Question

FME Desktop installation resets file extension defaults.

  • 24 November 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 16 views

Userlevel 6
Badge +33

When I install a new version of Desktop on my (Windows) machine, all my file extension defaults are reset. (I have to choose which software I want to open a .xlsx file when selected in File Explorer, again.)

 

I think this is recent behavior? Do I miss a setting during installation? Can it be made undone?


5 replies

Badge +20

Are you sure there hasn't been a Widows Update the same day?

Windows update sometimes resets file associations.

You wrote this post o a Wednesday which is after Patch Tuesday.

Userlevel 6
Badge +33

Are you sure there hasn't been a Widows Update the same day?

Windows update sometimes resets file associations.

You wrote this post o a Wednesday which is after Patch Tuesday.

Good point! I will try to reproduce.

Badge +8

There is a checkbox during install to set or not set file associations. It's an all or nothing kind of deal (it would be nice to have a "most used" group or something). As best I've been able to tell there is no way to undo the associations once set. Uninstalling FME does not return associations to their previous state (at least FMEWorkbench2021.2.4.21814 doesn't). Installing FME 20222.0 does not replace the previous associations either.

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I counted 286 file associations that have been hijacked by the FME installation and only a handful of those are FME specific files.

 

  1. There probably should be a big flashing warning on installation saying choosing this option will cause FME to associated with hundreds of file extensions.
  2. There should be an option to just install FME specific file extensions

 

On the bright side when I uninstalled v 2022.1.3 of FME all of the file extensions it grabbed were removed.

 

The file association option is now removed.

"The change to remove the install option of file association in FME 2023.0 was intentional."

What is the plan to enable (partial) rollback without uninstall?

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