Why do all my programs and files open with Microsoft word?

Anonymous
2010-04-27T00:59:41+00:00

All my programs and files open with Microsoft Word and i need to know how to change that?

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Anonymous
2010-04-27T01:52:46+00:00

I've seen this happen before when upon opening a program through a shortcut (e.g. .LNK file), you are asked what program to open it with. After selecting Word via the Select a program from a list of installed programs, and checking the Always use the selected program to open this type of file, the Word document referenced by the original shortcut opens in Word as it should.

The trouble is that now all shortcuts (e.g. .LNK files) on the desktop or throughout Explorer will want to be opened by Word. This is known as a file association. . The same condition could occur if you performed those actions on a .JPG or even an .EXE, but the .LNK explanation is far more likely.

This has happened enough that a small utility has been written to undo the .LNK file association that was created. There is a registry hack to accomplish this, but I recommend the unLNK utility for its ease of use.

I used to send people to another site to download this utility, but that site has become confusing with all the ads and false download links. I've put a copy on by own SkyDrive here.

                      ![](https://public.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pF41wcnK-hSKN0qyVNQb3O0kLivBX2vAaJ3v1_LUMqfxvAbdzEJiE-m0xhX4E0-1n-ZF6XjMlIjSwtkUzUT2zHA/UnAssoc.PNG?psid=1)

Just download, then use the utility to unassociate the .LNK files for the User or globally Delete the file type and let Windows rebuild a new one to defaults*.*

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-07-29T20:43:25+00:00

    Thank you. Worked for me.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-09-09T09:25:22+00:00

    Thank you. brilliant. It has worked for me.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-05-09T15:33:03+00:00

    An improper file association is a dumb thing to do that just about everyone in computing has done. (Couldn't help but try to assuage the self-guilt of others, as well as my own, having myself just done the same dumb thing for about the third time in 20 years. Ol' Ben Franklin addressed the underlying operative human foible, "Haste makes waste," a couple of centuries ago.)

    That some may notice a file date of 21 July, 2009, shouldn't itself give pause to the use of unassoc_1_4 zip to extract oneself and computer from the muck of a file association run amok.

    Having just used this registry hack, . . . er, um, doggone wonderful, time-saving intuitive registry fix in the cause of undoing a pain-in-the-rear file association, it is assured that as of this missive, 09 May 2013, this gem of a program still works quite well in a Windows 7 Professional SP1 environment.

    Indeed, unassoc_1_4 (how about "UnLinkIt!"?) completed its operation in hardly an eye's blink.

    MVP Jeeped, this is one of those little "programs" that should be among those self-assembled fixes for a "PC Toolbox" as recommended by periodicals like Maximum PC, Laptop, PC and, especially, "WINDOWS Magazine."

    It's now in my toolbox.

    Nice, Jeeped. Nice. (BTW, Love that Basset hound pic; looks like a very trusted friend.)

    Thank you very much.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-05-09T16:15:21+00:00

    @dcwjr;

    Thanks for the followup post and for bringing this older thread to my attention. The site that originally referred to in my reply post has become confusing with all of the false download links and 'fix-your-computer' snake oil. A while back, I put a copy of this handy utility on my own SkyDrive for a direct download and I've updated my original reply to reflect this.

    Again, thanks for bringing this to my attention and yes, he was a trusted companion.

    BR,

    Jeeped

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