minimizing file associations (MINE disasters)

[Molecule]

What's the best way to manage file associations? The w98se method of File Explorer>Tools>Folder Options>File Types> etc. is so obfuscatatory and clutzie it has to be intentional -grrr

If I could (??) I'd like to setup the few file associations I know I want, to just handle a few proggies, and remove all the remaining MIMEs ...

My main proggies are

File Management (zips, cabs, rars, etc.)

Office (wordprocessing, spreadsheet, etc.)

Internet (browser and email)

Graphics (image editors)

Audio (recorders, players, editors)

OCR (images to text)

On my recent reinstall, there are a lot of MIME types listed which I've never even heard of, let alone use (that I know of).

If it's possible, I'd just as soon not have strange file types associated with any executables. (If I want to get at a file type which is not "associated" then I'll just have to open that file from inside a program which I launch ...)

Just out of curiosity, here is the [Hkey_Classes_Root] key, which is apparently where associations are stored

(just the first and second associations shown, for [*] and for [.386]).

Anyone have an idea of what this [*] MIME-type file association does?

Thanks ...

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{3EA48300-8CF6-101B-84FB-666CCB9BCD32}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\CryptoSignMenu]
@="{7444C719-39BF-11D1-8CD9-00C04FC29D45}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\BriefcasePage]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers\{B95057E0-44DB-11CE-A5D1-00608C83BD3F}]
@=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\BriefcaseMenu]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\7-Zip]
@="{23170F69-40C1-278A-1000-000100020000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\QuickViewPlusMenu]
@="{F0F08737-0C36-101B-B086-0020AF07D0F4}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PowerDesk Menu]
@="{26E7F081-EB97-11d3-9239-006008D2D00F}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\WinZip]
@="{E0D79304-84BE-11CE-9641-444553540000}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Norton WipeInfo]
@="{30424D42-5946-11D2-B8E5-006097C9C6FF}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{B95057E0-44DB-11CE-A5D1-00608C83BD3F}]
@=""

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.386]
@="vxdfile"

[eidenk]

Anyone have an idea of what this [*]MIME-type file association does?

MIME has got to see with Internet Explorer and how it handles the display of various file types to the best of my knowledge. In fact it seems it is somehow for IE what filetypes associations are for Windows. There are MIME handlers which are dlls and that are defined in the registry. For example, when you install Quicktime, it asks you which MIME types you want it to handle in IE.

In the registry, it seems to be articulated around the Content Type and EditFlags values of the relevant CLASSES subkeys and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type as well as the CLSIDs the latter key eventually points to. Maybe there are also other keys.