Cannot stop Open Office from being default program for .doc files

[creevs]

Version: 2004 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Processor: Intel I recently installed Open Office 3.2 because my students occasionally submit assignments as .odt files which I cannot open with my version of Word.

Now Open Office is the default program that opens every .doc and .docx file and I can't make it stop!

I have tried checking the Properties for both .doc and .docx files, and while I can see that OpenOffice is the program type, I can't find a way to change it.

I have control-click opened a few files as well, and re-chosen Word as the program to open with. But the next time I open that *same* file, it opens in OpenOffice again.

I would prefer not to have to install OpenOffice every time I get a .odt file, and then uninstall it when I'm finished, but I'm getting close! And I anticipate that later versions of Word may have solved the .odt problem somehow, but an upgrade is not in the university budget for the foreseeable...

Thanks.
KC

 

[CyberTaz]

When you right-click one of the document icons are you just selecting Open
With form the shortcut menu? If so that's why it isn't 'sticking' ‹ that
only serves for the current opening of that particular file.

Select one of the file icons, key Command+I, then change the Open With there
in the Get Info dialog. Be sure to then click the 'Change All' button. It
wouldn't hurt to also repair disk permissions after doing so.

Make sure Office 2004 is completely updated as well.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[creevs]

Great - I knew it was a problem that I was not getting the option to "Change All" but I couldn't find it. Some file icons are still the OO icons, or just blank white squares, but they *do* open in Word.

Thanks!

KC

 

[CyberTaz]

Glad it helped - If you repaired disk permissions it may resolve the icon
issue immediately or on a restart of the Mac.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[falstaff]

CyberTaz wrote on 04/01/2010 12:29 ET

Glad it helped - If you repaired disk permissions it may resolve the ico
issue immediately or on a restart of the Mac

Regards |:>
Bob Jone
[MVP] Office:Ma


On 4/1/10 8:42 AM, in article
"" wrote

Hi Bob

New but related problem

If you install Word:Mac 2011 and which to KEEP a previous install (in my case

need to have Office 2004 installed for development reasons), the defaul
progra
for opening DOC files remains Word 2011 no matter what I do to change

The GetInfo, Change All trick does not stick

Both Word 14 and Word 04 are in the list of Open With. I can manually open a
individual file this way in Word 04, but I cannot find a way to change i
syste
wide for all DOC files

If you have any ideas or can find out how Word 14 is forcing DOC association

would appreciate it.

 

[Steve Hodgson]

If you install Word:Mac 2011 and which to KEEP a previous install (in my case,
I
need to have Office 2004 installed for development reasons), the default
program
for opening DOC files remains Word 2011 no matter what I do to change.

The GetInfo, Change All trick does not stick.

Both Word 14 and Word 04 are in the list of Open With. I can manually open an
individual file this way in Word 04, but I cannot find a way to change it
system
wide for all DOC files.

If you have any ideas or can find out how Word 14 is forcing DOC association,
I
would appreciate it.

A couple of suggestions...

It might be worth trying something like the (free) RCDefaultApp
<http://www.rubicode.com/Software/RCDefaultApp/> to change the global
file association. It's a utility that has paid for itself many times
over here.

Have you tried rebuilding the launch services database? Possibly you
have because when I tried to find the arcane command I found this
discussion
<http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12562384>.
--
Cheers,

Steve

The reply-to email address is a spam trap.
Email steve 'at' shodgson 'dot' org 'dot' uk