"Open with" or "choose default program ..." Context menu broken.

Hi,
I have what appears to be a Context menu handler issue with my Windows 7 Home Premium - 64Bit.
I just discovered that if I right-click a file ( .txt , .avi , etc), and attempt to use "Open With", I do get a previously used list of programs to select from in the drop down list that appears. However, if I then select the "choose default program ..." dialog box, to find an alternative program to use, I keep ending up with the error message:
"This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the default programs control panel ."
I tried re-booting without success. Looked at system restore and (STUPIDLY), I only had 2 very recent restore points to go back to, (I've since increased the restore storage allowance for the drives). Restore doesn't take me back to a usable state for this issue.
The default file types doesn't seem to be the problem, as all my files do have default programs associated with them. I can even select one of the alternatives from the right-click pop-up option menu, and the file open appropriately. I can also open and use the Default Program application via Control Panel.
The error message comes up as soon as I click on "choose default program...", from the bottom of the pop-up menu. It's as though that dialog isn't associated with the "Open with'' application anymore.
When I can get to the "Open with" application through other means, ..... the "Always use...." is greyed out, so it becomes a permanent selection / rather than temporary. I know I can sort a work-around out to re-select a default program, in a round-about way, ... but I'd just love to sort whatever has gone wrong with the right click context menu.
Whilst browsing around, I came accross this (but for Windows XP):
Clicking the "Open With" or "Choose Program..." option always opens the file with Notepad?
Note the second suggested error message. It's almost exactly what I'm getting in Win 7.
XP: "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel."
Win 7 (my error message): "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the default programs controll panel."
Might I be on the right track, by any chance? Could this Registry key have become corrupted? Here's what I found...........
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\openas\command
Then double clicked default, and here is the value data for (Default):
%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
If it's not this key, then I feel sure it's a Context menu handler that's become corrupted, for "Open with'' somewhere. I'm hoping someone might point me in the right direction. I'm reasonably confident in backing up / exporting and saving Registry keys - just not knowledgeable enough to know where to root around and know what should or shouldn't be there.
Apologies if this ends up in the wrong forum.
Any help much appreciated thanks.
:O)

I had the same issue and the problem was one missing registry key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\opendlg\command
opendlg instead of openas
The default value is
%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
I exported the value from a pc that was working fine with the same system Windows 7 64 ultimate and this is the registry file that I exported from the pc witouth the problem and imported in the pc with the problem to solve the problem:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\shell\opendlg\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,72,00,75,00,\
6e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,25,00,53,\
00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,\
79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,6c,00,6c,\
00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,4f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,00,41,00,\
73,00,5f,00,52,00,75,00,6e,00,44,00,4c,00,4c,00,20,00,25,00,31,00,00,00

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quite see it at the moment.
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