Backup of File Types' Icon change

[Guest JLR]

I often change the standard file types' icons, like AVI, MPEG etc. to something more interesting than the default, and I would really like to be able to backup these settings. Do you know if it's possible somehow? Which registry keys is it or is it written in a file perhaps?

Have tried looking at the registry's ROOT\.AVI etc. but can't find a link or path in there to icon I chose.

Looking forward to hear from you!

[j7n]

The (default) value in HKCR\.extension points to another key, where you can specify the shell icon and one or more commands, that appear when you right-click on somename.extension

The basic options you can set in Registry are:

HKCR\.avi\(default)="Application.Identifier"

HKCR\Application.Identifier\DefaultIcon\(default)="d:\apps\mymovieplayer.exe,2"     // third icon in this executable file

HKCR\Application.Identifier\Shell\(default)="command_name"     // the default command to be run when you double click

HKCR\Application.Identifier\Shell\command_name\(default)="Play in My Movie Player"

HKCR\Application.Identifier\Shell\command_name\command\(default)="d:\apps\mymovieplayer.exe "%L""       // Long File Name

HKCR\Application.Identifier\Shell\command_name_2\(default)="Play in Audio Player"

HKCR\Application.Identifier\Shell\command_name_2\command\(default)="d:\apps\audioplayer.exe "%1""        // File Name

I, for example, have systematically called my custom associations Application.Identifier as "ZZ_extension", so that all of them can be easily extracted from the backup of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR) key. This way all asociations appear at the bottom, and all extensions at the top of the exported .REG file.

Windows ME and XP (and maybe 2000 too) have another way to customize associations – the Open With dialog. If the user chooses something there, this setting cannot be overridden by editing HKCR\Application.Identifier\Shell\(default). I do not know where those preferences are stored

Edited March 1, 2007 by j7n

[Guest JLR]

Cool, I'm gonna try that. Thanks!