cant set use a .reg file or change the file associations for it

KingL

Windows 10 v1607, Intel Core i74500U


Hi

I want to do make this mod to my search results settings:
https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/search-results-content-view-fix-details-windows-10/

But on right clicking the magic .reg file in step 3, I don't get any option to "merge" (I just see my standard right click menu options - delete, scan, etc).

I assume that the problem is my end and is because that I don't have the registry editor associated with the .reg extension. The .reg file doesn't have the pretty exploding-rubics-cube icon - just a flat grey rectangle.

--

if I double click on the .reg file it returns :

"how do you want to open this file? Keep using c:\winnt\regedit.exe %1 ? "
(yes, with the "%1" on the end. I don't even have a c:\winnt\ directory!)

searching for an app in the windows store returns no results

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I cant add a new association, either

1) in Windows > settings > Default Apps > Choose default apps by file type > Associate file types with specific apps (it returns "there is no installed app for this type of file")

2) by right clicking on the .reg file and manually navigating to regedit.exe . Actually there are 4 regedit.exe s on my machine:
"C:\Windows\regedit.exe"
"C:\Windows\SysWOW64\regedit.exe"
"C:\Windows\WinSxS\wow64_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_2bf7cb3226ec0cf9\regedit.exe"
"C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft-windows-registry-editor_31bf3856ad364e35_10.0.14393.0_none_21a320dff28b4afe\regedit.exe"

These return: "The program you have selected cannot be assocated with this file type. Please choose another program".


So I'm stuck. I'm not confident about doing registry edits manually.

I can launch the registry editor from a command prompt. The content of the .reg file is :

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell\{7fde1a1e-8b31-49a5-93b8-6be14cfa4943}]
"LogicalViewMode"=dword:00000001
"Mode"=dword:00000004

I can navigate to each of those folders, but don't know what to do next.



Could someone kindly assist with either making my pc recognise .reg files or explaining (in simple terms) how to manually make those edits in the registry editor ?

TIA

Peter999_2

Hi,

Sorry you're having trouble.

Probably the quickest way for you to apply the reg file is to import the file within reg editor.

Go into reg edit, click on file. Choose import. Then simply navigate to your file and it will merge it into the registery.

Hope this helps.

Edited to add - To re-associate .reg with the registery editor - go into a CMD prompt and type

assoc.reg=regfile

esuhl

KingL wrote: »

Could someone kindly assist with either making my pc recognise .reg files or explaining (in simple terms) how to manually make those edits in the registry editor ?

Is it because you pasted the content into a text file, and have file extensions hidden? In other words, the file is actually called whatever.reg.txt...?

Anyway, it's easy enough to make the changes yourself. The values in square brackets are the hive and key names, with any values they contain listed below.

If there is a minus sign before a value or key name, it just means delete that entry.

So this:

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]

Means that you would delete the subkey "BagMRU" in the relevant location.

John_Gray

Peter999 wrote: »

To re-associate .reg with the registry editor - go into a CMD prompt and type

assoc.reg=regfile

And if that doesn't work, put a space after 'assoc' to give
assoc .reg=regfile

paddyrg

Also, you may need escalated privileges to mess with registry - are you an admin account?

KingL

Hi

Thanks for the input

I tried Peter's method (importing). The registry editor reported success and it does appear to have changed the settings as expected:

i.e.
LogicalViewMode's Value data: is now set to 1 (Hexadecimal)
Mode's Value data is now set to 4 (Hexadecimal)

It reset all my folder options to defaults, but it has not otherwise done its job of changing my search results to be displayed in "details" view.

Does anyone else fancy having a go with it? (link in first post). I imagine most people would find it useful if it works.


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[STRIKE]The "assoc.reg=regfile" command failed. It returned:

"Access is denied.
Error occurred while processing: .reg"

I am the only user of the machine and, as far as I know, I am logged in as an administrator.
[/STRIKE]

---

Is it because you pasted the content into a text file...

Nope, it came as a fully formed .reg file unzipped from a downloaded rar from the link in the first post. But thanks for the suggestion.


.edit Added strikethru now redundant text

KingL

edit got the assoc.reg=regfile thing now. Opened an admin command prompt

KingL

fwiw - I have also now used Windows shell's "merge" option with my newly fixed file associations.

But the crushing disappointment of the failure of the central task (making the 'view' of my search results "details" view) remains..... Maybe someone could try it on their system ??

.
.
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/oh I should say that it removes all your Window View Options Settings (column widths, column order, etc) on your Music, Photos, Video folders. I assume you can just set them up again afterwards.

Strider590

Ok, I don't about Win10, but normally double clicking a .reg file will bring up a prompt asking if you want to write it to the registry......