Exploring the Options
Changing some options in Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer comes with support for viewing numerous file types. To see the range and relationship of the various file extensions and the applications used to open them it is only necessary to go to View | Options | File Types and scroll down the extensive list.
But we are not confined to these settings nor even limited to them. We can change the default viewers to others of our own choice and also add additional viewers, including Quick View that comes with Win95. Last week we changed the viewer for .TXT and .DAT files from Windows Notepad to a third party program, NoteTab. And I have added Dipro32 as an alternative to the default Internet Explorer for off-line viewing of HTML files. I like to open many of my clipart files with Paint Shop Pro rather than Internet Explorer.
New file extensions that do not exist within the Explorer knowledge base, such as might be acquired from internet sites visited in association with new plugins or installing new applications, may be assigned a viewer by right clicking the file, choosing Open With, and nominating the desired application. This can be a one-off use or it can be made the permanent viewer by ticking the box that calls for this option. The right click option of Open With is valid for any file that does not have a Win95 assigned viewer.
We can also add functionality to file types by being able to print them without having to open the parent program. It might be quicker to print less important .DOC files through Wordpad instead of opening Microsoft Word. There is no default Print option for .DAT files, while .TXT files are sent through Notepad. We can change both of these options easily in Explorer.
Let’s take the easier task first and print .TXT files through NoteTab. This follows last weeks procedure of opening Explorer and selecting View | Options | File Types. Scroll down and highlight Text Document. Select Edit, and highlight the Print option in the Actions box. Select Edit again and then enter your NoteTab location as your preferred printing application where you see Notepad highlighted. Click OK, Close, and this will take you back to the File Types page.
Now let us provide a Print option for .DAT files. Scroll back to DAT File and highlight it. Select Edit | New. In the Action box type ‘print’ and in the Application box enter the location of NoteTab.exe. Click OK and return to the Edit File Type page. Select the down arrow for Content Type and scroll down to ‘text/plain’. Double click this entry to affirm its selection. Select the down arrow for Default Extension and choose .DAT. Double click this. While on this screen you might like to ensure that Enable Quick View is ticked. This may not be the most elegant of viewers but is frequently the quickest and easiest way of peeking at or identifying files after right clicking them. It is adequate for looking into INI files or DLLs. Now click Close and we are back at the File Types page again.
Finally we will establish an alternative viewer for a file type. Win95 opens HTML files with Internet Explorer. I prefer Dipro32 for off-line viewing. To do this I scrolled down to Internet Document (HTML) and highlighted it. I chose Edit | New and as my Action I typed ‘Open with Dipro32’. For my Application I entered the location of my Dipro32.exe file and exited as I have explained above, finally closing my File Types page and returning to Explorer. Now when I right click a .HTM file my first option is ‘Open’ and I know that will go through Internet Explorer. My second option is ‘Open with Dipro32’. Selecting this is much faster for off-line viewing and also gives me the ability to edit and otherwise manipulate these HTML files.
These few examples should give you confidence and experience to customise Windows 95 to your own preferences rather than settling for what comes out of the box.
Windows 3.1 is still very much alive and should not be overlooked. Nominating viewers for its files is only a matter of selecting a file with the desired extension in File Manager, then clicking on File | Associate, selecting from the proffered list or typing in the known application’s location, and clicking OK. A list of all known files and their opening applications is held in the WIN.INI file in the Windows directory of both Win3.1 and Win95. This can be viewed and directly edited using Sysedit, Notepad or any ASCII editor. However, careless editing may cause Windows to crash, so always have a backup of your INI files before attempting the unknown.
Enjoy your computing.
Terry Bibo.
Copyright © Terry Bibo
tbibo@pcug.org.au November 1997