files won't open

my files won't open. this just started recently. i can send the file to my e-mail and it opens there but if i double click on the file itself....it won't open.

 

What files?
(as in what is the file extension, the 3 letters after the ".")

What happens when you try to open them from Windows Explorer, is there an error message?

 

Is the problem with all filetypes. or with just certain ones ? Take a look at Folder Options in Control Panel. On the general tab, click "Restore Defaults" Apply, and OK (then do it agin and reset them to what you want). Sometimes Windows needs a smack to wake it up.

If it is only certain filetypes, click the File Types tab. Scroll to the problem types, and check what program they are set to open with. You may have a program that needs refreshing.

 

911,
the problem is with gif and jpg files...I went to folder options but it doesn't have "Restore Defaults".

 

I don't know why Microsoft makes these simple common things different in each version of windows. I am using Windows ME, and there is a 'Restore Defaults' button at the bottom of Folder Options. There is another one on the File Types tab of Folder Options. (See attachment). Yours may look different, but the same options ought to be available somewhere around your OS.

Gif and Jpg are Graphic and photo files. There are certain programs designated to open them. If you click on the File Types tab, you can scroll down to Gif (and Jpg) and under the window it will tell you what program is designated to open that filetype. (I have designated a free graphics viewer named IrfanView to open them.) Apparently, something is wrong with the program that you are using, and you may need to re-install it. There should be options to change (or restore) to a different program, if you can't fix the one you are using. I can recommend IrfanView if you need to change. ( http://www.irfanview.com/ )

If you download and install IrfanView, it will ask what filetypes you want it to be associated with. You can tell it to associate with all Graphic files, or just select Jpeg and Gif. (I suggest that you avoid checking all filetypes because it is not a text editor). Please post back with the results, or if you need more help. ---911

 

Hello 911,
Thank you for the help...I did download Irfanview and it opens the files but it sure is a pain to do when before all I did was double click on the file. You said that certain programs designated to open files...what program would that be? can I re-install it? If I were to delete Irfanview now, what program would open these files?

 

Well, if you delete IrfanView, I can't guess what program would open those files. Your original problem was that nothing would open them,. so I guess you would revert to that situation. You can set it up so that IrfanView will automatically open them with a double click, if you want. That is my setup and I love it.

If you go to the File types tab of Folder Options that I sent you a picture of, you will see that I have IrfanView set to open Jpg (and many other) type files. Whatever program is designated to open your files would be shown there. There is a "Change" button there. If you click that button, you will get a list of possible programs for opening that filetype. You can use this to set IrfanView to open all files of that type. You would need to set each filetype in this fashion so IrfanView will automatically open them with a double click.

An easier way would be to open IrfanView, and click the red letter "P" in the toolbar. This opens the Property folder. Click on the Extensions tab. You can select all filetypes that you want IrfanView to open. (I chose the "Images only" button which allows IrfanView to open all graphic type files (Jpg,Gif, Bmp, etc.) and it works splendidly. (There is a 'Restore' button on the File types tab of Folder Options that will set everything back to the original default setup that Windows established.)

 

Thank You Soooo Much 911