Windows 10 File Association – Cannot Set Store App as Default Program

file associationwindows 10windows-store-app

Usually, right clicking on a file, selecting "Open with" followed by "Choose another app…" brings up the following menu which also includes installed apps, so that one may be set as the default application for the file type:

However, when trying to open a file using a Windows 10 Store app and the above method, the app is not listed. I can open the app, then open the file from within it, however this is less convenient.

So far I have tried to use the app's exe file (CodeWriter.exe), but this does not work without an app container.

To reitterate – I am not asking for suggestions for workarounds as I can open the file; I am specifcally asking how to set a store app as the default application when it is not in the above list.

Best Answer

The store app has to make the registration in this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications

And then set the File association\Capabilities in another key, mentioning each file type it can handle. For example Microsoft Edge has the registration here.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_25.10586.0.0_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\Capabilities\FileAssociations

If you can post the export of RegisteredApplications branch, I can make a REG file which adds the FileAssociations info for that application.

With this done, the application should be normally displayed in the Open with.. dialog, as well as in Default Apps.

Update (May 3 2016):

You can use this REG file to add .CONF file type, using the same association setting for CodeWriter .txt file type.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\Packages\ActiproSoftwareLLC.562882FEEB491_2.5.17.17_neutral__24pqs290vpjk0\App\Capabilities\FileAssociations]
".conf"="AppXea46y3k4tynme684q1dgefbnb0b9r8ec"

Pls note that you need to take ownership of the above registry key, add yourself full Permissions, then merge the REG file. Once done, reverse the Permissions to defaults.

Note: This REG file is valid for the current version (as of this post) of Code Writer. If you have any other version, make the modification in the appropriate key.

The key might have the following naming/numbering convention or similar.

ActiproSoftwareLLC.562882FEEB491_n.n.nn.nn_neutral__24pqs290vpjk0

Related Solutions

Mac – Set Default Open-With App to Python Program

For your second question, according to How to associate the “.exe” extension to be opened with Mono?, you need an .app bundle:

Apparently, when using Finder's GUI, only .app files (application bundles) can be selected.

If that's true for Python scripts as well, then my answer at that question might help, with for Step 5:

5. Replace echo "$f" with python32 UliPad.py "$f"

So, in short, create an Automator "application" to run the following Shell script:

PYTHON=/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/6.1/bin/python/
ULIPAD=/Users/vmd/Dropbox/Ulipad/UliPad.py
if [ $# -eq 0 ]
then
  # No parameters passed; just run it without any files:
  $PYTHON $ULIPAD
else
  # Run an instance for each file:
  for f in "$@"
  do
    $PYTHON $ULIPAD "$f"
  done
fi

...or maybe you can pass multiple files to UliPad.py in one go:

PYTHON=/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/6.1/bin/python/
ULIPAD=/Users/vmd/Dropbox/Ulipad/UliPad.py
$PYTHON $ULIPAD "$@"

As for your first question: you should be able to use the same Automator "application" to just start UliPad without opening any file (if indeed you then just need to run it without any parameters, like I assumed above).

Windows 10 File Association – How to Set Default App for Unlisted Extension

Configure Windows File Association Pointers

Open up an elevated [cmd.exe] command prompt as administrator
Type in ASSOC .xml=xmlfile and press Enter

Further Resources

Windows Environment Variables

ASSOC /?

Displays or modifies file extension associations

ASSOC [.ext[=[fileType]]]

  .ext      Specifies the file extension to associate the file type with
  fileType  Specifies the file type to associate with the file extension

Type ASSOC without parameters to display the current file associations.
If ASSOC is invoked with just a file extension, it displays the current
file association for that file extension.  Specify nothing for the file
type and the command will delete the association for the file extension.

FTYPE /?

Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations

FTYPE [fileType[=[openCommandString]]]

  fileType  Specifies the file type to examine or change
  openCommandString Specifies the open command to use when launching files
                    of this type.

Type FTYPE without parameters to display the current file types that
have open command strings defined.  FTYPE is invoked with just a file
type, it displays the current open command string for that file type.
Specify nothing for the open command string and the FTYPE command will
delete the open command string for the file type.  Within an open
command string %0 or %1 are substituted with the file name being
launched through the assocation.  %* gets all the parameters and %2
gets the 1st parameter, %3 the second, etc.  %~n gets all the remaining
parameters starting with the nth parameter, where n may be between 2 and 9,
inclusive.  For example:

    ASSOC .pl=PerlScript
    FTYPE PerlScript=perl.exe %1 %*

would allow you to invoke a Perl script as follows:

    script.pl 1 2 3

If you want to eliminate the need to type the extensions, then do the
following:

    set PATHEXT=.pl;%PATHEXT%

and the script could be invoked as follows:

    script 1 2 3