Must Stop applications from changing file associations!

[SoftwareEng]

I just realized how easy it is for things to go bad in Windows. I am deploying a PC for someone (Windows 7 Home Premium), and just about any application, including the user himself, can change/break file associations.

Is there a program to permanently lock down file associations? E.g. I don't want anything to steal my mp3/winamp and html/notepad associations.

If not a utility, Is there a registry key I can make read-only? This can't be that freaking' hard! Thanks.

[corkyg]

You can apply DeepFreeze to the finished product, and unless you have the password to open it, every reboot will restore the PC to the original state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Freeze_(software)

[SoftwareEng]

Hey Corkyg, thanks for that tip... However, I don't want to use Deepfreeze because I know I'll forget to disable it once or twice after applying important changes, and it will blow them away. I was looking for a program to watch for and restore any changes to file associations.

[Nothinman]

I'm sure you could do it by setting permissions on the appropriate keys, under HKCR IIRC, but it's not just a single key so you'll have to do some reading on how Windows handles file type associations.

[SoftwareEng]

Originally Posted by Nothinman

I'm sure you could do it by setting permissions on the appropriate keys, under HKCR IIRC, but it's not just a single key so you'll have to do some reading on how Windows handles file type associations.

Cool, I can see how that would work. One could even write a program to unlock those keys (i.e. set appropriate permissions) before installing an app that's allowed to make a change, and then locking them again.

I'm adding this to my potential apps-to-write list

Thanks!!

[bbacle]

There is a program available that does exactly what you want.
It is found at http://www.creativelement.com/powertools/

I found it via http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article02-040

Hope this helps.

Bob