10.4.6 Finder forgets "open with program " entry

Working well since 10.2 now in 10.4.6 my selection "open file with <my REALbasic program>" in the Info-window works only once; when I have stored the file again, then the opening program-selection toggles back to the former (wrong) program - in my case to "TextEdit (default)". The same effect appears immediately, if I try to select "change all such files" in the Info-window. What goes wrong? Can anyone help?
Mac-Mini Intel Mac OS X (10.4.6) Mac user for 15 years

Here's a couple of things you can try:
Open the Terminal app (Utilities folder) and paste this command in at the prompt, then press return. Wait for the prompt to return. This clears out the launchservices db.
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/L aunchServices.framework/Versions/Current/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain system -domain local -domain user
Related to the above is this article.
And also related to the problem is this article.

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I have been unable to get Photoshop Elements 11 to show in my Open With Programs

I have been unable to get Photoshop Elements 11 to show in my Open With Programs list. The program is installed but will not show in Open With programs.

Hi,
You don't say which operating system you are using so I'll assume Windows 7 for now - try this.
1) select the file that you want to open
2) right click on it and go to the Open With option but select Choose default program at the bottom of the list - the following should open
3) At the bottom of the list, there is Other Programs, you may need to scroll down. If PSE not in the list, continue with the following.
4) Use the Browse button to browse to the following (omit x86 if on 32bit system)
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 11\PhotoshopElementsEditor.exe"
I'm assuming that you want to open the image in the editor.
5) Uncheck the Always use... option, otherwise double clicking on the file would cause the editor to open by default.
6) Click on OK
PSE should now appear on your open with list.
Good luck
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Finder window opens with inconsistent view

Since I upgraded to Yosemite, Finder windows open with inconsistent size, position and view. After a power on a Finder window generally opens as a small, centrally-located window in Icon view even though preferences is set to always open in column view; sometimes the small window is in column view. Rarely, the first new window opens in the same size, position and view as the last one was before power off then the next one - opened using Command-N - opens as a small, central window in Icon view. In all previous versions of Mac OS, new Finder windows opened in the same size, position and view as the window I closed last on screen, even after a power off/on. Once I reset the window size, position and view to my preference, new windows generally open correctly.
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Do a backup.
Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.
Re-launch Finder by restarting the computer and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.
If the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.
Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

How to Change Default 'Open with' Program

Right now my default pdf viewer is epdfview. When I click on a downloaded file in the 'Downloads' it opens using epdfview. How can I make AcrobatReader default for this action?
What I am NOT writing about: I don't want to change the Action what happens, when I click on a pdf file, because this Action is 'preview in Firefox' right now. I would like to change the associated DEAFULT program, which opens a DOWNLOADED file.
I know how to choose 'Other...' programs in the 'Open with...' dialogue, I want to see AcrobatReader as a DEAFULT in the 'Open with...' dialogue.

This will not affect media embedded in a web page - only links to the files themselves.
# Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and choose '''Preferences'''.
# Select the {menu Applications} panel.
# The Applications panel will display. Select the type of file for which you want to change the default action. '''Multiple entries for the same [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_format file format or extension]?''' Some file types can include more than one Internet Media type.
# The Action column will give you a drop-down menu, with options on action to take, whenever you click that type of file.
#;[[Image: ApplicationsDropPDFWin]]
#*'''Always ask''': will prompt you to select what action you want Firefox to take when you click on that type of file. This can be useful if Firefox is automatically saving a file type or is always opening it with a certain program and you want to be asked what to do.
#*'''Save File''': will always save the file to your computer using the [[Find and manage downloaded files|Downloads window]], whenever you click that type of file.
#* Open the file with an application or plugin of your choosing.
# Click '''Close''' to close the Preferences window.
See also: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-firefox-behavior-when-open-file

Push default open with program to server users

Hi All,
We have just upgraded to 10.9 server in an effort to speed up file operations to our Synology NAS.
Our users have to fill out some PDF forms and I need to force .pdf's to open with Adobe Reader.
Using profile manager, I have tried to push custom settings into the com.apple.LaunchServices.plist without any success.
I can log into everyones account and change it manually, however I'm sure this will be of value to the community.

This will not affect media embedded in a web page - only links to the files themselves.
# Click the menu button [[Image:New Fx Menu]] and choose '''Preferences'''.
# Select the {menu Applications} panel.
# The Applications panel will display. Select the type of file for which you want to change the default action. '''Multiple entries for the same [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_format file format or extension]?''' Some file types can include more than one Internet Media type.
# The Action column will give you a drop-down menu, with options on action to take, whenever you click that type of file.
#;[[Image: ApplicationsDropPDFWin]]
#*'''Always ask''': will prompt you to select what action you want Firefox to take when you click on that type of file. This can be useful if Firefox is automatically saving a file type or is always opening it with a certain program and you want to be asked what to do.
#*'''Save File''': will always save the file to your computer using the [[Find and manage downloaded files|Downloads window]], whenever you click that type of file.
#* Open the file with an application or plugin of your choosing.
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See also: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/change-firefox-behavior-when-open-file

Clean up Finder contextual "Open With" menu list

This is an annoying 'feature' of the Finder in OS X. As you install/upgrade applications the contextual menu "Open With" gets bloated with multiple programs including programs you've deleted, plus multiple versions of programs you've upgraded. For example for JPEGs I have three entries for ImageWell.
[One of the tips I found|http://the-fergusons.net/2007/05/01/clean-up-the-mac-os-x-contextual-open -with-menu> seaching doesn't work because the folder structure in 10.5.x is now different.
Also [this method|http://macapper.com/2007/10/08/tutorial-clear-the-finders-open-with-menu > of deleting plist file doesn't work properly.
Anyone know how to:
a) Clean up the list of shown apps fully
b) Optionally restrict the list to applications shown to only those which you wish to have come up. For example don't show Apple Pages for .TXT files only TextEdit and TextMate.

FromOZ wrote:
[One of the tips I found|http://the-fergusons.net/2007/05/01/clean-up-the-mac-os-x-contextual-open-with-m enu> seaching doesn't work because the folder structure in 10.5.x is now different.
You can adjust it to Leopard's structure using the 'locate lsregister' command in Terminal. This yielded...
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister
... on my system... I then appended the options as per the tip you linked and it worked...

How can I remove some of the "Open With" programs?

Hey folks,
Quick simple question - how can I remove all certain programs that I do want to associate with certain files?
For example - all my images I want the default to always be the "Preview" and i want it to give me the option for "Fireworks" and "Photoshop" - but my case is that aall these programs are associated to my images files.. click the link to view a screenshot I did... I did a red circle to show you guys what im talkin about.
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/6711/macstuffse0.jpg
Thanks for your help,
my best,
Joey Dee

Hey Steve,
Thanks for the reply, appreciate it mate. I tried what was suggested, went into my finder typed "terminal" and opened the terminal program. And i inserted this line
sudo /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServi ces.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -r -f -dump -domain local -domain system -domain user
press "enter" and typed my password and pressed "enter" waited a few seconds it did something a whole list of stuff and I closed the terminal and restarted my MAC and I still see the same list of apps when i click file OPEN WITH....
Im not sure why it's not doing what it's supposed to do, could I be doing (or missing something) wrong? - appreciate your help.
Thanks mate,
Joey

Add "Open With" program

I want to be able to open a file type (.dspDisc) in two different programs (DVD Studio Pro, and Smultron), however, I don't know how to add Smultron to the "open with" pop up box (when I right click).
I can say "always open with Smultron," and then I can right click and choose DVD Studio Pro, but I want it to "always open with DVD Studio Pro" with the option to "open with Smultron."
Is there a way to add Smultron to the Open With options? Currently, DVD Studio Pro is the only option in the "open with."
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When the system boots up one of the things it does is take a look at the installed applications and consult the info.plist inside the application to see what file types the application claims to open. This information is then cached and Finder consults this when constructing the "Open with" list. You can over-ride the default by selecting a file and then select the application you want to use to open that file, or even all files of that file type. Your over-ride selection is then stored in your home Library Preferences folder in this file:
"/Users/yourname/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.plist"
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It sounds like the source of your problem is that the info.plist inside Smultron does not claim to be able to open files of the type .dspDisc--so while you can assign it open those files and it will then appear as the default, by being added to your personal over-ride list, it won't appear at all if you choose the "normal" application as the default.
If you are good at hacking you could modify the Smultron info.plist to add the file type to its list of things it will open. Otherwise the best course is to just launch it and drag the occasional file you want it to open to the Smultron icon on the Dock.
Francine
Francine
Schwieder

How do I change the default in Finder for Open With

I want to set the default ffor a file type in Finder when using Open With. How?

Select the file to open, use CMD+i and set " open with" to the application of choice and " use this application to open all this file type".

Open With Program I Want Grayed Out.

I am a Right Click iMac user and normally I right click on a media file that sits on the desk top I get a selection of what programs I can open the file with.
I like this becuase I don't always want to open it with the default program. The problem is the program I want to open the file with (Open With...) does not pop up on the list so I have to select "Other". Then I get a much bigger list of which is the one I am looking for which is Grayed Out.
I can select "All Applications" and it does un-gray it for this one time, but I wish to add this program as a permanant one that appears on the list without having to select "Others".

Hope this helps.
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2573/os_x_how_to_change_default_application_to_op en_file_type/
I presume you only want certain individual files to be opened by a particular program? e.g. You don't want all .MP4 audio files to open in iTunes for instance...
Seems when you right click on the file and choose "Open With..." "Other..." you select the program you want to open that file with and select the checkbox to "Always open with..."
That file (and only that file) will now be opened by the program you have selected.
Worked on my iMac running 10.6.8
<Edited by Host>

"Open with Program"

Does anyone know how to delete icons that are no longer in use for “open the program with“? The usual way of right clicking and deleting the associated icon does not seem to work. I have several programs I uninstalled are still around whenever I search for a file association.
TS

Which Windows?
Exactly which association window? In Windows Explorer? Give us click-by-click.
-Jerry

Finder's "Open With" Broken...?

The Mavericks Finder isn't honoring the "Open With" change on my system for some reason.
- I select a JPG
- Open the Get Info window
- Change Open With from Photoshop CS6 to Photoshop CC
- Hit the Change All... button
- The dialog box appears asking me to confirm the change, and I hit Continue
- The Get Info window reverts back to Phtoshop CS6
Same thing happens if I select Photoshop CC using the "Other" option.
Any ideas?

Unfortunately, I have no solution. But I can confirm that it is a problem.
This goes beyond JPG and Photoshop. I have some stock analysis files with a ".ssg" extension. The Finder said they open by default with Microsoft Messinger. When I changed the Get Info box to open with "SIG2" and clicked "Change all", when I confirmed my change it revered back to Microsoft Messinger. So I deleted Microsoft Messinger and did it again. Now it says Equation Editor is the default, and when I confirm the change to open all with SIG2, it reverts back to Equation Editor. So I have to change each file individually, and save it. That seems to "stick," but even then, if I click "Change all" it reverts back to something else.
So, it is simply broken. It may take a while for it to be fixed, as I don't think Apple gives much attention to problems that affect only a very few people, assuming that it is the result of user error. And this problem will be posted in different ways that will make it difficult to recognize. So it will look like a more rare problem than it is. Not that I have any way of knowing the extent of the problem.

Excruciatingly slow Finder using "open with".

I have an iMac9,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93 GHz with 8 Gb RAM. OSX Lion 10.7.3.
Whenever I right click on a file in Finder and select "open with" the spinning wheel starts and may continue for 5 minutes, then stops and still doesn't open a drop down list of applications. During this time it's not possible to force quit or do anything else. Very frustrating. Thanks for any suggestions.

Heh, when I posted that question your post had not appeared on my browser. You probably posted it while I was creating mine! So I saw my reply flagged as correct without knowing what it is actually helped and started to construct my question.
As for what caused the slowness, I am not sure. It was most likely a corrupted (font?) cache file. Sometimes that happens.
Here's another apple doc on what safe mode does.
Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?
I guess one of the things mentioned there is what got cleaned up.
This is one of the possible diagnostic techniques, i.e., boot in safe mode just to do these cleanups, and then reboot normally.
Glad you got it back to "normal" again.

10.6. - file information window - 'open with' (program) can't be adjusted?

Hello,
just installed Snow Leopard (German version) , nice overall!
... but I am missing a handy feature. Maybe it has been moved somewhere else?
Usually when you click Cmd-I at a file to display it's information window you can adjust with which program that (and optional) other files of that kind should be opened.
I can only see the set program, but not where I can change it...
Maybe somebody has a hint for me?
thanks,bye
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today, after I had switched off my Mac over night and started it this morning, the 'Open with' dialog offered the pulldown-menu to choose a program as expected (and not only showed one program icon as it did yesterday... (but why didn't it after the installation yesterday/restart?)

Finder's open with preference

hello,
in a user account we can for some reason not change the application with which files are opened to anything else.
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any help much appreciated.
ds.

thanks again for your help - unfortunately this has also not solved the problem.
it is very strange this seems to affect all user accounts on this particular machine, even if i create a completely new account.
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i have now resorted to simply deleting the older version - not really a fix, but since this particular user is only 'newer' projects she can do without.
ds.

10.4.6 Finder forgets "open with program " entry

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