Idea: File Association Snapshot

[ald4]

I've just reinstalled Irfanview on my Vista machine and looking at the file associations section I have the same dilemma I usually do when installing a new program



I have no idea what the vast majority of these extensions are.
Take PGM for example. If nothing else on my system can handle that then Irfanview might as well take over it in case I come across it in the future, but if something else on my system already handles it I might like let the other app continue handling it.

It would take a long time if I went through each extension one by one and looked to see what was handling it now. What would be ideal would be able to just click 'Select All' to let Irfanaview take over everything and then afterwards reset it more easily

e.g. I can imagine a 'File Association Snapshot' app that takes note of the conditions before and after installations (a bit like Regshot does for the Registry) -

• Click a Before button which makes the 'file Association Snapshot' app take a snapshot of file associations before installation
• Install a program like Irfanview and tell it to take over ALL extensions it can handle
• Click the After button in 'file Association Snapshot' app to take another snapshot

I would then be presented with a list of what's changed and given the option to change it back

eg

EXT    Previously Opened With     Now Opened with
jpg    Picasa                     Irfanview         Click Here to change back
png    Faststone                  Irfanview         Click Here to change back

[mouser]

yes, i think this is a very good idea.

[lanux128]

+1 especially the option to revert to the previous app.

[Coeluh]

Very good idea, very good explained!

[tanatos]

Working on it...stay tunned 

[Darwin]

Agreed - nice idea and thanks to ald4 for posting it and tanatos for taking up the challenge 

There are, of course, shareware applications, such as Associate This!, that do this.

[ald4]

Great!
Glad so many people think this is a good idea

Darwin. Tried the trial of Associate This! last week when you suggested it but couldn't get it to work at all - not even the backup and restore associations from backup would work.

Was going to leave it on my PC and try getting it working when I had more time, but explorer crashed on me 4 times tonight and Problem Reporting says AsThisX.dll is involved.

thanks anyway

[cmpm]

FileTypes Manager may help, but there is no history of prior associations.

http://www.nirsoft.n...e_types_manager.html

[cmpm]

Also found this, but I'm not sure if it will show the history, although it mentions something about keeping track of it.
I haven't tried it yet.

http://www.pcmag.com...,2817,1639076,00.asp

[cmpm]

well crap, sorry but quickassociation cost 8 dollars, having to register with pc magazine.

I had to go the dentist (fun fun) and did a quick search for file type history before i left.

But file types manager is free. It's almost like windows file types but a bit more to it.

[TucknDar]

FileTypesManager is a nirsoft-tool, can be found here: http://www.nirsoft.n...e_types_manager.html