NOTE: "NoExtFile" is not a predefined name, and therefore it can be anything.
In Control Panel -> All Control Panel Items -> Default Programs -> Set Associations: When Windows not know which app should open a dat file type, it assigns a blank default icon to this file.
When you now open file with no extension it will by opened by the default program. Hi, I don't know how to restore file type association in Windows to the default state with no associated program. When your file is ready, double click on it, to add it to your Windows Registry - and that's it. where you can set it, so you can easily use it to edit system protected files like the hosts %1" Change it to whatever text editor or other program you want files with no extension to be associated with.īecause you cannot launch Windows Notepad with administrator rights by default, it is best to pick another program like Notepad++, PSPad etc. Our example is for Notepad++ installed in its default location. This will reset it so when you open any cfg file it will ask you which program you want to open it with. Now navigate to HKEYLOCALMACHINESOFTWAREClasses, find the. Press Continue when the UAC thing pops up. Simply copy and paste the following lines to a newly created text file on your desktop, save it, and rename the extension to REG, so you can import it to Windows Registry. Press Start (the Windows icon on the bottom right), type regedit and press enter. But, we have found a way how to make this much easier and finally Associate file with no extension to a program!Īssociating file with no extension to a program I have tried going through control panel/default programs/ however it forces me to pick an application, no. So you need to do it the other way, and first launch Notepad with administrative rights and then browse to the hosts file to edit it.įor something that trivial, pretty heavy load of work. I need to change it back to unknown application. Second, files like hosts file needs administrative right to be edited/saved and for some reason (probably security), you cannot set Notepad so it's always opened with administrator rights, like you can do with other programs.
If the program you want to use is not on the list, you need to tap or click More options to display a larger list of programs or apps Windows 8 thinks you should use. XXX files is checked and select the program you want.
option you will see that the box for "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" is grayed out for files with no extension. If the app or program you want is in the list, make sure the box for Use this app for all. See screenshot above:įrom now on, all files of the specified file will be opened with the new program by default, including this type of Outlook attachments.If you frequently need to open files without file name extension in Windows, such as the hosts file or some Linux files, you might have found out that its pretty tedious work.įirst, you cannot directly associate file without extension to a program, like the obvious Notepad choice. And finally close the Set Association dialog box. Now in the popping up dialog box, please click to select the new program you will open the specified type of files with, and click the OK button.
csv in my example), and then click the Change program button. In the Set Associations dialog box, please click to select the extension of the specified file type (.
Now you get into the Default Programs dialog box, please click the Associate a file type or protocol with a program option. Please open the Default Programs in Control Panel with opening a folder and pasting below path into the address box:Ĭontrol Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default ProgramsĢ. You can also associate the specified file type of Outlook attachments to a program in Control Panel to change the default programs of opening specific kind of Outlook attachments.ġ.