RE: Explorer "Edit File Type" dialog Edit/Remove buttons grayed out

From: Bill Molony (BillMolony_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 02/27/05 

Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 08:03:04 -0800

Some additional discoveries since first post...
The following Registry Key sets are probably involved somehow:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell

But I am not sure yet which one does what. But I am aware that some changes
made in on set of keys is automatically changed in the other set. In one of
the key sets, I changed the default back and forth between open and explore
and it was automatically changed in another set of keys as well.

I need someone who is more methodical than me to deduce which set of keys
controls what actions.

"Bill Molony" wrote:

> I am using WinXP SP2 with all the latest updates installed.
>
> When I go to Windows Explorer "Folder Options/Edit File Type/File
> Folder/Advanced" dialog, the Edit and Remove buttons are grayed out. But the
> New and Set Default buttons are not grayed out.
>
> If I then add a new entry to that specific dialog, the new entry will appear
> in the context menu when I right click on a folder in Explorer. The problem
> is I did that but I mistyped the command. So I couldn't edit it or even
> remove it from Edit File Type because the Edit and Remove buttons are
> unavailable. :(
>
> Ok, so I went into the Registry and found the offending command in a subkey
> of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell and I modified it to what I wanted it to
> be. All is still well and good to this point. But...
>
> Then I discovered that this change effected Explorer behaviors in a way
> unexpected--I wonder how many others have discovered this. :) I found that
> the change works as expected when I click a folder in the left pane--the
> folder window. But it does not work the same when I click a folder in the
> right pane--the file list window.
>
> So as a result, I really I have two questions:
>
> 1) How can I get the "Folder Options/Edit File Type/File Folder/Advanced"
> dialog Edit and Remove buttons to be not grayed out and thus available?
> (Would have saved me from having to search and edit the Registry.)
>
> 2) How can I get the same right click context menu behaviors in both panes
> of Explorer?
>
> I think in both cases, it will involve some illusive entries in the
> Registry. And I am suspicious that there are two sets of similar keysets and
> entries in the Registry--one for the left pane context menu and a nearly
> identical one for the right pane. But as of yet I have not found such.
>
> Any thoughts appreciated!
> Bill
>
> PS: And one more little frustrating discovery about Edit File Type was that
> once you have set one of the options as the default, you cannot undo that to
> where there is no default. You can only change it so that one of the entries
> is the default. At least it can't be done without editing it in the Registry.