Missing "Open With..." Right Click Option

I have a homebuilt system that I recently reformatted with XP Pro, SP2. The other day I was opening a game-specific file (.plr) to alter some sound settings for the game. I right clicked on the file, and what I didn't see was the "Open With..." option. I had "Open" as an option, and clicking that it told me it didn't recognise the file (duh) and to point to a program to open it with (notepad). I did that, and all was fine.

But I am left wondering why I didn't have the "Open With..." option as well as "Open". I have another system, a Dell with XP Home, and other friends with XP Pro SP2, and all of those have the "Open With..." option when they right click.

Is there some setting I can alter that brings this capability back to my PC? I looked at the MS site, and found the same problem for folks with Win98, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q218805/#kb1
but their solution is to alter the registry key for unknown file types. I checked my registry entry against their suggestion, and it matches their solution already.

Other than not having the "Open With.." option, the PC works great and runs fast. An IT buddy of mine thinks it might be an SP2 update that is causing this issue. Maybe.

Any help here greatly appreciated.

 

I'm no expert, I actually come here for help usually... But I've had a similar problem. One cause might be that it is in a ZIP or otherwise compressed file. I don't think windows gives the full range of options within those.

If it is something else, all I can think of is a fairly simple workaround. Open the program you want to run a file, then use the open command from the program.
Of course, the much more informed and educated here probably have better solutions and will laugh at my feeble attempts...

 

To clarify, it's not a zip or compressed file. I have a second PC in the home (a Dell) with the same game, same file. When I right click on that file (.plr) on the Dell, I get the correct "Open With..." command. My friends see the same thing on their system.

But thanks for jumping in so quick, sonicman! I appreciate the effort. That's what I like about support forums - always folks willing to assist. Thanks anyway.

 

it appears that the ".plr" extension may already be registered to another program. Check the registry and see what association it has. Keep searching for all instances of ".plr" to make sure you've seen all the registry entries for it. If it is already registered to another program, there's not much you can do except uninstall the other program if you're not using it.

 

Yep kipfeet, you're right. Once I opened it with notepad, then went back to it, the "Open With..." was listed. I checked on my Dell with the same thing - things never opened before (that belong to another program) don't have the "Open with" until you open them with Notepad the first time, either.

Thanks! The more I tinker, the more I learn. Appreciate it!

 

Glad you figured it out! The process you described is exactly what happens when Windows doesn't have a registry entry for a particular file extension. By pointing it to a suitable program and leaving the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox checked, Windows then associates the file extension with a particular program, whether that's Notepad or anything else. When there is more than one program that will open files with that extension then you will sometimes have more than one choice with "Open With". I was slightly in error that the extension had possibly already been registered to a particular program, though that was entirely possible. In any case, you now know what's going on. BTW, the right click menu is context-sensitive: There will be different right-click options depending on what Windows thinks the file you clicked on is.

 

I had the same problem, and found this program which adds the option to the context menu to "Open With" - http://www.baxbex.com/openexpert.html. Works great!

 

Open Expert is very good.

You can also sometimes hold down the shift key as you right-click and that will give you the "open with" option.

It doesn't work for every file type, but still handy.