore point or an imported registry backup made before the 'hijack', it seems that you are stuck with having to unassociate each image file type individually.

                        I never looked at what other image file type associations v4.52 'hijacked' assuming it was just the main ones JPG, PNG, BMP and PDN but, obviously, it is much more than that. It makes me even more pleased that I had a restore point to go back too. But I feel for those who do not because they appear to have quite a bit of work to do if they want to unassociate everything.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Very dangerous bug - file association damage

                          Hello
                          This bug is for v4.52 32bit on a Win7 64bit Pro FR.
                          The installation was a first one (no Irfanview before).

                          Upon installing
                          NO extension selected => IrfanView STILL becomes the default Image viewer!

                          1st Workaround tested
                          Options > Verify NO extension is selected > OK > same issue...

                          2nd Workaround tested
                          Options > Check ALL extensions > OK
                          Exit IrfanView and relaunch
                          Options > Uncheck ALL extensions > OK
                          Then it seems IrfanView has restored the original Image viewer

                          But then also many file associations are lost!!!

                          This includes
                          .djvu
                          .mp3
                          .mp4
                          ...

                          This is dramatic!

                          NL

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Hi newlog,
                            this is a user-to-user forum. Irfan Skiljan, the developer of IrfanView, is not involved.
                            You may want to send your bug report to him. When you view a picture, goto 'Help > About IrfanView' for his mail address.
                            Win 10/64 Home 22H2 IrfanView 4.66/64
                            Hate has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet. (Maya Angelou)

                            Comment


                              #15
                              OK, bug sent

                              OK, doing this right away.

                              But I thought forum users should know!!!

                              Originally posted by Kuki Dent View Post
                              Hi newlog,
                              this is a user-to-user forum. Irfan Skiljan, the developer of IrfanView, is not involved.
                              You may want to send your bug report to him. When you view a picture, goto 'Help > About IrfanView' for his mail address.

                              Comment

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