Global Mapper v25.0

File association

geomannie
geomannie Global Mapper UserTrusted User
edited January 2009 in Technical Support
Hi

Since upgrading to GM10 I have lost my file associations. In Windows Explorer my gmw files, shapefiles, ecw or whatever, are still listed as being associated with Global Mapper but when I double click on them, nothing happens. I can only open the files by starting Global Mapper and then using the file open command.

Can anyone make any suggestions as to how I can fix this?

Many thanks

Geomannie

Comments

  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2009
    Geomannie,

    I'm guessing that those files are still associated with an older version of Global Mapper, which is likely not installed anymore. You will need to re-establish the associations to the Global Mapper 10 release as it is installed in a completely separate location. You can do this through the Tools->Folder Options->File Types setup in Windows Explorer.

    Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Hi Mike

    THat was the first thing I tried but it didn't help. Can you think of any other possible causes?

    Thanks

    Geomannie
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2009
    Geomannie,

    That is strange, you should be able to completely manage your file associations through Windows Explorer. Global Mapper doesn't set up any file associations with things like ECW or Shapefiles when it is installed, so any of those associations would have had to be manually setup by you originally in some manner.

    There is a tutorial on changing file associations in Windows at Open Files in the Program you Choose - Edit Windows File Associations. You can also find tools to help managing file associations that helps when Windows screws things up a bit at places like Association Manager | File Management Download | PC World.

    Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Hi Mike

    I hope you can help because I think the problem may be something to do with the program. If I uninstall and revert to GM10.0, all the file associations are fine. If I then upgrade to 10.1, either by uninstalling 10.0 first, or by installing 10.1 on top of 10.0, I loose the associations and can only open files from the file-open command.

    There may be clue in the icon. My 10.1 gmw files and the exe file have an icon that is identical to that used for 10.0. In the start menu, however, the 10.1 shortcut icon is subtly different, a more subdued blue. Is it possible that my system is somehow hanging on to references to 10.0 whilst upgrading to 10.1, thereby confusing the file associations? What should the 10.1 icon look like? Is it the same or different to the 10.0 icon? I attach examples of the icons I get for GM10.1 (GM icons.jpg, the start menu and the gmw icon).

    Any ideas from the above?

    Thanks
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Hi Mike

    I hope you can help because I think the problem may be something to do with the program. If I uninstall and revert to GM10.0, all the file associations are fine. If I then upgrade to 10.1, either by uninstalling 10.0 first, or by installing 10.1 on top of 10.0, I loose the associations and can only open files from the file-open command.

    There may be clue in the icon. My 10.1 gmw files and the exe file have an icon that is identical to that used for 10.0. In the start menu, however, the 10.1 shortcut icon is subtly different, a more subdued blue. Is it possible that my system is somehow hanging on to references to 10.0 whilst upgrading to 10.1, thereby confusing the file associations? What should the 10.1 gmw icon look like? Is it the same or different to the 10.0 icon? I attach examples of the icons I get for GM10.1 (GM icons.jpg, the start menu and the gmw icon).

    Any ideas from the above?

    Thanks
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2009
    We did start using a new shortcut icon for Global Mapper v10.01, which looks like what you are seeing, but the file association icon remained the same as before. I would expect an association with v10.00 to automatically update to v10.01 as v10.01 should have installed right over v10.00 and be in the same place. Is is possible that your extensions are still associated with a v9.xx release that is no longer installed?

    I have also placed our latest installation package for v10.02 beta at http://www.globalmapper.com/global_mapper_setup_v1002_beta.exe. You might try installing that and see if it fixes things.

    Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Hi Mike

    Installing GM10.2 doesn't help. Reverting to 10.0 all is fine. As far as I can tell I have no version 9.xx installation left. How could I check?

    Has anyone else this problem with loss of file association?

    Thanks
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2009
    I am completed baffled as this works just fine for me with any version of the installer. I seem to recall a user in the past that had a similar problem that could only get it fixed by using a 3rd party Windows file association application as the one in Windows itself was not working as expected for some unknown reason. Have you tried one of the special file association manager applications that are out there yet?

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Fixed!

    I tried associating gmw files with a completely spurious program i.e. Adobe Acrobat. For some reason Windows remembered this but the files of course would not open. I then restored the association to GM and all is well. What the heck goes on under the hood of Windows?

    Thanks for your help.

    Best regards

    geomannie
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Err, not all fixed. I've got the gmw files fixed but I still cannot open shapefiles, e00 files etc. directly.

    If I try to fix a permanent association in file manager, I get the attached error message. Does this provide any clues?
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2009
    That is very strange. It's almost like the 'Global Mapper 10' item in the list to associate with is for some reason not matched up with your actual Global Mapper 10 installation. What you might try rather than selecting the 'Global Mapper 10' item in the list is actually browsing to the global_mapper10.exe file and trying to open with that to see if that works.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Hi Mike

    I've tried navigating to the exe file but that doesn't help either.

    Best regards
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited January 2009
    I'm not sure what else to try with this. Everything works perfectly on all of the machines that I've tried it on. It sounds like something is messed up in the registry somehow, but I wouldn't suggest messing around in there. I assume that you can still drag files onto an open Global Mapper window and that works correct?

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Support
    support@globalmapper.com
  • geomannie
    geomannie Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Yes, dragging and dropping files is fine, its only the file association that is the problem.

    If no-one else has a problem then it may be something associated with my machine, but its funny that 10.0 is fine but 10.01 or 10.02 are not.

    Its not a critical problem, just a bit annoying.

    Cheers
  • STH
    STH Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited January 2009
    Googling the error message seems the error is somewhat related to the Windows Installer (FIX: "This action is only valid for products currently installed" error message after you install two major software updates for a product on Windows XP SP2 by using Windows Installer 3.0)

    I quote:

    "FIX: "This action is only valid for products currently installed" error message after you install two major software updates for a product on Windows XP SP2 by using Windows Installer 3.0"

    Installing GlobalMapper, then upgrading two times - isn`t that two major software updates for a product? Perhaps worth checking this hotfix.