Unable to associate .lrcat to Lightroom in Vista 64 HP

[RikkFlohr]

I teach Lightroom and use a variety of catalogs in my course-ware. Normally, in Vista 32 bit, I would double click on the .lrcat file for the catalog I desired and Lightroom would open with that catalog. I am finding that the 64 bit version doesn't associate. The .lrcat file is a blank icon and in spite of my efforts, I cannot associate it. Lightroom is not registered with Windows as a valid program to open any program. Through the three paths of which I am aware, I can attempt to associate the file but the lightroom.exe doesn't satisfy Vista as a valid choice for some reason.
Has anyone seen this?Does anyone have a solution?
Thanks.

 

[kwdaves]

Lets see:
1. Double click on the lrcat icon
2. Right click on the icon, choose "Open With", navigate to the lightroom.exe file in the "Program Files" folder, highlight it, and hit "Enter".
3. Open Lightroom, choose File/Open Catalog, navigate to the catalog file, highlight it and hit Enter.

Were those the three ways you tried to open it?

 

[Brad Snyder]

There's also right-click 'Send To'. At least in WinXP. I don't have a Vista machine handy to test.

Rikk, I have seen other reports of strange non-stickiness of the lrcat filetype association, and Open With on Windows, don't recall specific versions. Don't believe I've ever seen an authoritative explanatin solution.

Here's a long thread on what I believe is the same/similar problem at flickr's Lr discussion group.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/adobe_lightroom/discuss/72157614986948292/?search=file+association

 

[kwdaves]

Brad,
I checked and yes there is "Send To" in Vista. I also scanned through the flickr thread you linked. It seems to be about opening image files rather than opening Lr catalogs using "Open With". For an image file "Open With lightroom.exe" opens Lightroom and the import dialog for that image.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Ooops, you're correct, I got in a hurry, and searched for the thread, scanned it real quick and posted the link.

Rikk, you might want to read it for general background info, but it's not strictly pertinent, and because I misremembered, my comment about similar complaints should be ignored.

 

[RikkFlohr]

Ken,

I was talking about associating the .lrcat file type with the Lightroom.exe file-not how to open the catalog. 1 and 2 in your scenario are not possible. 3 is, of course. 1 and 2 should be as they work in Vista 32 bit and on the Mac OS. There are three methods for fixing a file association and none of those work. Vista 64 does not recognize the Lightroom executable as a viable program.

 

[kwdaves]

Rikk, I can't explain why it doesn't work for you, but both 1 and 2 work for me. I tried it just now. Clicking on "Open With" gives me a message that Windows cannot open the file and offers me the option of searching on the internet or browsing and choosing a program myself. I chose the second and navigated/browsed to the lightroom.exe file in Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.4, highlighted/selected the file and click "Open". Llightroom opened with the correct catalog. This works for the Vista 64 bit on both my HP desktop and HP laptop.

Edit:

Moreover, the next time I tried "Open With" on the laptop, I was shown Lightroom 64 bit 2.4 as the recommended program.

 

[RikkFlohr]

I have two machines running the 64 Bit OS and the 64 Bit version of Lightroom. One is an HP with Vista64 installed factory. The other is a Macbook running a fresh install of Vista 64 via Bootcamp. Neither shows Lightroom as an option under Open With. Neither will allow me to select Lightroom from the open with. When I choose other programs and browse and I navigate to the executable, it won't select it, but rather treats the Lightroom.exe as a folder and wants to open it rather than select it.

Two completely different systems. Same result.

The 32 Bit wasn't associated either but worked fine when browsed to the executable.

 

[RikkFlohr]

I am able to fix it with a utility developed by the Microsoft MVPs.
Here is the link in case anyone else encounters the problem:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com...s/thread/49221385-1b72-4d6e-9e'6-2'564d'6f76f

 

[kwdaves]

Thanks for the info.