WinSite Startup Section: What To Do If Notepad Tries to Open Your Download

If Notepad tries to open your download, it means you have a file association problem.

"File Association" is a term used to explain the way Windows opens files. Instead of asking you each time if you want to open .txt files with Notepad or .doc files with MSWord or .zip files with WinZip, Windows keeps track of your preferences for each type of file. That way, every time you click on a .doc file, Windows automatically opens it with MSWord. It really is a labor-saving function for you.

However, sometimes you try to access a type of file that Windows doesn't have listed in its list of associations - like the first time you download a .zip file to your PC. You haven't told Windows to associate .zip files with WinZip yet. SO........Windows defaults to Notepad to open this mystery file. And you see a Notepad full of weird characters and hieroglyphics.

What you now need to do is set the association of .zip files to the WinZip program. To do that, just follow these steps:

1. Find the file in your My Computer folder.
2. Hold Shift key and right-click the file.
3. Select "Open With..." --- A long list of programs will be displayed.
4. Select the program you want to use to open file.
5. Click OK.