Bug: Doubleclicking Files with unknown file extensions

[icfu]

Total Commander ignores the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown when deciding what to do when double clicking a file with an unknown extension and instead runs a hardcoded RUNDLL32.EXE shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1 after it has had no success finding a default action.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\open\command]
@="notepad.exe %1"

has the expected effect in Explorer, double clicking a file with no association starts Notepad.
TC ignores it and shows Open With dialog instead.

@ghisler:
Any chance you will fix this?

Icfu

[Clo]

2icfu
 Hi Jeff !

¤ If TC might follow these Reg. keys, it should become impossible to use *.md5 / *.sfv checksum-files like currently.
* We would suffer the same misadventure than GeorgGG … who had used -perhaps- a register-cleaner program (or so, hoping isn't other) to get this Explorer behaviour.
*I tested under Win98 SE and XP-Pro, I never got "Notepad".
* I suppose it's a will of Ch. Ghisler, and I suppose too he has added provisions for checksum-files, since launching them via double-click doesn't display the Win dialog "Open this file with…" (or so, my Wins are in French).

* Like I told you in the quoted topic above, this behaviour does the trick for me.
¤ There is not any benefit to launch "Notepad" for a non-associated file; the most time, they are not text files.
Moreover, for big files > 64 KB under Win9x you get an extra message telling " This file is too big blah blah…"
This is my opinion only, of course !
{ Offtopic : a kind of monk should be decorative in the mole tunnel… }

 V. G.
Claude
Clo

[icfu]

Hi Clo,

If TC might follow these Reg. keys, it should become impossible to use *.md5 / *.sfv checksum-files like currently.

Well, nope. It's no problem at all to exclude special extensions like .sfv or .md5 if ghisler wants to do it.
So, here is a feature proposal eliminating all problems, an additional setting in wincmd.ini:
AlwaysOpenSpecialExtensionsWithTC=1 or 0

I tested under Win98 SE and XP-Pro, I never got "Notepad".

Well, this is because you have never assigned another program like Notepad to .sfv like me for example...

I suppose it's a will of Ch. Ghisler, and I suppose too he has added provisions for checksum-files, since launching them via double-click doesn't display the Win dialog "Open this file with…" (or so, my Wins are in French).

Exactly. But he was not so consequent to DIRECTLY launch internal sfv checker. The sequence is like that:
1. check HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.sfv
2. check HKEY_CURRENT_USER\.sfv
3. check HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.sfv
4. check HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Extensions
5. Nothing found? File extension sfv? Launch sfv checker.

So, now just add:
6. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown

You see, there is no problem 'cause 5. comes first.

There is not any benefit to launch "Notepad" for a non-associated file; the most time, they are not text files.

This is nonsense, sorry. treeinfo.wc? Just one example out of many others... There is a reason why I have an additional Notepad entry for all file types (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*) in context menu...

Moreover, for big files > 64 KB under Win9x you get an extra message telling " This file is too big blah blah…"

Well, noone forces you to use Windows 9x and even if you want to use antique Windows 9x you don't need to stick with the internal 64kb limited Notepad. I am using Metapad, have renamed it to notepad.exe and have put it in \Windows and \Windows\system32 directory:
http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/

Internal Notepad is not an editor, it's a pain in the ass.

Icfu

[ghisler(Author)]

Total Commander ignores the key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown

Unfortunately it's actually Windows which ignores the key - TC just calls ShellExecuteEx with the verb "runas", which does all the rest...

[CopyCats]

Even so, it would be very nice if TC could open all non-associated filetypes in the internal viewer or in a program of the user's choice.

[Aezay]

Just configure an external viewer, simple

[icfu]

Pressing Alt-F3 is a nice workaround for keyboard users.

But the question is still why Total Commander is not able to open unknown files on double click while all Explorer clones are able to do so without any problems. Do they use a different call or is this feature limited to explorer clones? Hard to believe.

Icfu