I apologize if my question is a "frequent question", but also by reading various posts I have not found a solution.
How can I associate the various files with their portable applications?
I've read about the PortableFileAssociator but the download is blocked by the presence of malware.
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You can use PortableFileAssociator without issue. It's clean but some free antiviruses will flag it. Check the file on VirusTotal.com to be sure.
eXpresso will also work but only handles double-clicked things from other apps like Explorer windows to open files.
Note that the PFA technique is more complete but involves the registry and will not work automatically in Windows 8, 8.1, 10, or future versions of Windows. This is by design to prevent apps from stealing file associations. Windows 8 kind of killed off the ability to automatically handle portable file associations which is why we didn't end up adding it to the platform. Most folks will likely be on Windows 10 shortly since it's a free upgrade for Windows 7/8/8.1 and already on 5% of worldwide PCs after just a month (surpassing Vista and Windows 8 combined).
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Hi John,
I am running all apps with Win 8 + 8.1 but I did not see any bug with PFA yet. PFA will work on Windows 10 too?
And what is the last decision for associations of portableapps? I mean will you write build-in module to portableapps menu? Or it is already developing?
Thank you
Sorry, I'd meant that it's partially borked in Windows 8/8.1 but it's fully broken in Windows 10 and later. So, it'll be broken for most users within a year.
Windows 10 will not allow an app to automatically alter file associations. Only the OS can change them and will only do so with a user prompt for each association. This is by design to prevent association stealing as browsers like Chrome do when installed via bundleware with Java, Flash, free antivirus, etc.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Oh no
I will not upgrade to windows 10. because my all apps are portable (except antivirus).
As I ask before, do you think a solution for windows 10 ?
Will sendTo feature at least ?
You still can on your own PC because the association can be made and then the OS dialog brought up to alter the association. It just won't work portably as you move PCs.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Ah OK.. I'm sory. You mean it will ask a promt to user: https://techjourney.net/media/2015/07/open-images-with.png
Let it ask
no problem. It asks on Windows 8/8.1. If it is same on Windows 10, than no problem...
The problem is after you're done and leave, you've basically reset every file association on the machine you used. That's a bit unfair to the machine owner and agaisnt the rules of portable software.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Trying to DL PortableFileAssociator, though can't seem to find a live link.
Able to Help?
Thanks!
The publisher, whom has not been on this site in over 5 years, no longer has a download available.
Anyone have any ideas on how to obtain this file (assuming it still works well)?
The issue I'm trying to solve for is to be able to launch files off my flash drive by not using Windows Explorer nor the native HDD Apps and instead use a portable file explorer whose file associations are linked to the Flash Drive apps only (and not the HDD apps).
Undecided on which portable file explorer to use and how to associate the files so all is portable/self-contained and doesn't require the Windows OS, nor the native HDD, nor the HDD's apps.
Q-Dir Portable works well for that. It includes the ability to set file association rules internal to itself. See here for more details in how: http://www.softwareok.com/?seite=faq-Q-DIR&faq=51
[EDIT] Note that if you're setting associations to other PortableApps.com packages, ensure to associate to the ***AppName***Portable.exe, rather than drilling down to the app's folder directly.
For example, for Notepad++ Portable, you'll associate to
%drive%/PortableApps/Notepad++Portable/Notepad++Portable.exe=%sel_files%, assuming you've installed the platform to the root of your drive.Outstanding solution Gord Caswell - thanks so much!
The alt download link in its post has been fixed.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thanks John - I didn't look at the post itself.
With that being done, I would personally still recommend using Q-Dir over PFA as Q-Dir is an actively maintained product vs PFA having been abandoned years ago.