Open With Problem

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I recently installed MS PowerPoint Viewer program and then went to a PPS file and selected the Open With option. However, when browsing for the PP viewer program I couldn’t find it! So I quit and right-clicked on PPViewer in the Start All Programs menu and selected Properties intending to find out where the PPViewer program was located. BUT, the properties window only showed where the PPViewer shortcut in the Start menu was located — not the program itself! I probed all the Program folders on the C drive, but it simply wouldn’t display PPViewer anywhere. Any ideas on how to set the pps file association to the PPViewer program?

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I recently installed MS PowerPoint Viewer program and then went to a PPS file and selected the Open With option. However, when browsing for the PP viewer program I couldn’t find it! So I quit and right-clicked on PPViewer in the Start All Programs menu and selected Properties intending to find out where the PPViewer program was located. BUT, the properties window only showed where the PPViewer shortcut in the Start menu was located — not the program itself! I probed all the Program folders on the C drive, but it simply wouldn’t display PPViewer anywhere. Any ideas on how to set the pps file association to the PPViewer program?

If you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, look in “C:Program Files (x86)”.

In Windows Explorer, do you have hidden files & folders set to display. See Organize | Folder and Search Options | View | Hidden Files and Folders | Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives.

Joe

--Joe

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Turning on Hidden files will probably do the tridk.

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I always go through the process to let me see all files including the hidden system files. These restrictions may help the novice user to not screw up his system, but more advanced users need to see much of this info. Under the Organize selection previously mentioned, I check Show hidden files plus uncheck Hide extensions and hide protected OS files. You will get a warning with the system files, click through and you should be able to see all files on your system.

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Chuck,
You should NOT need to set the Viewer to be the default. All one needs to do is install it ( the viewer) and then open the PPS file by double clicking it.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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The Powerpoint viewer needs to be run once before it will assume the default PPS opening role. Until then, double-clicking a PPS file will start the Open with dialogue..

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The Powerpoint viewer needs to be run once before it will assume the default PPS opening role. Until then, double-clicking a PPS file will start the Open with dialogue..

That’s not been my experience with this.

For me, install Powerpoint Viewer and then double click the file that I want to see and away it goes. I do this regularly on new Win 7 machines that are on the shop floor to display their specs.

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I agree with DaveA & Andy in that it should have happened that way as that’s what I expected. However, it didn’t.
I started out by opening a pps file to discover that it ran the Power Point program that is part of the demo MS Office suite that came with the computer. Of course, it wanted the user to pay MS to obtain the Product Key. So I downloaded and installed the free PPS viewer, rebooted, and fully expected it to run that program when clicking on a pps file. But it insisted on using the MS Office PP program. So I uninstalled MS Office, rebooted, and it still wouldn’t run the PP Viewer when opening the pps file. I could find the Viewer in the Start folder, open it up, then open the pps file from withing PPV — that worked just fine.
I think the answer will be Ted’s suggestion to go to a folder, select Organize, unhide files and extensions, and then set up the proper file association from there. I’m helping an elderly lady by installing her new Dell W7 computer, and I’m not fully up to date on W7, but I’m learning. It seemls like W7 is pretty much a warmed over version of Vista.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

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I think the answer will be Ted’s suggestion to go to a folder, select Organize, unhide files and extensions, and then set up the proper file association from there. I’m helping an elderly lady by installing her new Dell W7 computer, and I’m not fully up to date on W7, but I’m learning. It seemls like W7 is pretty much a warmed over version of Vista.

With Windows 7, you need to go to Control Panel | Programs | Default Programs | Associate a File Type or Protocol With a Program.

Joe

--Joe

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Thanks for the hint on finding file associations in W7. I would have been looking around forever.

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Er, yes, methinks I came up with a generic answer there, sorry all.

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Thanks to all for your advice. So far the following seems to work:

If Exist “Program FilesAdobeReader*” GoTo Exit

It works on my XP partition on Drive C and on my Vista partition on Drive D. I only hope it will work on W7 too.

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