Only one program listed in Default programs for Vista

Is this normal? It certainly seems flaky to me! I would like, for example, to be able to see Mozilla Firefox listed as the default browser as it is in Windows XP. Here is what my default programs screen looks like:



For the curious XnView (the one program listed) is a program that I use for browsing images.

I have a couple of related default program problems. Vista cannot seem to remember that Firefox is the default browser***,

and my icon editing program will not open when I double click on .ico files even though it is listed as the default program to open this type of file. Instead, I have to open IconWorkshop first. Then drag the file into the application. If I double click on the .ico file, Windows Previewer, or some such windows component will open it, not IconWorkshop****. Not fun!


***I have written a separate post on this. I am not sure if they should be combined, or viewed as separate problems. Editors, please feel free to advise! I simply am not sure if they are the same problem or not!

****Same as above. Should I post it as a separate problem? It seems to fit here to me, but advise me if I am wrong!

Thanks, in advance!
-HandsOff

 

When you loaded Firefox did you run the installer as Administrator? Vista somtimes won't recognise something unless you run the installer as Admin. SRWare Iron suffers from this. I have discovered that all I had to do was run the installer again in Admin & then put the browser on default in Tools in the browser itself. I could then run Iron as default if I wanted to.

 

Thanks, Daveski17!


The thing is, I am pretty sure it is the default browser, it just is not being listed, along with everything else, and I find that unsettling.

I found out this useful (I think) tidbit of information. You actually get a better result if, instead of clicking on default programs via start > default programs, you instead go through the extra step of going:

start>control panel>default programs.

by doing so you can have the option of changing the default handler of individual file types. anyway, in the course of doing that, I can see that most, if not all of the expected file types such as .htm, and so on, are assigned to Firefox.

Still, I would like to see the default programs listed! Maybe this is just no longer meaningful? I have had problems with media players. For a time Vista could not seem to accept that I had chosen Media Player Classic over Windows Media Player, as the default player for most media types. In many cases it would show the icon for Media Player Classic, but would actually use Windows Media Player. Somehow I got that sorted out, but either Vista's default program feature does not work very well, or I just am not getting it!


-HandsOff

 

Hi

Re : Your Screen Shot Picture
I don't think I've got anything at all in there

It's a bit Confusing!
But I think that's where you set things yourself.
But there is another window somewhere
Saying Things Like...
CD
DVD
Documents
Pictures
etc.
The defaults!
And I think there's like a drop down box at the side of each one - To choose things from

Zeena

 

That's odd. Have you tried clicking the little scrolling arrow at the top of your screen shot? The list of defaults can scroll.

 

It is to do with the reg key in my post for your firefox topic.
You need to recreate the key.
If you are interested feel free to PM me and I will send you a key to import, which should then solve the issue you are having.

 

Thanks pjb! I will PM you!

Dave, ...as for clicking on the arrow, that will apparently change the order from ascending to descending. At present, either order yields the same result!


-HandsOff

 

Thanks! I will check that out! I am glad to say that I now have two programs listed! If you read the other comment by pcb, and in the Firefox not listed as default browser, you will see that I have made some progress. I would like to get more programs registered though. I think it has been the source of some conflicts. I won't be able to until I get back this evening, but I will check out this new info!

Thanks again!
-HandsOff