Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 4414
Allow for MSOffice file associations post-install
Last modified: 2014-02-28 16:53:46 UTC
It would be useful to allow an option to associate Word/Excel/Powerpoint files with OOo somewhere other than the initial setup, so that if the user decides not to associate on initial setup they can still associate later. This could be done through Tools->Options, but may be easier to implement as a function of the local setup app, as the code is probably already there, just the option isn't available. The only way I have found to do this currently is by uninstalling then reinstalling (or setting up associations manually which can be a pain).
Hi Falko, good idea, isn't it?
Closely related to this would be the ability to set the file associations back to MS Office or WordPerfect or other software if setup has, with or without the user's permission, grabbed .doc, .xls, .ppt, etc. and associated them with OOo. (See issue 3689)
Going by the comments on the users list, it would be better to skip/disable this step (file associations) entirely, at least in the initial installation routine. The requests are usually along these lines, ie most users do NOT want to associate OpenOffice.org with MS Office files. They merely want to try out the software, while continuing to use Office for the time being. So the best solution would be for the initial installation to simply install OpenOffice.org, leaving the associations alone. Drop the current "Do you want..." from it completely, don't just disable buttons. This is what the users want. Let's give it to them.
IMHO the convention (in Windows apps at least) is for applications to send file associations their way, but not send them back again. Good examples are WinAmp (see its prefs, near the agent settings) and QuickTime (sorry - these just come to mind quickly). These allow you to determine which file associations you can set (to the explicit file type, grouped sometimes). Can I enhance this issue (otherwise I will create a new one) to add the functionality to include associating .rtf (writer) and .csv (calc) files with OOo? As far as I am aware these are not touched by OOo. Preferably this would be done through a (platform-specific?) option in OOo (or the QuickStarter) to check these associations and reset them if another app modifies them.
I agrre OO Setup should allow to resemble (possibly lost) file associations. Nevertheless I put this issue to P4 since Windows, KDE, Gnome have their own (nowadays easy to reach) options to re-assigne file associations.
Re-assigned to BH.
I disagree with Falko Tesch. Yes, it is POSSIBLE, but for most users it is not FEASIBLE. Following on the premise of 2.0's priority for helping MS Office users with what they expect, they expect OpenOffice will assist them with the file associations, not having to use the OS to do it. A simple run-time (as opposed to install-time) tool to monitor file associations is what is required. No problem with the 2.0 milestone, but given the votes so far, shouldn't it move back to P3 at least?
Sorry, this issue coveres no Q-keyfeature, it is considered for OO.o later.
Something really needs to be done about this in OOo 2.0. The most frequent complaint seen on the users' lists it "Help! Your program has taken over my computer!" Either the description needs to be made more clear, or making OOo the default for MSO file types should be defered until runtime. Suggested wording from Matt Needles: "OpenOffice.org can open MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. Another program is currently assigned this task on your system. Do you want OpenOffice.org to be the default program to open these files when you open them from Windows Explorer? If you choose NO, you may still open these files from within OpenOffice.org."
I thought there was some discussion a while ago, that this was going to be reviewed for 2.0, with the new platform-based installers, as it is only related to the Windows platform. Can anyone comment on this?
Here is another option which may better meet some folks' needs (including mine): As another option in the file association checklist, allow the user to select the option "Add OpenOffice to Open-File menu". Checking this option would have the effect of adding an Action to "Open with OpenOffice" to the file type, as if you did so manually in Windows Explorer's View/Options/File-Types/Edit-File-Type. One may wish to use MS Word as default, but OO as secondary for word processing, 00 as primary for spreadsheets, etc.
*** Issue 51570 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
I regularly install OO on windows machines. Often enough, in fact, for the change in OO 2.4 to be very welcome - the pre-selection of xls and ppt file associations in the windows installer dialog box. I would welcome a post-install file associations manager, but suspect that for many users they just wont 'get it'. The idea and concept of file association is just too technical for them. Yes really! That is how brittle I observe many user's understanding of computers is! I feel that in the windows installer. all checkboxes for MSO file types should be checked by default, UNLESS the installer detects MSO installed, where they should by default be unchecked. Furthermore, docx, xlsx (and when operational, pptx) file types should be associated with OO unless a version of MSO 2007 or later is already installed.
It is a pain when installing Openoffice to have to manually navigate to c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop then copy the shortcut from start->Openofficex.x/writer to the desktop folder. It would be nice if the installer automatically made it easy for people to launch Openoffice by adding a desktop icon, just like most other windows programs do, such as: Firefox, Thunderbird, Adobe Acrobat, Audacity, Gimp, Free-AV and around 90% of all others. A checkbox, selected by default, in the windows installer "Add icon to Desktop" would be great. I accept and appreciate the principle of a tidy, uncluttered desktop, but most programs in windows do tend to create a desktop icon unless told otherwise, and desktop icons give an immediate view of the most important programs installed. Openoffice is the most important program I install on Windows. I therefore always need a desktop icon for the windows user to be reminded it is there. Openoffice Writer is probably the most used program in the suite, so is the most suitable launcher for the desktop.
@ nickhill: Your last comments have nothing to do with this issue: "Allow for MSOffice file associations post-install". The desktop icon will be introduced with OOo 3.0. Defaulting OOo to the MS file types unless MSO is installed is a bad habit we don't want to adopt.
Helo Of, I think you misunderstood, or maybe I wasn't clear enough; My suggestion was not that at install time Openoffice should default to saving in MSO file formats. (I do believe that users should easily be able to switch to a default behaviour of saving in MSO file formats through a simple check box in the save dialogue, but provided a notice in the save dialogue warns users against it). My suggestion is simply that for any MSO file extension that OO can handle, but is not already handled by an installed copy of MSO, the installer should, *by default* - without the user having to make any settings changes, associate that file type with OO. By extension of this, if the installed version of OO is old enough to not support xlsx and docx, the OO installer should, by default, associate these with OO. To put it another way, if a user has Microsoft Office installed on their system, the user should need to click some check boxes at install time to tell the installer they want Openoffice to become the default handler for the MSO file types. If the user doesn't have Microsoft Office installed on their system, the user should need to click some check boxes to tell the installer they *don't* want OO to become the default handler for the file types. That way, I believe the installer will guess what the user wants 90% of the time, and still give the user complete control at install time.
Corrected paragraph from last post: By extension of this, if the installed version of MSO is old enough to not support xlsx and docx, the OO installer should, by default, associate these with OO.
To grep the issues easier via "requirements" I put the issues currently lying on my owner to the owner "requirements".
I doubt that this is a request WIN2000 only ;-) No Assignee, so back to list. Yes, I would like something like I know from IrfanView and others, where I can tick the file types I want to have associated. Unfortunately such a solution would be completely useless for most administrators of many work places, see "Bug 124340 - Standart file link (e.g. .doc, .xls etc.)". Should he explain all help secretary how to do? Or himself start remote control and repair association for all 1257 PC? Possible workarounds: --------------------- May be for now some scripting or command line magic might be more useful, you can find some hints * In forums <http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=56867> <http://superuser.com/questions/186546/how-to-make-openoffice-open-all-ms-office-files> <http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=28096> * Manuals <http://kool.sd73.bc.ca/support/oo_not_wordpad.pdf> You also can try some console magic with "assoc" comand There is a tool at <http://www.westmesatech.com/files/OOoAssoc.msi>, I did not test and did not find a manual, nobody knows whether that will work.
*** Issue 124340 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Created attachment 82757 [details] So problem is solved in IrfanView