WD: Double-Clicking Graphic File in Explorer Opens in IE 4.0

• Photo Editor 97
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 for Windows 95
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you double-click a graphic file, the graphic is opened in Internet Explorer 4.0, instead of the graphic program you were previously using.

For example, when you double-click a graphic file, the graphic should open in Photo Editor.

NOTE: This problem occurs after you install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and affects the following graphic file types:

• Graphics interchange format (GIF) (*.gif)
• Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) File Interchange Format (*.jpg)
• Portable Network Graphics (*.png)
• Photo CD Image (*.pcd)
• PC Paintbrush (*.pcx)
• Targa (*.tga)

CAUSE

This functionality is by design. When you install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, the associations of some registered graphic file types are changed to Internet Explorer (IEXPLORE).

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.

Method 1: Rerun Office/Word Setup

You can re-register Word (and all Office programs, if you run Office Setup) by running Setup with the /y switch using the following steps:

1. Insert the Word or Office CD into the CD drive.

   If you installed Word or Office from floppy disks insert the Setup Disk 1 in the floppy disk drive of your computer.

2. Click the Start button, and then click Run.

3. In the Open box, type the following

       <drive>:\Setup.exe /Y
   

       where <drive> is the letter of the drive that contains the CD
       or Setup Disk 1.
   

4. Click OK.

5. Click Reinstall.

For additional information about setup switches, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q132374
   TITLE     : How to Display Help on Running Setup Program with Switches

Method 2: Manually Change the Graphic File Type Associations

You can re-associate each of the graphic file types to any graphics editor. To re-associate your graphic files to Microsoft Photo Editor, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start button and then click Explore.

2. In Windows Explorer, on the View menu, click Folder Options (Options if you are using Windows NT).

3. Click the File Types tab.

4. Under Registered File Types, select the graphic file type you want to change, and then click Edit.

5. In the Edit File Type dialog box, under Actions, click Open, and then click the Edit button. In the "Editing action for type: <file type>" dialog box, in the "Application used to perform action" box, type the path (or use the Browse button) to the graphics program that you want to use to open this type of graphic file, followed by a "%1" (you must include the quotation marks), and then click OK.

   For example:

         C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\PhotoEd\PhotoEd.exe
         "%1"
   

   NOTE: The Use DDE check box is not selected.

6. In the Edit File Type dialog box, under Actions, click Print, and then click the Edit button. In the "Editing action for type: <file type>" dialog box, in the "Application used to perform action" box, type the path (or use the Browse button) to your graphics program you want to use to open this type of graphic file, followed by /p "%1" (you must include the quotation marks), and then click OK.

   For example:

         C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\PhotoEd\PhotoEd.exe /p
         "%1"
   

   NOTE: The Use DDE check box is not selected.

7. In the Edit File Type dialog box, under Actions, click Printto, and then click the Edit button. In the "Editing action for type: <file type>" dialog box, in the "Application used to perform action" box, type the path (or use the Browse button) to your graphic application you want to use to open this type of graphic file, followed by /pt "%1" "%2" "%3" "%4" (you must include the quotation marks), and then click OK.

   For example:

         C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\PhotoEd\PhotoEd.exe
         /pt "%1" "%2" "%3" "%4"
   

   NOTE: The Use DDE check box is not selected.

8. Repeat steps 4-7 for each graphic file type for which you want to change the association.

9. Click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q129050
   TITLE     : How to Change Existing File Type Associations to New
               Programs