Solution - Take charge of the way files are associated with programs in Windows XP.
To change the way that files behave in Windows XP, you have to understand the "extension" of the file. All files on your computer have an extension. For example, a digital photo file called: holiday_1 will most probably have the file extension ".jpg" making the full name: "holiday_1.jpg". This immediately tells Windows XP that it is a picture file. If you do not have a picture adjusting program on your computer such as Adobe Photoshop or Jasc's Paintshop Pro, then Windows automatically associates .jpg files with its own "Picture and Fax Viewer". This means that when you double-click or otherwise open that file from within Windows Explorer, you will at least be able to view the file.
At this point you will be asking: "What extension? I can't see any extensions!" By default, Windows Explorer is set to hide file extensions for known file types (ones that Windows has already associated with a particular program). I like to see all of the file extensions when I use Explorer. Here's how to change that default:
1. From the Control Panel, double-click the "Folder Options" icon. From the "View" tab, untick "Hide extensions for known file types" and click the OK button.
When you install a picture editing program such as one of those listed previously, that program will claim the relevant file extension. Usually during the installation of a new program it will ask your permission to do this. However, sometimes it is not convenient for this to happen. Take our above example of a digital photo file. After I installed Photoshop onto my computer, suddenly all my jpg picture files were associated with it. Whereas before I was able to double-click on the picture file in explorer and view the file quickly with the File and Fax Viewer program (and even run a neat slideshow of all the photos in that folder), it now laboriously opens Photoshop each time. Here's what to do to change it back:
1. From Windows Explorer, find a folder that has some photos in it.
2. Right Click on one of the photos and click "Properties" (the last option on the list)
3. Windows informs us that this image is associated with: Adobe Photoshop CS2. Click "Change..." and the OK button.
4. In the list of recommended programs, choose the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.
This will change all photos on your computer with the jpg extension to open with this program instead of Photoshop.
Don't forget you can run a cool slideshow of all the photos in that folder by clicking the slideshow icon on the bottom row of the picture viewer (fifth from the left).
