MsoXmlEd.exe takes XML file association on installing Office

[csalsa]

From what I can see, part of the installation for MS-Office 2007 takes the file association, like it or not, and re-assigns it to the Microsoft XML tool 'MsoXmlEd.exe'.

Other than re-installing OxygenXML and, during the installation, selecting to associate XML files with OxygenXML, is there a simple way to restore this association? Do you have a script to do this for a Windows environment - either command file, windows registry .reg file, .inf script or VBScript?

Another approach is to have a 'repair' option in the installer that would not require all the options to be re-entered.

I am using Windows XP Professional SP2.


I tried using the Windows Explorer 'File Types' to reset the XML association but it is difficult to document so a non-technical person could follow it. Using the 'Change...' dialog only does half the work. To fix the registration properly, you must go to the 'Advanced' dialog and set the application to be used and the DDE message.

Re-installing OxyenXML and selecting, during the installation for OxygenXML to be associated with XML files, is the best solution that I have.

I would prefer either a repair option in the OxygenXML installer or a script to fix this association.

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

No, there is no script or repair action for fixing the file association. The installer does not have a Repair action because it is not MSI based. You can use the action Open With -> Choose Program available on the contextual menu of Windows Explorer and set the option Always use the selected program in the Open With dialog.


Regards,
Sorin

[idiotprogrammer]

Hi, I have the exact same issue on Vista 64 bit.

I installed Oxygen first and MS Office a few months later.

The problem is when I try to change the defaults in the Open With dialog, I can find the Oxygen.exe executable but the association doesn't STICK. I've tried several times without success.

To be more specific: Whenever, I try "Always use the selected program" in the Open With dialog, the action fails.

I assumed it was a Vista problem, but it definitely looks like a bug.

I pray that reinstalling Oxygen will fix the problem because this is extremely annoying.

Could you provide advice about how to unset Office to be the default association for XML files? In Vista/ Office 2007 I have no idea how this is done.

[csalsa]

Hi Sorin

Is spent some time tracing through the Windows Registry and Windows Explorer and I found that the option Always use the selected program in the Open With dialog only solves part of the problem.

This approach did not completely fix the XML file association problem and, for example, with this change, files are still opened using MsoXmlEd.exe when attempting to view files from Visual SourceSafe.

By using 'Change...' on this dialog to associate XML with another application, you will see the message You have customized files with extensions 'XML'. To restore these files to their default type (XML Document), click Restore. If you press 'Restore', the file association goes back to MsoXmlEd.exe. So MsoXmlEd.exe is still the underlying handler for XML documents.

In the same dialog, once restored, the 'Restore' button text changes to 'Advanced'. By pressing this and using 'Edit...' you can set the calling program and configure the DDE interface. Once done, this fixes the problem. Why I do not know as I do not understand this level of detail of file association and DDE.

My original post was because I found to document these steps, for non-technical people, to cater for all possibilities was difficult and complex.

What I found worked was to run the installer and explicitly select the XML file association. I will see if I can figure out a script so it is easy for non-technical people to fix this problem.

[idiotprogrammer]

My concern is also with Vista.

I think XP and Vista have different interfaces for controlling this. XP let you create custom actions (edit, open, etc) but I do not think Vista exposes this kind of functionality.

I'm hoping that reinstalling Oxygen will solve the problem.

[sorin_ristache]

Yes, reinstalling Oxygen should solve the problem by setting Oxygen as default application for opening XML files. Associating an application with XML Documents changes some values in the Windows registry but the Oxygen installer should set the association correctly.


Regards,
Sorin

[sorin_ristache]

This approach did not completely fix the XML file association problem and, for example, with this change, files are still opened using MsoXmlEd.exe when attempting to view files from Visual SourceSafe.

I have the exact same issue on Vista 64 bit.

I installed Oxygen first and MS Office a few months later.

What is the MS Office tool associated with XML files? I installed MS Office Professional 2007 on both Windows XP and Windows Vista but I see no MsoXmlEd.exe file. No MS Office tool was associated with XML files. The old association was not changed.


Regards,
Sorin

[mlcook]

I had a similar problem sometime after installing Oxygen 10. I don't know just when I started having trouble. But, in Windows Explorer, I would double-click on a file with type ".xml", and it would open in Internet Explorer. Not what I wanted!

I can't remember during installation of Oxygen 10 whether I let XML files be associated with Oxygen or not. I don't remember checking or unchecking a box, but I remember some warning about changing the default XML association. Perhaps I didn't allow that change.

I tried using "Open with..." and selecting Oxygen 10, but that didn't work either.

This went on for several days, and I would just open files from within Oxygen using the File -> Open menu.

As part of unrelated work, I installed on my PC the tool CCleaner, found at:
http://www.ccleaner.com/

I ran the Registry clean up (after saving my Registry values!).

Later, I was able to use "Open with..." to associate .xml (and other) files with Oxygen.

I can't say definitively that CCleaner solved the problem, but it seemed to help.

I'm not associated with the CCleaner folks, and "your mileage may vary".

I'm using XP Professional, SP2.

-- Mike

[sorin_ristache]

I can't remember during installation of Oxygen 10 whether I let XML files be associated with Oxygen or not. I don't remember checking or unchecking a box, but I remember some warning about changing the default XML association. Perhaps I didn't allow that change.

The checkbox for the XML file type association is not selected by default in the Oxygen installer. If you select this checkbox the installer associates Oxygen with XML files. This association from the installer should always work and it does not matter the application that was previously associated with XML files.

As part of unrelated work, I installed on my PC the tool CCleaner, found at:
http://www.ccleaner.com/

I ran the Registry clean up (after saving my Registry values!).

Later, I was able to use "Open with..." to associate .xml (and other) files with Oxygen.

I can't say definitively that CCleaner solved the problem, but it seemed to help.

Do you mean that after running CCleaner, selecting Oxygen with the action Open With -> Choose Program and selecting Always use the selected program the association XML files - Oxygen worked correctly? Thank you for letting us know one more method for setting an association between XML files and a Windows application.


Regards,
Sorin

[mlcook]

Sorin,

Correct, CCleaner seemed to make things work better. I can't claim positively that it was the sole fix, but it seems to me that it did the job.

There was probably some registry issue that prevented me from making the .xml file association with Oxygen. CCleaner does check for registry problems, so I'm hopeful it may help others.

If you get more success stories, that will help show whether this really works.

-- Mike

[mlcook]

Here's a somewhat related question:

Sometimes when I double-click on an .xml file to open it with Oxygen, a second instance of Oxygen will start, instead of using the currently running Oxygen window.

Oxygen 10 is getting run in both windows, but I'm wondering how to get the file to open in the first window without having a second Oxygen instance start up.

Thanks, Mike

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

That happens if you set the startup parameter -Dcom.oxygenxml.MultipleInstances=true or there is a firewall that does not allow the second instance to connect to the first instance of Oxygen for detecting that the first instance is running and passing the file name for opening in the first instance. Do you have a firewall that does not allow a connection to a local port?


Regards,
Sorin

[mlcook]

This is all running on my local PC, so I wouldn't think a firewall is involved.

My Windows XP shortcut for Oxygen 10 does not have the -Dcom parameter specified. Is there another way for multiple instances to be set?

Also, sometimes when I double-click to open a file, the file is opened in a new pane in the Oxygen window. It has its own tab as usual, but there is a new pane, so the Oxygen window is split horizontally in 2, with my previously opened files in the lower pane.

Is there a way to prevent the new pane from opening and have the file's tab be in the original pane?

Thanks, Mike

[sorin_ristache]

My Windows XP shortcut for Oxygen 10 does not have the -Dcom parameter specified. Is there another way for multiple instances to be set?

The parameter can be set also in the file [Oxygen-install-folder]/oxygen.vmoptions but by default it is not set so you should not get two Oxygen instances if you did not modify oxygen.vmoptions.

I think you could get two Oxygen instances if you double click two times very quickly on two files so that the two Oxygen instances are started almost at the same time so each one thinks it is the first instance. If you wait with the second double click until you see the start of the progress bar for the first instance then you should not get a second instance for the second double click.

Also, sometimes when I double-click to open a file, the file is opened in a new pane in the Oxygen window. It has its own tab as usual, but there is a new pane, so the Oxygen window is split horizontally in 2, with my previously opened files in the lower pane.

Is there a way to prevent the new pane from opening and have the file's tab be in the original pane?

If the file tabs are already grouped in two panes by drag and drop actions on the tab titles then a new file is opened in the current pane. But if all the files are grouped in one pane then a new file opened by a double click in Windows Explorer should not create a second pane. We cannot reproduce that but the action from menu Perspective -> Reset Layout should fix it.


Regards,
Sorin

[mlcook]

Sorin,

Thanks for the info.

I'm not sure about the frequency of double-clicking. Of course, we cannot rule out "operator error", that is, my mistakes or mis-perceptions.

I've been confused about the 2 panes in the past when opening files. It doesn't happen too often, but I never know how it came about. Normally I just close the tab and reopen the file another way (usually the File -> Open menu item).

The "Reset Layout" did the trick, but otherwise how can I collapse the 2 panes and still keep all the file tabs in 1 pane?

Thanks again, as I learn new tool features.

-- Mike

[sorin_ristache]

Hello,

The "Reset Layout" did the trick, but otherwise how can I collapse the 2 panes and still keep all the file tabs in 1 pane?

You make only one pane by drag and drop actions that reverse the process of creating two panes: drag the tab title of a file tab from the pane that you want to discard until the gray frame of the whole file tab covers exactly the area of the other pane (the pane that you want to keep) and drop it to switch that file tab from one pane to the other one. Look at the actions starting from 1 minute and 10 seconds in the video demonstration with dockable and floating views. It is also explained in the User Manual.


Regards,
Sorin