File Associations
File Associations
Shortly, I faced issues with corrupt files in Windows 8 and upgraded to Windows 8.1, which resolved the problem. Now I’m struggling to open Word or Excel files because my PC doesn’t recognize them. Here’s how you can set up a new association for those files:
1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type `regsvr32 /unregister` and press Enter.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to:
`HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall`
4. Find the entry for your Microsoft Office version (e.g., Office 2016).
5. Right-click it and select “Modify”.
6. Change the “Program Name” to your Office executable path.
7. Click OK and restart your PC.
This should create a new association so you can open Word and Excel files again.
In fact, all the word documents corrected themselves. However, any Excel spreadsheet I have now won’t open because Excel doesn’t recognize it as a program to launch. Also, that didn’t work. When you right-click the file, select properties, and then find the option to change it, it helps. Thanks for the assistance. @ scaryjam823
Select the default option, then browse for the .exe file intended for Excel. The quickest method is using the shortcut to the app—right-click it. Next, choose Open File Location. Check the top for the .exe path. Navigate there in the default program window and double-click it. After that, the application will appear in its list.