# XP can't change program asso w/ file types **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722 "2009-01-10T22:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/1 "2009-01-10T22:37:03Z")
Windows XP on Dell desktop. I can’t change the programs associated with ANY file type. I go: START\>CONTROL PNL\>FOLDER OPTS\>FILETYPE but the tags named NEW, DELETE, CHANGE, ADVANCED…all grayed out. How do I fix this and why does my computer hate me? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/2 "2009-01-10T22:39:02Z")
…and I can’t use “OPEN WITH” either. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/3 "2009-01-10T23:09:19Z")
Is this just a recent development (as in, it used to work, but now it doesn’t)? Do you have Administrative rights on your machine? An easy way to check is to right-click on the Start button. If you see the options “Open All Users” and “Expore All Users”, you have Admin rights; if not, you don’t. What version of XP are you running (Home, Pro, Media Center)? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/4 "2009-01-10T23:20:04Z")
Some malware will turn these setting off. Do you have a virus checker? I would run that first. ---
**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/5 "2009-01-11T00:27:42Z")
I’m an Admin. Just got rid of Antivirus2009, but this has been going on for some time, maybe a year. I run CCleaner, AVG and just added Malwarebytes, which removed AV2009. Thanks for your interest… ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/6 "2009-01-12T15:02:25Z")
If you have admin rights, then I’d say it’s a lingering effect of the Malware. Probably a bad registry setting that got flipped. Harmless by itself, but annoying. Google might be able to tell you the registry setting, and if you’re comfortable using RegEdit… ---
**Author:** ![Myself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Myself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myself)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-cant-change-program-asso-w-file-types/480722/7 "2009-01-12T15:12:34Z")
Thanks very much to Suburban Plankton, Khadaji and CandidGamera for replies. I stumbled over the solution and feel like a meathead for missing it: In FireFox click TOOLS\> OPTIONS\> APPLICATIONS. Live and learn, eh? Thanks again.