"Open With" file association in Firefox

pjlane · 05-07-2007, 08:51 PM

Hi all,
I'm new to posting to the forum, but I see everyone has wonderful help and useful hints. I've been puzzled by my problem (and I've searched his forum as well as googled the issue).
I am trying to change the applications listed under "Open With" when I'm opening a file through Firefox. I've always had this problem and bypassed it by always saving the file to disk, where it retains it's proper application association (I can tell by the icon usually).
For example, when I click on PDF files, in Firefox, the dialogue box will open and say "Open With--> Acrobat 5.0 (default)" and show no other application options. . . I've scoured my computer and deleted any folders that look Acrobat 5.0 related.
Another example, when I click on a torrent file, it says "Open With--> BitTorrent (default)" and also list no other. I don't even have that program on my system anymore! Trashed it a long time ago and use Azureus. When I save the file, the icon of the file is the Azureus icon.
What am I doing wrong? I tried looking through Preferences in Firefox to see if they had some sort of file association options, but I couldn't find any.
Any help would be appreciated (even if you said, that's just the way it is, tough - at least I won't go nuts trying to find a solution).
Thanks!

Old Toad · 05-07-2007, 10:22 PM

Click on the file you want to change the default application on and type Command-I. In the Info window that comes up go to the Open With menu and select the application you want to use for that particular type of file. Then click on the Apply to All button to set it system wide.

For example PDF files are usually defaulted to Preview.app as the application to use. If you wanted some other PDF viewer you would follow those steps to reset the default application.

pjlane · 05-07-2007, 10:40 PM

Thank you for your response.
I've definitely already done that to my files. Like I said, when I download them to the desktop, they exhibit their proper application icon. In fact, when I utilized the "Change all" in the Get Info window, the dropdown menu doesn't even list Adobe 5.0 (good thing, since I already deleted it.) This seems to be primarily a Firefox problem. When I right click (ctrl click) on a file and pull down the 'Open With' menu, it lists all the 'right' applications (e.g. Adobe 7.0 vs. Adobe 5.0, Azureus and Transmission vs. BitTorrent)

Old Toad · 05-07-2007, 10:50 PM

I don't have Firefox so can't experiment. Sorry.

Czak · 07-06-2007, 07:51 PM

I've had the same problem just now and here's what I've come up with:

1. Click on the file you want to set association
2. Choose any of the predefined actions and check the field "Always use this action"
3. Go to the menu Firefox->Preferences->Content->File Types->Manage
4. Here select the file type and click "Change action".
5. You can now choose any action for this file type, including running an application of your preference.

I believe Firefox doesn't respect system-wide file associations so you might need to set it manually for various file types.

Hope this helps

pjlane · 07-11-2007, 09:14 AM

thanks for the tip czak. unfortunately, it doesn't list all the file types that I want to change. it's ok, i've mostly given up. firefox will open everything in the program that i've chosen, it just won't list the right program.

melon · 07-11-2007, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjlane


	thanks for the tip czak. unfortunately, it doesn't list all the file types that I want to change.

You need to do the steps that Czak mentioned for every file type that you want to change i.e. download a torrent file or a pdf file, do the Always use this Action then change it. Otherwise whatever file type won't be listed.

ogomoe · 07-11-2007, 08:23 PM

pjlane,

type "about:config" in firefox's address bar (without the quotes) and hit enter.

in the filter bar, type "extensions" (again without quotes) and hit enter.

in the results, double click on "browser.download.hide_plugins_without_extensions" so that its value is "false".

now you can edit the list of applications.

i believe this is what you're trying to accomplish.

pjlane · 07-12-2007, 05:15 PM

czak & melon:
thanks for the tip. I did check 'always use this action' so that the particular file type is listed in files types. however, i didn't want the action to be automatic (sometimes I want it to save and sometimes I want it to open in an application), so when i removed the action again and clicked the file, the old (deleted) program is still listed as default (even though the file will open in the correct application). So when I click on a torrent file, it still says Open with: Bittorrent (default) even though i have since deleted the Bittorrent application. It will, however, open in Azureus which is the application I use.
ogomoe:
i did as you asked, but not quite sure what it did. i even restarted my browser.

at this point everything functions correctly, but my neurotic self is just irked when it still lists the wrong program.
but thanks for everyone's suggestion and help. maybe it's just some weird firefox glitch.

bloozman · 11-30-2007, 05:52 PM

What I want to know is how ogomoe actually discovered how to make this change by typing about:config in firefox's address bar. How did you come up with that, man??

Although I was unable to solve my particular problem with that solution, I believe it is at the heart of the difficulty and with some modifications of Firefox, this approach could work.

This was his only post?? That was some sharp insight. Who are you?

05-07-2007, 08:51 PM	#1
pjlane Prospect Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 6	"Open With" file association in Firefox Hi all, I'm new to posting to the forum, but I see everyone has wonderful help and useful hints. I've been puzzled by my problem (and I've searched his forum as well as googled the issue). I am trying to change the applications listed under "Open With" when I'm opening a file through Firefox. I've always had this problem and bypassed it by always saving the file to disk, where it retains it's proper application association (I can tell by the icon usually). For example, when I click on PDF files, in Firefox, the dialogue box will open and say "Open With--> Acrobat 5.0 (default)" and show no other application options. . . I've scoured my computer and deleted any folders that look Acrobat 5.0 related. Another example, when I click on a torrent file, it says "Open With--> BitTorrent (default)" and also list no other. I don't even have that program on my system anymore! Trashed it a long time ago and use Azureus. When I save the file, the icon of the file is the Azureus icon. What am I doing wrong? I tried looking through Preferences in Firefox to see if they had some sort of file association options, but I couldn't find any. Any help would be appreciated (even if you said, that's just the way it is, tough - at least I won't go nuts trying to find a solution). Thanks!

07-11-2007, 08:23 PM	#8
ogomoe Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1	use about:config pjlane, type "about:config" in firefox's address bar (without the quotes) and hit enter. in the filter bar, type "extensions" (again without quotes) and hit enter. in the results, double click on "browser.download.hide_plugins_without_extensions" so that its value is "false". now you can edit the list of applications. i believe this is what you're trying to accomplish.

05-07-2007, 10:22 PM	#2
Old Toad Triple-A Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 212	Click on the file you want to change the default application on and type Command-I. In the Info window that comes up go to the Open With menu and select the application you want to use for that particular type of file. Then click on the Apply to All button to set it system wide. For example PDF files are usually defaulted to Preview.app as the application to use. If you wanted some other PDF viewer you would follow those steps to reset the default application.

05-07-2007, 10:40 PM	#3
pjlane Prospect Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 6	Thank you for your response. I've definitely already done that to my files. Like I said, when I download them to the desktop, they exhibit their proper application icon. In fact, when I utilized the "Change all" in the Get Info window, the dropdown menu doesn't even list Adobe 5.0 (good thing, since I already deleted it.) This seems to be primarily a Firefox problem. When I right click (ctrl click) on a file and pull down the 'Open With' menu, it lists all the 'right' applications (e.g. Adobe 7.0 vs. Adobe 5.0, Azureus and Transmission vs. BitTorrent)

05-07-2007, 10:50 PM	#4
Old Toad Triple-A Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 212	I don't have Firefox so can't experiment. Sorry.

07-06-2007, 07:51 PM	#5
Czak Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1	I've had the same problem just now and here's what I've come up with: 1. Click on the file you want to set association 2. Choose any of the predefined actions and check the field "Always use this action" 3. Go to the menu Firefox->Preferences->Content->File Types->Manage 4. Here select the file type and click "Change action". 5. You can now choose any action for this file type, including running an application of your preference. I believe Firefox doesn't respect system-wide file associations so you might need to set it manually for various file types. Hope this helps

07-11-2007, 09:14 AM	#6
pjlane Prospect Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 6	thanks for the tip czak. unfortunately, it doesn't list all the file types that I want to change. it's ok, i've mostly given up. firefox will open everything in the program that i've chosen, it just won't list the right program.

07-12-2007, 05:15 PM	#9
pjlane Prospect Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 6	czak & melon: thanks for the tip. I did check 'always use this action' so that the particular file type is listed in files types. however, i didn't want the action to be automatic (sometimes I want it to save and sometimes I want it to open in an application), so when i removed the action again and clicked the file, the old (deleted) program is still listed as default (even though the file will open in the correct application). So when I click on a torrent file, it still says Open with: Bittorrent (default) even though i have since deleted the Bittorrent application. It will, however, open in Azureus which is the application I use. ogomoe: i did as you asked, but not quite sure what it did. i even restarted my browser. at this point everything functions correctly, but my neurotic self is just irked when it still lists the wrong program. but thanks for everyone's suggestion and help. maybe it's just some weird firefox glitch.

11-30-2007, 05:52 PM	#10
bloozman Prospect Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 46	What I want to know is how ogomoe actually discovered how to make this change by typing about:config in firefox's address bar. How did you come up with that, man?? Although I was unable to solve my particular problem with that solution, I believe it is at the heart of the difficulty and with some modifications of Firefox, this approach could work. This was his only post?? That was some sharp insight. Who are you?