Computer Files » file

How to associate a file with a program in Windows XP

Computer Expert — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:05:13 +0000

Association of a file with a program can be changed when a new application or software is being installed on a system that’s why it is helpful to have a step by step guide about how to fix this problem whenever it occurs.

Here are the steps you should follow whenever want to associate a file with a particular program:

1. Open Windows Explorer and the folder under which your file is located.

2. Right click on your file, go to Open With and in case you will find the desired Program in the navigation, then click on it otherwise you will have the option to Choose Program… in the bottom of the navigation.

3. After Choose Program… a window will open in which you will find two categories of application lists you can choose from: Recommended Programs and Other Programs. These two lists contain the most common programs used on your computer.

4. In case you still can not find the program you want your file to be associated with, there is a Browse button which helps you navigate to the location and executable file of the application you want your file to be associated with.

5. In order not to repeat this steps all the time, you can select the following option: “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file” regardless of the location of such files, they will always be opened with the newly selected and associated program.

In case the program is missing from your PC, Windows offers the option to look for an appropriate program on the Web.

How to add, modify or delete a file type:

For this you can use the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, then Folder Options and selecting the File Types tab in the small window. Here all registered file types will be listed and you can create new file extension by hitting the New button. To remove or delete a file type all you have to do is to select from the list and hit the Delete button. Modifying file type properties, you will have to use the Advanced button positioned in the bottom section of this window. You can change the icon of the file extension as well as edit the actions of the file type.

Simple file sharing

Computer Expert — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:30:02 +0000

What is Simple File Sharing?

Simple File Sharing (SFS) is a feature introduced in Microsoft Windows XP which removes some file sharing security options available in other versions of Windows.

What is Simple File Sharing good for?

The most important reason Simple File Sharing is used for, is because it helps Windows XP administrators quickly set up folder shares. When this option is enabled on a computer, the users that remotely access that computer’s shares will not be prompted for a password.

How to Enable / Disable Simple File Sharing?

In Windows XP Home Edition, Simple File Sharing is always enabled and cannot be disabled. For simple file sharing in Windows XP Professional there are a few steps you need to follow:

1. In My Computer open the Tools menu and choose the "Folder Options…"

2. In the View tab locate the "Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended)" checkbox in the list of Advanced Settings. To enable Simple File Sharing, ensure this checkbox is checked. To disable Simple File Sharing, ensure this checkbox is not checked.

3. Click OK to close the Folder Options window. The settings for Simple File Sharing are now updated; no computer reboot is required .

Note: The Simple File Sharing checkbox should be at or near the bottom of the Advanced Settings list in the My Computer Folder Options.

Solutions to recover your files (File Recovery)

Computer Expert — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:25:11 +0000

There are many reasons one needs to recover his / her files which have been deleted by mistake, the file is password protected and can not find the password, the file is corrupted or a program deleted the files.

There are cases when you have moved your files from their original location and you simply forgot about, that’s why in the first phase you should try searching for the missing files prior anything else.

The easiest way for recovering a file is to restore from a backup medium you have created or in case you haven’t, there might be good chances to recover from the Recycle Bin or Trash which hasn’t been emptied.

In case the missing files are of high importance, with sensitive company data, then we suggest applying to a specialized company rather than trying yourself to recover the files. This services are usually expensive but worth spending a certain amount of money rather than losing a fortune. The best way to find such companies is to search in Google using related key phrases like ‘data recovering services’. There are many specialized companies and one might be at your location.

There are also freeware file recovery software products available to download like PC Inspector File Recover or PowerQuest.

File or data recovery software programs are usually offering a large range of solutions like: recover of files in case someone has emptied his / her Recycle Bin or Trash, recover of data even if your hard drive has been reformatted or the operating system has been reinstalled, recovery of data after a hard drive crash, whenever error occurred while partitioning your hard disk and recovering of data from RAW hard drives.

All about file security

Computer Expert — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:58:28 +0000

Files as well as folders or directories can be securely stored with certain limitations to their access. There are system files which can not be changed or accessed by a user.

For security reasons, some files can have limitations in using it which can be set to be viewed by everybody and the change of its content only available for a smaller group of people or a single person.

Taking file security measures in any company is highly demanded as there are many risks involved and all information should be kept in a secured format.

Usually the security of a file starts with the authentication process also known as “logging in” by using a user name and password. After being authenticated, there are certain permission levels being set to the file’s properties. Some of the users will have full access to the file while others will have limitations or denied access to a secured file.

Files containing sensitive information can be organized in a secured folder to which only a few persons would have access. The permissions set to the folder are automatically transferred to the files stored in that particular folder or directory.

On a network there is a possibility to share a folder to be accessed by anyone in the organization or company. Actually in this case there can be two security barriers, one is the permission for the shared folder and the other one is the permission of the file(s).

It is also important to mention the difference between file permissions and attributes. A file’s attribute can be set to Read-only which means that modifying in the file is not allowed however this procedure is not secure as anyone can change its attribute and make modifications in the file. File permissions have the option to configure certain level of limitations to different group of users which is more advanced and secure than the use of Read-only attribute.