OT: Cannot Find Associated Application

I asked this over in the Illustrator forum, but so far nothing.

Has anyone had the problem with Illustrator when you select a TIF file and choose EDIT ORIGINAL you get the error message CANNOT FIND ASSOCIATED APPLICATION.

So far I have done this:

"Looking in Explorer, if you click on a .tif file PS opens, if you right-click on a .tif file and select properties it says 'opens with PS', if you look under 'Tools/Folder Options/File Types/.tif' Ps is correctly associated with a .tif file.

Still haven't found a solution to this problem. While I know that it works for some people, it does not work for others, some just live with the problem. Recently someone suggested re-installing PS, but that did not work either. This is a very annoying trait in Illustrator, I work with Illustrator every day and it is a pain in the butt to have to go into Explorer, hunt the file down, and open it in PS as per above. The association works in InDesign, and for that matter every other application."

This problem is under WIN2K (any service pack), Illustrator 9/10 with any updater and Photoshop 7 (with updater).

Sounds like the application has been moved, or the OS thinks so. Since you know the right click trick, use it to "open with other" and then search through for the Pshop application. If you check "always open with this" option, your association should be reestablished.

I have encountered exactly this problem in an entirely different context. I open a ZIP file with WinZIP and double click on a file in the archive, which should open it. I get the same message that you do. If I drag the file out onto th edesktop and double click, I'm fine. I am using XP Home.

I don't know how file associations actually work in Windows. Are they a setting that "belongs" to Explorer and may be accessed by other software?

Don: I already tried that, but that doesn't work either. Like I said I can do this from InDesign, but not Illustrator. Really frustrating, does this work for you in Illustrator?

Colin: Haven't had that problem I use PowerDesk, it is a really good app.

Colin,

You do know that XP is capable of treating ZIP files as folders "Zip Folders". You should only need winzip to create specialized ZIP files. That being said using Winzip should still work fine. Try uninstalling Winzip, reassociate the problematic files, reinstall winzip.

Your best bet would probably be to NOT associate Winzip with zip files when you reinstall, up to you though.

PH:

Thanks for the suggestion and reminder. That's how I accessed ZIP files before I got Winzip. Then I needed to create a ZIP ...

Colin,

No problem. You can also create basic ZIP files with XP if you don't need some of the advanced features that only 3rd party applications can provide. With Winzip it is nice to be able to just right click on files or folders and create a ZIP file. Using just XP I believe you need to first create the empty file then drag the files or folders you want zipped into it.

Out of curiosity were you able to correct your problem?

PH:

I think, from what you've said, I don't really need Winzip at all. Again, thanks for the advice.

Anytime :)

Damn! Still doesn't work. H-m-m-m-m.