Associating file extensions with the right program allows you to access them more quickly through Windows Explorer. One of the best features of the Windows Explorer program and the Windows operating system is that it allows you to define associations for various file types. Any file type that you have on your computer can be associated with software that opens it. Here are the basics of file extension association, what is involved and what to think about so that you make the right association choices.

When a file type is not associated with any type of program it will be represented in Windows Explorer by a blank page icon. Double clicking on the file will not load any kind of program - you will instead have to use the “open with” dialog box to select a program to open the file with. This can get annoying after a little while, and if the software which opens the file is Windows compatible and you use it often you should make the association so it will open automatically when you double click on a file.

There may be cases in which you have two or more programs on your computer which are capable of opening the same file type. From time to time you may prefer using different kinds of readers to access your file; the most convenient thing for you to do in that case is to associate the file extension with the program which you will want to use most often. The answer might also depend upon your workflow. Maybe when you click on a file in Windows Explorer you only want to make quick changes, and you need one program, but normally you open it through another program. Do whatever is most convenient for the way that you use the files.

If you find that a file extension has been incorrectly associated with a program that can’t open it, then using the “open file” dialog to change the association is the way to fix things. Another time when you will use the “open file” dialog is when you install a new and better program to open a given file, but the program doesn’t automatically associate it (or you choose for some reason not to associate it immediately). Sometimes you may want to spend a little more time using the first program before you make the change, and in cases like that the ability to use “open with” whenever you want is very useful.

Once you check out the features of a new program for opening your files and decide that it is the best program for you, you can associate the files with it and make it your primary means to open a given file type. The system used by Microsoft Windows makes it easy for you to change your mind if you decide that you want to go back later. I hope that this article has given you a sense of some of the issues having to do with file association!