At 12:20 PM +0100 9/5/06, you wrote:
I have recently inadvertently downloaded MS word viewer and deleted it,
I also have automatic windows updates.
I am concerned that MS might be dictating use of their software by
changes that occur!
I find that if using file explorer I have to identify the file
association program for *.odt files.
It sounds like MS or some other title wrote info to your Registry
(which is where the associations are stored between filename
extensions and applications they belong to) that has ruined the link
between .odt and OOo
This never used to happen, is
irritating and worrying as is my data at risk of getting lost.
I doubt your data is impacted, but of course, you DO back up to
regular archival backups, right? That is our responsibility as
computer owners, of course, because a million and one things could
happen to destroy data on our hard drives, even if there were no Evil
Empire type of software companies to deal with. :-)
What
would be the situation if due to problems like this I am forced back to
MS products, will they make *.odt documents unreadable?
You will not be forced back.
Have you tried reinstalling OO? Usually this is the simplest fix for
end-users to re-associate an extension with an application ... and
highly preferable to mucking about in the registry unless you really
know what you're doing in there. (I don't, and I refuse to touch the
registry on Windows boxes after one very sorry experience)
Really like Open Office so hope you can help my concerns and you need to
know of MS problems if that's what is happening?
Well, if by reinstalling OOo you regain both your ability to
double-click .odt files and have OOo launch, and your confidence that
you can rectify the disassociation of the extension by simply
reinstalling OOo ... it would be very interesting indeed to reinstall
MS Word Viewer and see if the same thing happens again. But nothing
would look worse for MS right now, for reasons of recent history that
would be too long (and inappropriate perhaps) to enumerate here, than
to write their installers so as to deliberately mess up consumers'
ability to use the software they choose on their computers.
btw, Dennis, you seem to have a healthy fear of MS. Have you
considered switching to Linux (there are some great new Linux desktop
distributions that would be very familiar to a Windows user) or Mac?
There is no way to be "MS-free" on a Windows box, obviously. Sounds
like you'd be less stressed with a different set-up (and this is said
in full recognition of the value of many MS products and the comfort
with which many folks use them ... I am speaking specifically to
Dennis here, to his expressions of extreme concern, and not intending
to start a platform war. I work on and earn money writing software
for all platforms.)
kazar
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