# Can't open this file **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090 "2010-07-18T03:01:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/1 "2010-07-18T03:01:54Z")
When I try to open the file, a window comes up which says, “This file does not have a program associated with it for preforming this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel”. What does that mean and how do I do it? Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/2 "2010-07-18T03:09:01Z")
Pretty much the way it says. Open Control Panel (as an Administrator) and open Folder Options. There you’ll see s list of file extensions. Click the New button, and type the extension (the part after the last period), and then click on the button beside Open With, and pick the program that’s supposed to start it from the list. (My directions are from Windows XP, so the actual dialog boxes may be a bit different if you have a later version. But hopefully that’s enough to help you out.) ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/3 "2010-07-18T03:09:15Z")
What kind of file is it? Your file should read “filename.xxx” What is the .xxx? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/4 "2010-07-18T03:32:51Z")
> [@flyboy](#): > > What kind of file is it? Your file should read “filename.xxx” What is the .xxx? It should, but doesn’t Windows hide extensions by default? (This, I imagine, is one of the first default options that nearly all experienced or semi-experienced Windows users change.) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/5 "2010-07-18T03:33:36Z")
As to what it actual means, your file is “filename.xxx”, and your computer doesn’t know what program to associate with file extension .xxx. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/6 "2010-07-18T03:39:24Z")
Open a folder, like MyDocuments, go to Tools–\>Folder Options–\>View, then scroll down until you see “Hide extensions for known file types.” Make sure it’s unchecked, then hit OK. Then see if you can see the .xxx By the way, I’m assuming you’re working with XP, which is what I’m working with. You may have a different system. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/7 "2010-07-18T03:54:35Z")
Thanks everyone. I’m able to view it now! ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/8 "2010-07-18T05:02:18Z")
We you able to solve the problem in your OP? If not, google the file extension to see what app it’s associated with, then search your system for that program or download it if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/9 "2010-07-18T05:30:16Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > It should, but doesn’t Windows hide extensions by default? (This, I imagine, is one of the first default options that nearly all experienced or semi-experienced Windows users change.) Only of files it already knows what to do with. (There are a few exceptions for filetypes it knows what they are, but doesn’t know what program to use, but that’s Microsoft for you.) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/10 "2010-07-18T05:36:36Z")
And the file you could not open was …? ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/11 "2010-07-19T01:53:45Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And the file you could not open was …? .tiff ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/12 "2010-07-19T01:57:55Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > And the file you could not open was …? > [@Mangosteen](#): > > .tiff irfanview works good for image files ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-open-this-file/547090/13 "2010-07-19T02:14:41Z")
I second the recommendation for [IrfanView](http://irfanview.com/). It’s a terrific image viewer. However, if you shorten that extension from **.tiff** to **.tif** you may very well find that a program you have already can handle the file anyway. Windows generally likes its extensions to be just 3 letters, but some programs (or other operating systems) sometimes create longer ones. (Irfanview can handle the longer ones, but not all Windows programs are so tolerant.)