How to Restore Corrupted File Associations?

What is File Association?

File association means a file with an application capable of opening  that file(usually determined by their filename.extension). For example we open images with Windows Picture Viewer, Video files with Windows Media Player or Vlc Player or with some other media player. Without these it is impossible to run/open any type of file because windows could not recognize the files. 

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File Association Problems

Sometimes these file associations will get corrupted due to virus attacks on the system. If all the file associations are attacked with virus then the best method is system restore. What if it is turn off and there is no previous point from which you can restore? There is no option other than to repair or format the PC. 

Solution:

From the following websites you can get the fixes

Windows 7 file association fix 
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/file-asso-fixes-for-windows-7/ 

XP file association fix 
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm 

Vista file association fix 
http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/1/File-association-fixes-for-Windows-Vista.html 

Download these fixes from another system but not the infected one. After downloading these fixes copy these to the infected system.These fixes cant be run in the infested system directly.so,save them fore later usage.

Steps for running the fixes:

1) When file cant be opened windows will display error message like shown. In that click on Select the program from a list and click OK.

2) Next click on Browse

3) In this step goto C:/Windows/system32 and select cmd.exe 

4) Select Windows Command Processor and then click OK



























5) Run following commands in Command Processor 
assoc.exe=exefile 
assoc.lnk=lnkfile 
assoc.reg=regfile 

After this restart your PC and check if you can open all the files, applications or not. If your system is infected with virus these commands wont work. At this time run the following command

regedit 

Press enter. You will get a registry window, as below. 

Go to file>>import 

Registry fixes can be imported as shown 

6) Select linkfile_fix and click Open. Finally restart your PC


















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