FOAK File Associations

I've just found out that for some reason, my hosts file has decided
it's a winamp media file, and I can't work out how it happened, or how
to get it back. Files called Networks and Protocol have also decided
they want to be WMF format. I tried renaming them back to .dat but
then I can't pick them up. Anyone got a quick solution while I wade
through the 378,000 Google pages I turned up?

 

What OS are you using?

Tony

 

WHAT?

 

On Tue, 1 Nov 2005 20:42:21 -0000, "TMack"

Win98SE

 

WHAT?[/QUOTE]

What what?

 

"don't you bloody change the subject woman!"

 

He's another jerk.

 

Sounds dodgy.

It sounds like you already know this but your hosts file shouldn't have an
extension. Just plain 'hosts' (not 'hosts.dat') . Likewise, (IIRC) Networks
and Protocol but it's been a long time since I touched Win98.

If when you rename them, they get renamed back, you may have a spyware
package which has hidden your proper hosts file. This is a trick to take
redirect some of your internet traffic.

I suggest you open a command prompt and go to the directory your hosts file
should be in (enter something like: cd C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc) and
do this:

dir /ah

that will list any hidden files. If there are some, I suggest you get
yourself some good anti spyware software.

 

hosts does not, and cannot have a file association, since there is no
extension.

hosts.sam OTOH might have abollixed association, but since that's just a
sample, it's nto an issue

If the icon has changed for hosts then again, it's not an issue, but I'd
have to look up how to change it back for you. I'd also expect that all
your other non-extension bearing files would also be listed as such

Does that help at all?
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

Champ says...

Shtop, shtop!

--
Lozzo
Track pixie
GSX-R1000 K1
I haven't lost my mind, it's
backed up to a floppy disc
that's around here somewhere.

 

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:00:13 +0000, Judge

No, it's nothing like that - if I rename them, they become what I
rename them to (.txt or .dat) but if I rename them without an
extension, they become winamp media files.

I've got AdAware, AntiVir, Spybot and run Housecall every few weeks -
nothing has showed up.

 

That would mean buying a new PC.

He's a plumber.

 

"don't you bloody change the subject woman!"[/QUOTE]

Er, *you* changed the subject - I was asking how to reset a file
association.

But, because I'm kind - google. I'm trying some new sigs out to
reflect my mood, but I'm struggling to find something that adequately
expresses how I feel about people who claim to be your friend, but
actually mean they want you to be a friend, and the moment you need
them to be your friend, vanish like snow at a Babyshambles party.
Maybe I'll just adapt Eiron's comment.

 

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:31:33 GMT, Catman

Not sure. All I can say is, hosts and four or five other files now
believe they are winamp media files, and have that little omega thingy
icon, and I can't even try "open with" because it just opens winamp. I
have no idea how it happened and if I rename it to .txt I can edit it
perfectly fine (which is how I found out this had happened). If the
icon association has changed, would a prog looking for hosts fail to
find it?

I have a hosts.sam but that is still iconned as it should be.

The last time something similar happened was because I'd accidentally
opened something and left the "always use this to open files of this
type" checked.

I think I'll go to work and break their computer now..

 

Interesting. Do you have your system showing file extensions for known file
types? i.e does it show .xls after a spreadsheet? If so, what's the
extension that the hosts is sporting? If no, turn it on and have a look.

Not that I can see, unless it's had an extension added. If you only have an
entry for 127.0.0.1 in there anyway, it's not really needed.

Can't do that with a file with no extension .

I'm wondering if you're actually looking at hosts.something and your real
hosts file is invisible.........

good move
--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

It shouldn't be a problem, as when Windows needs to use the hosts file,
it will.

I've not played with '98 for yonks, but if it's like 2K or XP, then
there should be no association at all with the hosts file.

In explorer, when you go into options, you should have a list of all
associations and you should be able to change it there.

TBH, I wouldn't worry, unless you like a tidy PC or you find it is
causing you problems.

 

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:12:55 +0000, Snowleopard

Just like half of the IT industry atm.

 

Sounds like your icon cache is corrupted and is displaying the wrong
icon for the files.

Does it persist across a reboot?

Phil

 

My brother currently does a very similar job to me. He's off to New
Zealand for a year in February and when he gets back he's going to
train as an electrician.

I think he may have the right idea if the the hassle to get an
electrician or plumber is anything to go by. Loads of business and
not enough decent people to do it.

 

I expect that somewhere along the line a file without an
extension accidentally got associated with WinAmp - ie, when
a file with no extension was double-clicked and Windows
asked which program you wanted to try opening it, you
selected WinAmp and chose to always use that program. The
file association has now stuck, so any file with no
extension becomes a WinAmp file.

All you need to do, if this is really bothering you because
it won't cause any hassles on your system, is reset that
file association. This article discusses the same thing and
gives a couple of manual suggestions along with a pointer
to a tool that may be of help:

http://www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v01/04/0104-02.html

If you get really desparate, you can go into the registry
and simply delete the associated key, but I'm presuming
that you wouldn't be too comfortable poking around in there.