Adding Registry Entry Question

[Bubacus]

I have a file (.reg extension) that I would like to add to my registry. When I double click on the file when I am using one of my PC's (both are using XP) the message pops up and asks if I would like to add the entry to my registry and I simply click yes. On my other XP machine, I double click on it and the file opens up in word pad. Any way to not have word pad open the file and get the dialog box to ask whether or not to enter it into the registry?

Thanks

 

[edklite]

sure you can, on the second PC some where along the line somebody changed the hander for .reg extensions to word pad all we need to do is change it back 😉

in your registry navigate to this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.reg\PersistentHandler

when you look in the right pan you should see word-pad.exe listed.

change that value to this:

{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}

the whole thing including brackets so it looks like this:


click image to enlarge

now before you go running and messing with your registry few things to remember/do

1.never mess with the registry without backing up first so first thing you do is save a copy of your entire registry then you go to edit 😉

2. to edit the registry you need admin rights so make sure you got an admin account.

this change we are making in the registry is no big deal at all and has nothing to do with how your OS runs so don't be worried or nothing but you still need to back up registry.

if you don't' know how to navigate in the registry just let me know and I will show you, its real easy 😉

good luck

 

[Bubacus]

Thanks so much for the response. However the value {5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb} was already there in that entry. I replaced it just in case there might have been something I wasn't seeing. But no luck, the file still opens in word pad. Could it be an application I have on my PC that doing this?

 

[edklite]

fair enought then its the other one, what do you see in this key?

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open\command

wordpad.exe or regedit.exe?

 

[Bubacus]

I see NOTEPAD.exe %1 there....

Thanks so much

 

[edklite]

so its notepad opening it.

ok we need this key to say this instead:

regedit.exe "%1"

just make sure you are in open key in the:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\regfile\shell\open\command

if you are in the right place, then put the rededit.exe from above and copy the whole thing exactly as it is, so it looks like this:


click image to enlarge

 

[Bubacus]

You da man! Work liked a charm. Thanks so much for your helpful tutorial on this one!

 

[edklite]

np its been a pleasure 😉 good luck