Open with "Choose default program" Error - Fix

Fix Open with "Choose default program" No Program Associated Error in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to fix the "This file does not have a program associated with it" error when you right click on a file and click on Open with and Choose default program in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

EXAMPLE: Open with Error: "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel."

​

​

Here's How:

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.
NOTE: This restores the default registry entries for the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown key.

​

​

Fix_Open_with.reg​

​

​

​

2. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

3. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

4. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

5. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

6. Try using Open with again.


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change Default Program of a File using "Open with" in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Restore Default File Extension Type Associations in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add "Open with" to Context Menu of URL Files in Windows
• How to Add "Open with" to Context Menu of BAT Files in Windows
• Add or Remove "Look for an app in the Store" Link in "Open with" in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[Confused5]

Brink,

Um having the same problem, tried your reg fix, still it didn't work. Please help. It's very frustrating.

 

[Brink]

Hello Confused, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Please go ahead and give some more details about what's happening to see if there may be something else at play.

 

[Confused5]

Hello Confused, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Please go ahead and give some more details about what's happening to see if there may be something else at play.

Hi Admin,

Thanx for the swift reply! So what kinda details do you wanna know ? Here I have a snapshot :

 

[Brink]

This happens when you try to open a drive?

 

[Confused5]

It happens when I want to open a drive & any folder with double click.

& these are the options I get when I press right mouse button.

My PC is virus free.

 

[Brink]

In that case, this issue isn't related to "Open with" and this tutorial. Drives and folders (directories) don't have an "Open with" option in their context menu.

Instead, see if downloading and merging the .reg files for the listed Directory and Drive options in the tutorial below may help. They will restore the default associations for these items.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8486-default-file-associations-restore-windows-8-a.html

 

[Confused5]

Rojer that! um on it...it looks pretty complicated tho...

 

[Brink]

Nar, it's not so bad. It's basically just downloading those two items, double click to merge, approve all prompts to approve the merge, then restart the computer to apply.

 

[Aldrick]

Thanks, been looking around for a fix for this problem for a while now. Your tool did the job, thanks

 

[korayhamza]

Hi all,

I have the exact same problem/error message but I'm running Windows 7. After researching the issue, it seems to be related with the mentioned registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown. This key seems to be incomplete in my registry with only one sub-folder, this being 'DefaultIcon'. I can only assume this occurred after I used the registry cleaner tool incorporated into AVG. Is there a replacement key that I can download which will resolve this issue?

Many thanks,
Koray

 

[Brink]

Hi all,

I have the exact same problem/error message but I'm running Windows 7. After researching the issue, it seems to be related with the mentioned registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown. This key seems to be incomplete in my registry with only one sub-folder, this being 'DefaultIcon'. I can only assume this occurred after I used the registry cleaner tool incorporated into AVG. Is there a replacement key that I can download which will resolve this issue?

Many thanks,
Koray

Hello Koray, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you could download and merge the .reg file for the Unknown option in the tutorial below instead to restore it's default associations and registry values in Window 7.

Default File Type Associations - Restore - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[korayhamza]

Thanks for the quick reply Brink! Yeah, I came across a solution that applied a quick repair to the reg file by adding a missing sub-folder, that being 'shell'. Now when I right click > open with > choose default program, I am no longer presented with an error message.

 

[Brink]

Perfect.