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[park]

I'm trying to look at my MSN message history to read a chat, but no matter what i do (unselect all file types associated with MC) whenever i click on "chat history" it launches MC.

Why would this be?
How do i stop it?

Thanks,
Bri

[glynor]

Just because you "unassociate" a file type though the MC Options interface, doesn't necessarily mean that the files will be properly "re-associated" with another app.  That's just how it works.

It's a two-step process.  You need to uncheck XML in the MC Options-->File Types dialog (which keeps MC from stealing the association back again), and you need to re-associate those files with the proper application using either Windows Explorer --> Tools --> Folder Options --> File Types tab or using the application's individual "association" interface (similar to what MC offers).

I don't use MSN chat, and so I can't tell you what application you should have it's XML files associated with to get that feature to work.  It is fairly dumb that it just uses the XML file's association to launch the history tool, since XML files are general purpose files and you may not want them to be associated with MSN chat (it really should explicitly launch the correct viewer internally)!!

Actually, does anyone know of a good general purpose XML editor for Windows similar to Apple's PLIST editor?  Preferably free (both as in speech and beer if possible).

[park]

When i right click on a file and "open with" xml viewer, or msn messenger, or any other program for that matter, it still opens media center and then mc gives me an error message saying it cant open it.

[glynor]

Did you do what I said?  There are two steps.  You can't just uncheck it in MC's options and expect it to fix itself.

When you check one of the file types in MC's options, it essentially just says "MC, take over the file associations for this file type every time you start up".  When you uncheck it, MC will no longer take over the file type association anymore, but if you want it to point at a different application you have to fix it yourself.  MC doesn't magically know what program you want to use for those files, it just knows that you don't want it to automatically "steal" the association anymore.

As I thought I explained above, to fix your XML files, you need to both (1) uncheck that box (so that MC doesn't steal the association again next time you run it) and (2) fix the association to point at the right program.

I don't know what the right program is, so I can't tell you what program to use.  XML files are general purpose files.  They don't "go" to any one program.  If you don't know at all how to fix associations, and can't figure it out from my post above, check this article at Peachpit Press.

[park]

Yes, I did what you said (sorry, I wasnt very clear about it in my previous post). But it doesnt make any difference.
Besides, regardless of what program is associated with a file, if you click "open with..." and choose another program (I have tried Internet explorer 6/msn messenger/ xml editor) it should use that program instead, shouldnt it.
My files have "media center.subscribe" as the file type when looking in explorer. No matter which program i use to try to read the file, it launches media center and brings up the error box.

When i click on a contact in msn messenger and then "view message history" it loads the chat history window but with a "action cancelled. couldnt find website" error.

I think this is a media center problem.

[JimH]

Run Windows Explorer.

Tools/Folder Options/File Types. 

Delete XML.

[JimH]

I meant to say Explorer, not Internet Explorer.  I just changed it above.

[Doof]

I don't use MSN chat, and so I can't tell you what application you should have it's XML files associated with to get that feature to work.  It is fairly dumb that it just uses the XML file's association to launch the history tool, since XML files are general purpose files and you may not want them to be associated with MSN chat (it really should explicitly launch the correct viewer internally)!!

For the record... MSN IM does open up it's chat histories in it's own internal viewer. Park clearly has other problems going on as, even when he tells Explorer specifically what app to use to open the XML ("Open With"), it still fires up MC.

[Matt]

Look here:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts

[glynor]

Park, FWIW I didn't notice in your original response that you mentioned you had used "Open With" and it still opened MC.  As Doof said, it seems that you possibly have something else going on...

Oh, and if this helps... The contents of the FileExts key for .XML on my system is:

Code: [Select]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xml]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xml\OpenWithList]
"a"="firefox.exe"
"MRUList"="ab"
"b"="MSOXMLED.EXE"

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.xml\OpenWithProgids]
"xmlfile"=hex(0):
Of course, I use FireFox and they appear to be associated with it, but maybe this will help!