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Cannot open .x_t or .IGS file types! Help?

When I first installed 2008, I wasn't sure how it would perform on my system, and wanted to be able to continue working without interruption or the chance of down time, so I installed it alongside 2007, rather than upgrading.

I just recently decided to un-install 2007, since I no longer have any need for it. Only problem is, other file types (pretty much all other 3D file types other than native SW file types) are no longer associated with SolidWorks, and I can no longer open them.

If I right click on the other file type, select "Open With", SolidWorks no longer appears on this program list. OK- so I will browse to my executable and select it from there. Nope, that doesn't work either - when I select OK, or double click my SW exe, I jump back to my "Open With" list, and the first program on the list is selected. Adobe Acrobat doesn't like to open Parasolids.

How can I get SolidWorks to appear in my program list? I tried doing a re-install. Didn't help for some reason. Not only that, but the latest service pack (1.1) doesn't agree with my ATI video card. Now I also get frequent exits to the BSOD and have to restart my computer. (But that's a problem for another time.)

Reply to
Sean Mc
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Sean,

It's not clear why you have lost SolidWorks in association with the file types it can open (via Windows Explorer); however, for the time being as you troubleshoot your file associations issue, why not simply use the File/Open menu in the main toolbar of SolidWorks. Doing so provides flexibility in tailoring the way files are to be opened/ translated.

Even after you have restored the proper file associations and can open a SolidWorks related file just by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer, there will be no opportunity to interactively specify the options (such as for IGES importation) which exist. If you are always using the default settings (or those last selected from within SolidWorks), then the Windows Explorer 'Open With' process may be just fine for you...

Per O. Hoel

p.s. Good luck with your ATI video card. I th> When I first installed 2008, I wasn't sure how it would perform on my

Reply to
POH

It's not clear why you have lost SolidWorks in association with the file types it can open (via Windows Explorer); however, for the time being as you troubleshoot your file associations issue, why not simply use the File/Open menu in the main toolbar of SolidWorks. Doing so provides flexibility in tailoring the way files are to be opened/ translated.

Even after you have restored the proper file associations and can open a SolidWorks related file just by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer, there will be no opportunity to interactively specify the options (such as for IGES importation) which exist. If you are always using the default settings (or those last selected from within SolidWorks), then the Windows Explorer 'Open With' process may be just fine for you...

Per O. Hoel

p.s. Good luck with your ATI video card. I think ATI hardware is typically quite good, but the software drivers often leave much to be desired.

--------------------------------- Thanks Went back to SP 0.1, eliminated the video card problem. Yes I can open these files from SW open option. Got so used to just double clicking from SW File explorer, it took me a while to even think of the other ways to open these files from SW. Brain Cramp. :-) Still would like to figure out how to fix my registry so that SW is once again listed in my "Open With" program list, though, so if anyone could help with this, I would still appreciate it, even though it is not the issue it was once was with me.

Reply to
Sean Mc

Sean,

You may find it easiest to perform a "repair" installation of SolidWorks 2008. This is done through the Windows Control Panel's Add/ Remove Programs applet. (Troubleshooting the file associations issue in Windows may be more work than it's worth.)

As with any SolidWorks installation, make sure that any virus scanning software you normally run is disabled during the process. (An active virus scan can cause certain portions of an installation to be incomplete or handicapped.

BTW - I typically > Sean,

Reply to
POH

BTW - I typically only open IGES files from within SolidWorks, so I wouldn't notice if the Explorer-based association was missing; however, I have SolidWorks 2006, 2007 and 2008 all installed (side-by- side) on my system and SolidWorks does NOT appear in the Open With dialog box for .IGS. I've checked a co-worker's system as well and there is NO installed association (found in the Registry) for the .IGS file type, so I'm not sure where your 'broken" association came from in the first place...

Per O. Hoel

fwiw, running 2006 here and i have parasolid, iges, and step associated with solidworks. i can open these file types from windows explorer by double clicking. the association is a manual process. not sure why the op is having trouble.

Reply to
kenneth

Yes, it was a manual association, but my system is no longer capable of making that association, for some reason.

Reply to
Sean Mc

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