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I am developing an application in W7.

My application is the default app for TIF files. That means our users can set the app as the default application to open the .tif extension.

The problem is, that I have multiple app-versions (multiple exes) with the same name. When right clicking a tif file and selecting a default open application it does not update the path to it. I think it remembers the exe name from my previous version and completely ignores the fact, that it actually is a new exe. After doing this, Windows will still open my .tif with the old exe.

I'll accept your answer if you can show me a way to force Windows to use my new exe instead of the old one. (Renaming the new exe is not an option)

EDIT:
The application is NOT installed on any OS. It is executed directly on a network path. The old versions were just renamed and are located right next to the current version. The current version always has the same name. I will make the app installable. But right now it is not.

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  • Why are you installing multiple versions of the same application? Why are you not upgrading the application instead?
    – Dave
    Oct 27, 2014 at 14:08
  • Why are you not removing the previous version. Having multiple versions of the same application installed does not make a great deal of sense. Once uninstall the user should be able to assigned the default application to the application again. You can also do this through a group policy change.
    – Ramhound
    Oct 27, 2014 at 14:10
  • @Dave The application is not an installed app. It lies on a Network path and is executed right there. I simply renamed the old version and worked on a copy of the project. It is not yet deployed. That means only I have the problem. Oct 27, 2014 at 14:13
  • @Ramhound As I just updated, the app is not installed. It is executed on a network path. Oct 27, 2014 at 14:14
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    @NoelWidmer, how have you made the default file look for a non installed app? I'm a little lost with that? I assume you're certain it's not actually installed, so can you try removing the older varations (or at least, changing their file location (stick them in a different folder to see if it fixes the issue)). Are you using global variables in Windows to define the path?
    – Dave
    Oct 27, 2014 at 14:24

3 Answers 3

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This isn't going to be user-friendly and I have Windows 8 but I'm sure Windows 7 does something similar. Follow this procedure with what you have if any entries differ. This is how I found the program setting for tiff images on my computer.

Before making any changes to the Registry, always back up! Bad things can and will happen if you screw up!

If you're comfortable with rooting around the Windows Registry, all handlers to any file type extension that is registered with Windows are stored in \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Just look for \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.tiff. You might see an entry for (Default) with data TIFImage.Document. Search the registry for that data string. This brought me to \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TIFImage.Document. Look under the shell entry. Here, you will see right-click entries for each action on tiff files that you can have set. open is the default action. Under that entry, you'll see a command entry. The data string here contains the command to open the file.

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  • This is awesome! I actually deleted all my tif entries in ROOT and CURRENT and reassigned the application to the extension. The registry entries were created againg. Although, it was not "TIFImage.Document" but "tif_auto_file" (W7 - W8 difference...?!) Thank you very much Oct 27, 2014 at 14:57
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First off, I would re-consider the approach as you'll remain with this issue. Although it appears as if the decision is out of your control though based upon the comments. Maybe, since the application is not to be installed, may be an option is to make the tiffs default only when it's loaded, and to revert back when the app shuts? Naturally you'll still have issues with this the application is closed and you want to open a .TIFF with your app. However, whilst in testing, is this a major issue?

Any way, maybe the answer lies in the global variables in Windows - you need to just update the path.

Or, simply change the location of the older .exe's. Create a new folder, call it old files, dump the old .exe's in there!

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Regarding this Please set the current exe path in environment variable and try. When ever you are having the new executable kindly update the exe path in environmental variable under path tag and check. I believe that this will fix your issue

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