File association is the link that is established between that file type and the program that is used to open it. This ends up being universal on your PC, though. What I mean by this is that the file type, determined by its extension (JPG, PSD, TIFF, and a host of others) have an assignment so that when you open that file, the program needed to open it will automatically be used.

For example, take our beloved JPGs. On my machine here at work, JPGs are set to be opened by Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. I don't have PSE or any other photo editing software on this machine. You can check what program will open a particular file type by right clicking the file, select Properties, and on the General tab it will show you what file type it is and the program that is selected to open that file type. There is a Change button available so if you don't want to use the program currently selected you can click that button and change it. This is the file association. On my work PC, JPGs are associated to Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. On my home PC, JPGs are associated to CS3 so if I directly click a JPG file on my home PC, CS3 is what will open it. I could change that to PSE, Window's Paint, or one of several others. Just keep in mind, though, that once you set that association on one JPG file, ALL JPG files when you click them will be opened by that program. This does not prevent me from using PSE5 to open a JPG file, though. The file association is what happens automatically if I should click a JPG file directly instead of doing File -> Open from a particular program.

One of the problems you run into is when you are installing a new program, they always seem to want to take over everything they are capable of running, regardless of whatever else you may have installed. So for instance, if you have PSE installed and later install ACDSee, ACDSee will want to become the program of choice for all your picture files. You will generally be given the option to accept that change or not, so you will have a choice to make at that point. Sometimes we just click yes to everything when installing, and then later end up wondering what caused things to change when we "didn't do anything" to change it. It just sorta sneaks up on you if you're not careful. But it is easily fixed as noted above.

This is valid for all file types on your computer. So if a program is selected to open a file type it isn't made to open, you will either get something completely unrecognizable, or an invalid file type error.

I wonder how many people use Adobe Photo Downloader to move files onto the PC from your camera?

I have always used this and have no problems at all. This is not something I had to "go get". It apparently loaded when I installed Elements ... maybe back with PSE 3.

I use a card reader: take the memory card from the camera, put it into a very inexpensive (less than twenty bucks) card reader, plug into a USB port. Wait a few seconds and an hourglass opens up and, five or ten seconds later, the Adobe Photo Downloader program automatically starts running. When it runs you can set some 'rules' -- what you want it to do vis-a-vis Elements and/or Organizer. It will keep doing those things every time you use it to download images until you change the presets.

I like it a lot. The only glitch is it seems to stop working (program not responding) after ten or twenty or so days of downloading. I do a "restart PC" and everything is fine again for another two weeks or so.

Rusty

Thanks for the explanation,Gene. You sure have a way with words.
I had ACDSee on my laptop first but it wouldn't let PSE7 open quite a few file types. The Windows help file actually steered me to the right place to change my file associations. All is well....for now.
Chas

Thanks everyone and thanks Gene.
I have it here but I just have never installed it on my new computer. CS3 was new to me also and I wanted to make sure instead of falling back on ACDSee I used and learned CS3. I also several version PSE and I did not install them on my new computer.


Angie

None of that prevents you have from installing different photo programs. You can have more than version of PSE if you want. The only time it becomes an issue is if you're expecting PSE to open your photos automatically and all of a sudden ACDSee starts doing it. But, it's easy enough to fix.

Thanks for the explanation,Gene. You sure have a way with words.

Thanks, Charles....

Well, this is a fine how do you do......now that PSE7 is primary for Jpeg file association, ACDSee won't open them. Looks like this is going to be an either/or proposition. I really didn't expect this to happen. Does anyone know how to work around this?
Chas

Chas,

I think the question is, which one would you like to be the primary. Once you set that up, and this can be on a file-type by file-type basis, you can pick the secondary by right-clicking, Open With and then selecting the secondary ( or third place choice ) from the associated files. This list of associated files will build up over time. I have jpeg defaulted to CS3, but can right click and select PSE5 or IrfanView, etc.

Occasionally, if I am doing something for an extended period of time, I will change the default to the one I want to use for a couple of days, then back to the primary.

Thanks,John. Will this work with Vista? File associations are handled differently in Vista. Just tried it on a Jpeg and it works like a charm.
Chas

Chas,

Just started with Vista (christmas present) and I think it will work exactly the same - this is kind of like windows fundamentals, but given my newness, would like to check it out.

Once a file association is set, it should only come into play when you are clicking on a file of that type to open it. The program chosen by the association will open it, regardless of how many programs you have installed that are capable of opening it. This is probably what Charles ran in to with ACDsee after he set his association. Setting an association, however, does not (or should not) prevent you from using another program to open that file type, but it would have to be done through the program's menu (generally File -> Open) in order to do it.