I just spent half an hour associating all picture filetypes (.jpg, .png, etc.) to Faststone Picture Viewer that I had installed - not obvious. And don't tell me that Joe and Mary will easily find out how to do that.
I suppose how easy it is would depend on if Faststone Picture Viewer is listed in Default Programs or not, and if Faststone Picture Viewer has it's own settings to make it the default program or not.
I have done it. But I had to hop thru a lot of hoops. FS Picture Viewer is not in their Default Programs. It is sitting in the x86 program files to which you have to get by opening C. It can be done but it is not obvious.
'Open with' does not retain the settings. And I assume that procedure probably applies to any program you download yourself. It would be a lot easier if they showed those programs in the Default Programs.
I eventually managed. But I was wondering how the general user public would deal with that.
It surely is up to the APPLICATION to prompt / guide users to be able to use it correctly --it's NOT windows fault.
If I get into a Ferrari (I should be so lucky !!!!) - I don't have to know ANYTHING about what makes this car perform like a dream - or how it was made -- I just DRIVE it. What's under the hood doesn't concern me.
You can complain all you like about Windows - but in this case the responsibility lies 100% WITH THE APPLICATION. Blame windows where Windows is at fault but I suspect in this case it ISN'T the fault of Windows.
(If I logon say to SAPGUI to run a SAP program - it shouldn't matter WHICH version of Windows I'm running -- the SAPGUI should present the same interface to the user which it actually does).
Enc screenshot for example of SAP developer screen under W7 on a VM -- the SAP application works the same way on WHATEVER platform -- it shouldn't change ITS user interface or the way it works just because the HOST OS changes.
In this example the actual SAP DB system is a LOCAL one installed on the W7 VM for individual / local testing - although in practice it would be installed on a remote system.
Any well written user application should essentially work the same whatever OS it's installed on -- unless the application ITSELF has changed in which case decent documentation should enable users to install and use it.
I have done it. But I had to hop thru a lot of hoops. FS Picture Viewer is not in their Default Programs. It is sitting in the x86 program files to which you have to get by opening C. It can be done but it is not obvious.
'Open with' does not retain the settings. And I assume that procedure probably applies to any program you download yourself. It would be a lot easier if they showed those programs in the Default Programs.
I eventually managed. But I was wondering how the general user public would deal with that.
Of course I tried the 'more options'. But then I had to fumble via C > Program Files x86 because the program did not show up. Maybe you are right and it is FS Picture Viewer specific. I'll try with other programs - e.g. Gimp.
It does not show Gimp either as a program option - neither in associate a program nor in Open with. But at least it shows it in the Program Library because Gimp is in the x64 library.
I use IrfanView which is a similar program and it shows up in Default Programs and Open With context menu so it must be the other programs are not fully compatible with Windows 8.1. Since a lot of these programs are free, the developers probable have not got around to fully implementing them for 8.1.