Why do all my Windows XP Programs open in Elements

[jingerw]

How can I avoid all my desktop files and email attachments opening in Elements 4.0? Would appreciate help....I'm overwhelmed.
jinger

[Jodi Frye]

hello, just right click on your image files and choose'Open with' scroll to bottom and choose' select program' on the next window choose your prefered viewer ( default for Windows is Windows picture and fax viewer') put a checkmark next to it and at the bottom check the ' Always open....this way'

[MikeH]

Hi jinger,

You have to apply Jodi's method to each file type (e.g. jpeg, tiff, bmp etc). If you want to stop PSE opening all of your image files go to Editor > Edit > File Associations and in the File Association Manager window click on "Deselect All".

Mike

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

hello, just right click on your image files and choose'Open with' scroll to bottom and choose' select program' on the next window choose your prefered viewer ( default for Windows is Windows picture and fax viewer') put a checkmark next to it and at the bottom check the ' Always open....this way'

I was looking through some of the forum questions and came across this one from jingrerw back in Jan. My problem is somewhat similar in nature. Hope someone can help!

Whenever I attempt to log on to the internet either via email, or this site, or just to search google, I get the "Open With" box, then I must click internet, and I check the "always open with . . .' box everytime. However the next time I log on I must go through the same thing. I should add that when I'm logged on I can then access another site without going through the "Open with" box. This is something that just started recently, maybe the last month or so.

[Juergen D]

Hi,
What exactly are you clicking on when the Open With... dialog appears? Are you on Win XP?

Juergen

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

I'm using Windows xp and I'm clicking on the shortcut icons on my desktop. As I mentioned, this problem just cropped up one day - previously when I clicked a shortcut icon, I would go directly to the site. For instance, if I clicked the PhotoshopElementsUsers.com icon, I would come directly to this site.

[Mary]

What anti-virus program and spyware program are you running? It sounds like something may have infected your computer. Have your security programs been updated regularly (every day or so)? If they have then it must be something totally unrelated.:confused:

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

i'm using McAfee anti-virus and several spyware programs. Not sure what you mean by secruity programs being updated. Is that soemthing I should be doing manually, or does it occur automatically.

[Juergen D]

For instance, if I clicked the PhotoshopElementsUsers.com icon, I would come directly to this site.

Have you tried to delete the icon and replace it with a new one?

Juergen

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

Tried that, didn't work.:mad: :mad:

[TonyW]

Might be time to try a System Restore back to a point back to when things were working right. It does sound like something has got changed that shouldn't have.

Tony

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

i've never done a system restore, to be honest it scares me a little bit. Will I need to reinstall programs that have been added since the date I restore to?

[TonyW]

I'm not an expert but I have used it and it is quite safe and reversible. You don't lose any personal data files but you will lose any applications, program updates, drivers that you've installed since athough you can reverse the restoration. I tend to use it right after I notice the computer is misbehaving and go back a couple of days. I was thinking you could at least see if the problem goes away when you go back in time - which would at least tell you that something that got installed/changed in between is causing the problem.

Tony

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

Well, thanks for your help Tony, I think I'm gonna sleep on it and decide what to do tomorrow.
SG

[Mary]

Right Click on one of the icons that is giving you trouble then left click on properties. If it is a shortcut to a web site such as this one - you should get a dialog box that has two tabs. In the Web Document tab you should find a URL window. The URL text should be highlighted so you will be able to go to Edit | Copy or Ctrl + C then paste it into a reply to us here. Tell us where your shortcut was supposed to take you and then we can perhaps figure out what happened. Let us know :)

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

Guess what - I fixed it!!! Right after I logged off here last night I did some looking around, and came across something in the start menu called "Set Program Access and Defaults". I clicked on that and from the custom menu I changed Use current web browser to Internet Explorer, went to my desktop and logged directly on to all my internet programs and web sites. Strangly though when I logged on this morn the setting has defaulted back to Use current web browser, but I'm still able to log directly on.

Thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions.
SG:cool: :cool:

[Juergen D]

SG,
Great! And thanks for posting the fix. I had been looking all over the place to find some answers. Now I can quit looking... :)

Juergen

[TonyW]

Congratulations - I'll have to remember that. That's one XP thing I've never even looked at before. (Mine is set on Custom and all my settings are Use Current)

Tony