Unable to open *.oft files by directly opening them. (Double-Click on them from file share, etc)

Check the following which came from Kelly's Korner (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_f.htm)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q307859/

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/file_assoc.htm

Syngue, your link would be helpful and exactly right if I had XP, but in Vista it does not work exactly the same way.

So I need help with how to do this in Windows Vista.

You should request attention from the moderators and change your zones. You posted this in Windows XP Zone

Hi Martin,

1. Download FileExtInfo.zip from here:
    http://windowsxp.mvps.org/fileextinfo.htm

2. Unzip the utility and extract the files to Desktop.
3. Double-click "FileExtInfo.exe" to run it.
4. Select [.OFT] file type from the list box
5. Click "View file association report"
6. Copy the contents of the report and include it in your reply.

Here is the report:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.OFT]
@="oft_auto_file"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.OFT\Outlook.Template]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.OFT\Outlook.Template\ShellNew]


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file]
@=""
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office12\\OUTLOOK.EXE\" \"%1\""


[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.OFT]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.OFT\OpenWithList]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.OFT\OpenWithProgids]
"Outlook.Template"=hex(0):
"oft_auto_file"=hex(0):

You don't actually need these two lines in your *.reg file:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file\shell\open]

However, it will do no harm to leave them there.  If that doesn't work, my advice would then be to edit the *.reg file and ADD the following value below the first of the lines above, hence my reason for including it:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\oft_auto_file\shell]
@="&open"

In many cases this isn't necessary, but if there are any more "shell" actions like "print", "edit", etc, then by specifying the   @="&open"   line in the "\shell" key, then it confirms the Open command as the default value, ie. the command executed on a double-click and also that menu option that will appear in bold on the Right-Click menu.

You may not need the Creative Element Power Tools mentioned by synque, although having these tools would certainly be handy.  Look at "Method #2" here and see if you can do it:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article02-500

You see the "EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00 value in your report?
That means that there are no restrictions that would prevent it from being shown and allowing the file type to be edited in the XP Folder Options > File Types tab, and therefore should be no impediment on doing the ame using Vista's quirky ways.

@BillDL: unfortunately Vista doesn't allow you to edit the actual command line of the program being run. That is the whole problem. So the question starter has two options 1.) editing it in the registry 2.) using a third party program for it.

Huh!  What a crazy operating system.  I was sure I had done this when I was sorting out someone's Vista laptop a few months ago, ie. changing default actions for potentially "dangerous" file types like *.vbs, etc.  I know I had a hell of a time trying to find the apparently equivalent options in Vista that are so easy to get to in XP, but I did eventually discover where it was all tucked away.  In the end I suppose I must have just ended up merging a *.reg file.

I didn't mean to sound as though I was criticising or contradicting you.  I was just puzzled as to why I seemed to have recalled doing that.  I simply haven't had the same level of exposure to Vista as I would have liked, and my memory must be getting bad with age ;-)

Thank you both. I edited the registry (by running the .reg-file) and the .oft-extension started to work at once. THANK YOU.

It was a small but annoying problem. Since you both had working sollutions, I will give some points to both of you.