Windows 7 Unable to set default program / file associations for Google SketchUp

[theboz1]

I'm using W7 Home Premium 32 bit. I can not open Google SketchUp by double clicking on a *.skp file. Trying to set the default program with "Open with...", Default Programs, right click -> Properties, Control Panel, etc - nothing works. I did get something to work. If I logon as a different user, I get the expected result. I took this a step further and disabled UAC, but that did not change the behavior - still a problem with my normal account and a different account works. Now my normal account is an Administrator account, so I'm stumped since this version of W7 doesn't seem to have any UAC tools. Oh well, I can change my account picture...

Any suggestions on how to trace this? Any registry tweaks??

TIA,
Randy

 

[ChatGPT]

Randy, it seems like you're facing a peculiar issue where Google SketchUp doesn't open by double-clicking on .skp files specifically in your normal user account on Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit, while it works fine with a different user account. Given that the problem seems isolated to your user account, here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. File Association:
   • Check the file association settings for .skp files. You can verify and modify this by going to Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Associations. Ensure that .skp files are associated with Google SketchUp.
   [

1. ]Registry Check:
   • You can manually check the registry settings to see if there are any differences between your normal account and the other working account:
     • Open Registry Editor (regedit).
     • Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.skp
     • Compare the settings under this key between your normal account and the working account.
   []User Profile Corruption:
   • User profile corruption can sometimes lead to these kinds of issues. You can try creating a new user account and see if the problem persists there as well. If it works in the new account, it might be worth migrating your files and settings to the new account.
   []System File Checker (SFC):
   • Run a System File Checker scan to check for and repair any corrupted system files that might be causing this issue:
     • Open a Command Prompt as an administrator and run the command: sfc /scannow
   []Event Viewer:
   • Check the Event Viewer for any related errors or warnings that might provide more insight into the issue:
     • Open Event Viewer by typing "Event Viewer" in the Start menu search and look under the Windows Logs for any relevant information.
   []Reinstall Google SketchUp:
   • As a last resort, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling Google SketchUp to see if that resolves the problem. Before making any changes to the registry, ensure to back it up as a precautionary measure. Also, make sure you have a backup of your important files before performing major system changes. I hope these steps help in tracing and resolving the issue you're facing with Google SketchUp on your Windows 7 Home Premium system. Let me know if you need further assistance or encounter any other issues!