Windows XP .ics calender file

[Guest ebedding]

I have been able to temporarily get Windows XP to look at the .ics file extension as an IronCad file by changing the "open with" file association.

 

Unfortunately after rebooting, Windows XP appears to change the association back to an .ics Outlook calender file.

 

Without making the "open with" change, opening multiple .ics files opens multiple instances of Ironcad instead of all the files in (1) Ironcad window.

 

Is a registry edit or Outlook reconfiguration required? Has anyone found a workaround on this issue?

 

Erik

 

 

 

[Guest gsteward]

Hey Erik,

 

Though we're running IronCAD on NT boxes, we are experiencing the same problem. I would assume the fix is the same between the 2 operating systems.

 

To fix the .ics file association for NT, do the following:

>open Windows Explorer

>goto the view pulldown and select options

>select the File Types tab

>find and select iCalender in the Registered file types

>select edit

>double click on Open in the Actions box

>browse to the ironcad.exe file

>change the Description of type and Icon

>select Ok to save your changes

 

XP is almost the same as above but in a different location

>open Windows Explorer

>goto the Tools pulldown and select Folder Options

the rest should be the same or very close to the above

 

This seems to fix the problem for us until we apply an office or outlook update, which seems to have the tendency to reset it back.

 

Let me know if it works,

 

Greg Steward

 

 

[Guest IronKevin]

Hi Erik,

 

I know what you are talking about, every time Outlook 2002 starts it "re-claims" the .ics extension for it's iCalendar file type. I'm told there is no way to change Outlook's rude behavior but I'm still searching.

 

IronKevin

 

 

[Chris Lohman]

I believe I may have stumbled on to something with this and would appreciate it if others would test it. Note: I did try editing the open with action on the file types (like we used to do on WinNT) and hacking a few reg values and such and could never make the .ics <--> IronCAD relationship stick for very long.

 

This one seems to be sticking though:

(WinXP Only)

1) Close IronCAD

2) Launch Windows Explorer (my computer) and find a .ics file.

3) Right click on the file and goto

--> Open With

--> Choose Program...

--> Pick IronCAD

--> Chose the "Always use the selected program to..." Option

 

For some reason it took a while for the icons of the file types to change and I don't know when exactly it happened, but it did. I reboot many many times each day so it probably updated then.

 

Anyways, after going through that method instead of trying to brute force the extension association, now Outlook2k2 doesn't seem to be reclaiming the extension.

 

Of course the next Office update I install will probably break the association again.

 

 

[Guest ebedding]

Chris,

 

We found a similar approach here that seems to be holding the desired .ics association even after restarting my PC. For now Outlook is behaving itself and not grabbing the .ics extension back...

 

Control Panel

Folder Options

File Types

find .ics & Delete it

select New

Advanced

Find

IronCad Scene

Set Default

Always show

 

 

[Chris Lohman]

Ah, interesting. We were just changing the .ics before and ti was being recalled, but if you delete and re-create it, it then sticks...very curious...

 

 

[Guest ebedding]

Chris,

 

I just had to go back in and R. click an .ics Open with properties: (R. Clicking a .ics file) and select the Microsoft Outlook option as well for .ics files and browse to ironcad.exe to force Outlook .ics to Ironcad.ics.

 

 

[Corey Cooper]

I just upgraded to MS Office 2002, and now my icons (in explorer) have changed to the calender icon for Outlook. Its more of a cosmetic thing with me (I like the IC icon) as I don't use explorer to open files. I've tried all the suggestions, and Outlook still takes control of the .ics file.

 

Windows 2000 SP3

512 mb Ram

IC6.0

 

 

[Guest ebedding]

I just battled the dreaded .ics ICalendar file extension setting up my new PC. This Process worked & will maybe save others some aggravation.

 

Control Panel

Folder Options

File Types

Scroll down to .ics & Hit Restore (This will bring back the delete option)

Select .ics again & hit Delete

select New

enter File Extension .ics in box

select Associated File Type & Scroll down to select IronCad Scene

Hit OK

[Mike Allen]

This works perfectly!

 

 

 

Until I made the mistake of rebooting & opening Outlook - which promptly reclaimed the file type. Then I looked at Outlook's Tools>Options & thought I had the answer:

 

So I unchecked the box, closed Outlook and all other applications, opened Windows Explorer & changed the file type for .ics back to IronCAD (by deleting & adding it back in.)

 

Unfortunately, Outlook is a Microsoft product & Microsoft knows better than us - so as soon as I opened Outlook again, it reclaimed the file type (certainly for my own good.)

 

The funny thing is that before I tried another round with the ics file type today, my only issue was that double-clicking an IronCAD scene always opened another instance of IronCAD. Now, I can only seem to fix it between sessions of Outlook.

[tlehnhaeuser]

OK, Lets heres my issue. When I take all the normal steps to have the ICS changel to IRonCAD as the default teo things come up

1- IronCAD doesn;t show up in the list of apps to choose from and

2 - When I manually use the browse and pick the IronCAD.exe file to change it, it doesn't take.

 

Are they any othere ways to correct this or does this require a re-install? I try to avoid re-installs whenever possible.

 

Spec: Running IC 8 build 8665 with all the latest hotfixes. Win XPPro

 

thanks

tom

[Guest IronKevin]

Tom,

 

On most systems I've seen Outlook simply take the file extension back automatically. That may explain why it won't "take" for you. Other then that if you have follow the directions in the to posts above yours you have done all there is.

 

IK