Windows Vista Security: Praxisorientierte Sicherheit für Profis

Managing Software Once It’s Installed

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Managing Software Once It’s Installed

Installing software is only one part of software management. Often after you install

software, you’ll need to make configuration changes to your computer or the software

itself. You may want files of a certain type to open in the software when you click or

double-click the files in Windows Explorer. You may need to reconfigure, repair, or

uninstall the software. Alternatively, you may need to resolve problems with the way

the software starts or runs. I discuss all of these tasks in the sections that follow.

Assigning Default Programs

When you install productivity applications, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Pho-

toshop, the installation process may configure your computer so that certain types of

files automatically open in the application when you click or double-click it in Win-

dows Explorer. The installation process may also configure your computer so that

when you insert media containing music, video, or pictures, the media is opened and

played automatically using a particular application.

Associating an application with particular file types and running an application for

certain types of media are separate features. You make files with a specific extension

or type open in a specific program by associating the file extension or type with the

program. You make media on CDs, DVDs, or portable devices open and play in a

particular program by making a program the default for AutoPlay.

You configure file associations and default programs either only for yourself or glo-

bally for all users of your computer. Your individual default settings override global

default settings. For example, you might want Apple iTunes to be your default audio

player, but the global default for all users could be set to use Windows Media Player.

Setting your default programs

You can configure your default programs by completing the following steps:

1. Click Start and then click Default Programs.

2. Click “Set your default programs.”

3. As shown in Figure 4-7, select a program you want to work with from the Pro-

grams list.

4. If you want the program to be the default for all the file types and protocols it sup-

ports, click “Set this program as default” and click OK. Skip the remaining steps.

5. If you want the program to be the default for specific file types and protocols,

click “Choose defaults for this program.”

6. As shown in Figure 4-8, select the file extensions and protocols for which the

program should be the default.

7. Click Save.

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Chapter 4: Installing, Configuring, and Maintaining Software

Figure 4-7. Selecting the program you want to work with

Figure 4-8. Configuring file extensions to associate with the program