XP .msstyles and .themes file association went kookoo

[Rastogi B]

Hello all,

I have some queries due to some confusion. .msstyles and .theme files used to just open by themeselves, straight into the Desktop/Themes selection window. Now it gives me the following message as "What do you want to do?" and it come up with the window associated with two options or find a program to open it. Does anyone have some suggestion regarding this that how to restore the file association?

Thanks ...

[Spyrus]

Hello dude,

I am not much sure about this case but I can suggest you something about this . you what the registry keys that should be relevant here read on my computer:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\msstylesfile\shell\open\command
type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL%SystemRoot%\system32\desk.cpl desk,@Appearance /Action:OpenMSTheme /file:"%1"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\themefile\shell\open\command
type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL %SystemRoot%\system32\desk.cpl desk,@Themes /Action:OpenTheme /file:"%1"

[Gunner 1]

I am trying to get some msstyles theme to work properly. I am working on WinXP . Primarily, the msstyles folder was copied into F:\Windows\Themes and the folder contains shell.dll and the msstyles file itself. Then after , I used to run the uxtheme 6.0 an it goes very fine but when I double-clicked on the msstyles theme, an error message comes up an says "No program associated". I also tried to create a file association using the following method :

"Msstyles = Msstyles file" but it now opens with Notepad.

Any idea how I can get msstyles to work again?

[JonathanD]

If you are able to get the themes and you want in explorer right click on the file select properties you will get some thing that would says that open with and to the right it says change click on change and select the program you want to open it with and that should be that.

If you are working in XP sp3 then you require to replace files for themes to work the previously version of the file pre sp2 would not function properly..

[Gunner 1]

Hi guys,

According to your suggestion, I am going in right but still having some issues. I am opening that with the "Open with" association but it not working . Or rather, it opens with Notepad instead. That's why I posted for help and I am not sure about any solution regarding this. Do you all have some suggestion about....!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chroma]

That's fine, you are going right and I think you need to make some changes associated with the file. You need to change the file property with the appropriate settings and one thing more Did you change the properties as suggested by the members in the above described post ? If you have done like this then you need to tell me some thing the result what you are getting there . The icon on the file should change to display its now opening with a new program. It does sometimes take a min or two...

[Gunner 1]

Thanks for your suggestion and really getting something but having some issue and unable to solve this. I got your suggestions and then after I did select "Open with" but it opens with Notepad instead in the appropriate program...Recommend more thing about the same ...

Thanks once again ...