ACDSee PowerPack 6.02 - File Associations When I posted ACDSee example, I thought only of how to make it install silently, be self-registered, with no switches and no desktop shortcuts. Now, I'm going to explain, in detail, how to associate files with ACDSee. For users who need more information on File Associations, formats which ACDSee can read (display), formats which it can write (edit), please consider reading the help topic found at: ACDSee 6.0 --> Help --> Contents --> Appendices --> Supported file formats --> Supported file formats However, these formats can be associated with ACDSee: For some reason, formats must be imported to the Registry in hexadecimal values. When ACDSee is imported to WinINSTALL, the value "FileAssociations" is found at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ACD Systems\ACDSee\60\ShellInt If you click the key "ShellInt", you'll find this in the right part of the window: Value=FileAssociations Type=REG_BINARY Data=0 To associate ACDSee with certain formats, we need to replace the zero with hexadecimal values of those formats. We have two alternatives for preparing the hexadecimal values. 1. ready-made values Open ACDSee, then go to: Tools --> File Associations. "ACDSee6 Shell Integration" dialog box appears. Under "Image Files" tab, select the file types to be associated with ACDSee. File types under this tab include image, audio, and video formats that are supported by ACDSee. Under "Archives" tab, select the file types to be associated with ACDSee. LHA, LZH, and ZIP formats can be displayed and edited by ACDSee; the rest can be only displayed. Under "Other Files" tab, there might be other formats. If you happened to open some files with ACDSee, that aren't mentioned under the other two tabs, you might find them here. However, you should select those formats that worked fine with ACDSee, of course. So far, we've selected formats that we'd like to associate with ACDSee. We can press "OK" to have those assoiciations recorded in the Registry. But, I'd rather settle some other issues from here. You can check the box "Verify these file associations when starting ACDSee6". Because, if you install certain programs after installing ACDSee, some formats might no longer open with ACDSee. So, you are reminded. Under "Context Menu", you'd better select "View with ACDSee" and "Print with ACDSee" for image files. For archive files, select "Browse with ACDSee", only if you selected some formats under "Archives" tab. For folders, it's not useful to select "Browse with ACDSee". Now, press "Ok" for "ACDSee6 Shell Integration" dialog box to close. Close ACDSee. Open Registry Editor (Start->Run->regedit->Enter). Expand this tree: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ACD Systems\ACDSee\60\ShellInt Right-click "ShellInt", then choose "Export". Save the reg file on your desktop, and give it any name; "ShellInt.reg" for example. Open "ShellInt.reg". Under the first key, you should see hexadecimal values for the formats you've selected. They look like these: 64,6a,76,00,64,6a,76,75,00,69,77,34,00,66,70,78,00,69,\ 63,6e,00,69,63,6f,00,63,75,72,00,61,6e,69,00,69,63,6c,00.... Now, delete all characters inside "ShellInt.reg" except hexadecimal ones. Within hexadecimal values, delete all examples of these characters: ",", "\", and " ". So, the resulting hexadecimal string won't include commas, back-slashes, nor spaces at any place. Also, notice that there are two zeros at the end of each format, and two zeros at the end of the string. Save changes you've made to the reg file (File->Save). Copy the whole hexadecimal string. Open WinINSTALL, import ACDSee, if it's not already imported. Highlight the Title "Registry", then expand this tree: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ACD Systems\ACDSee\60\ShellInt On the right part of the window, there should be the value "FileAssociations". Right-click "FileAssociations", then choose "Properties...". In the "Binary Editor" box, paste your hexadecimal string. There might be a pasting problem if your string is too long. If this is the case, then paste the string in pieces; four or five pieces are good enough. Now, right-click "ShellInt", then add a new key "ArchiveVerbs". Right-click "ArchiveVerbs", then add this new value: Value=ACDBrowse Type=REG_DWORD Data=0 (if no archive formats were selected) Data=1 (if some archive formats were selected) Again, right-click "ShellInt", then add a new key "FolderVerbs". Right-click "FolderVerbs", then add this new value: Value=ACDBrowse Type=REG_DWORD Data=0 Once more, right-click "ShellInt", then add a new key "ImageVerbs". Right-click "ImageVerbs", then add these new values: Value=ACDPrint Type=REG_DWORD Data=1 Value=ACDView Type=REG_DWORD Data=1 Expand tree: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ACD Systems Right-click "ACD Systems", then add a new key "ACDSee". Right-click "ACDSee", then add a new key "60". Right-click "60", then add this new value: Value=VerifyFileAssocs Type=REG_DWORD Data=0 (if you don't want to Verify file associations when starting ACDSee) Data=1 (if you want to Verify file associations when starting ACDSee) Note: If you can't control the struggle among apps for file types, then I suggest setting Data=1. So, when you open ACDSee after installation, it would ask your confirmation to re-associate some file types that might have gone to other apps. 2. hand-made values These are the ANSI text characters you may need, along with their hexadecimal values: 0 30 1 31 2 32 3 33 4 34 5 35 6 36 7 37 8 38 9 39 a 61 b 62 c 63 d 64 e 65 f 66 g 67 h 68 i 69 j 6a k 6b l 6c m 6d n 6e o 6f p 70 q 71 r 72 s 73 t 74 u 75 v 76 w 77 x 78 y 79 z 7a Therefore, if you want to associate formats in red, for example, with ACDSee; then you should type this string: Double zero should be typed at the end of each format, and double zero at the end of the string.
