Instant File Type Associations in RES PowerFuse explained – Part 1

What are File Types and Associations
In a Windows environment, different types of documents and files are identified by three-character file types. Common examples include .doc, .xls, .pdf, .bat and .vbs.

A file type association links a specific file type to a specific piece of software that is installed on the Windows device. If Microsoft Word is installed on the Windows device, then .doc is associated with Microsoft Word. When you double click on a .doc document, Microsoft Word starts up automatically and opens your document. If you have installed Open Office instead of Microsoft Word, then .doc is associated with Open Office.

Default file type associations are created during the installation of an application. These file type associations are stored in HKLM\Software\Classes. Users can change their file type associations. User-specific associations are stored in HKCU\Software\Classes. During the Windows logon process, HKLM\Software\Classes and HKCU\Software\Classes are combined into one Classes Root (HKCR). Windows refers to the Classes Root to see which application should be started when a user double-clicks a document.

HKCR is a ‘merged’ view of HKCU\Software\Classes and HKLM\Software\Classes, where the HKCU takes precedence over HKLM.

  

The Problem with default file type associations
On Windows devices, users can control and change associations manually via the File menu option, provided they have administrator rights on the device. In most company-controlled Windows environments, most users aren’t administrators, and so users cannot control their file type associations. Therefore, IT staff needs to control users’ file type associations.

The problem with file type associations that are managed by IT staff, is that those file type associations are static, not dynamic. If two applications are installed to handle the same file type, the administrator can only link one application to the file type, and this link will apply in all situations. In most companies, file type associations need to change depending on the action or on the environment to which the user is logged on at a given moment. Furthermore, different file type associations may be needed for different user or groups of users.

  

  

With RES PowerFuse, you can control file types centrally and dynamically. File type associations can vary for different users and groups of users, but also for different locations, available applications, etc.

In RES PowerFuse, administrators can define file type associations directly on each managed application. You can associate the same file type with multiple applications, and set different priorities so that the file type is associated to the correct application for the user during logon.

On this basis, IT administrators can meet users’ expectation that the correct application will start when they open a document.

If your Windows environment is already managed by RES PowerFuse, but no Instant File Associations are configured in the RES PowerFuse Management Console, your users will be using the default Windows file type associations. In this case, the applications that are started when users double-click documents are not managed by RES PowerFuse, without the benefit of RES PowerFuse features such as PowerLaunch, Instant Mail, Instant Datasources, publishing, license metering and security are bypassed.

How to configure Instant File Type Associations
From RES PowerFuse 2008 Service Release 5, sets of default file type associations (that were created when an application was installed) can be imported directly into an application in the RES PowerFuse Management Console. After the import, some finetuning may be needed as to when which file type association should be used.