here's my problem, I have a table with image references and I want it to open the images in photoshop when you click the image path.

I have one computer set up here at work that handles this fine. I tried to recreate it on a different machine though, and it refuses to open the images in anything except IE. Access help tells me to change the file type settings of windows to open with my specified program (photoshop in this case) but it just will not work for me on this other machine.

The machine that does this is win2k pro, using photoshop 6 to open the images. I've tried to get it to work on another win2k pro box with photoshop 7 and that wont work, also tried it on a XP home box using photoshop 7 and that doesn't work either.

If anyone knows a solution, it would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Are you saying you have tried to change the file association and failed, or that changing the file association does not solve the problem?

If your image files are JPEGs (i.e. the file extension is .jpg) then these will normally open with IE. When you install Photoshop you can change the settings so that JPEGs normally open with Photoshop. You can also change the association using Windows Explorer. This is under Tools/Folder Options/File Types in Windows 2k

Sorry if this is all perfectly obvious, but you sometimes need to check the basics!

yes, thats exactly what I did, more than once...tried doing it as an Administrator, tried restarting the computer...

I'm wondering if Access remembers whatever the file association is when it is installed, so if you change the associations afterwards it still remembers the previous settings. My next move would be to reinstall access, but it's really a shot in the dark.

File associations are nothing to do with Access, they are a Windows registry setting.

What happens if you double click one of your image files from Windows Explorer? If that opens using IE then you have an association problem. If that opens with Photoshop, but in Access, opens with IE, then I don't know what is wrong.

yes neileg, that is exactly what happens. Double clicking from windows explorer opens them in photoshop like I want, but in access they open using IE. Windows itself recognizes the association but access doesn't.

I'm still trying to figure it out, I know it is possible, just not sure how.

The Shell() function should allow you to open your graphics file using the PhotoShop program. Something like...

Call Shell("C:\Programs\PhotoShop10\Photoshop.exe C:\My Graphics\Picture.jpg", vbNormalFocus)

HTH

hmm...that sounds like the right track,

only problem is I'm no access expert, not by a long shot. Could you possibly tell me any more info on how to implement that? I had our programmer look at your suggestion, he does know VB which I think is what you're talking about, he just isn't sure about programming with VB inside of access.

And to further describe what I'm dealing with, its a form with a hyperlink field, and when I click the hyperlink it opens the image in IE, only I want it to open in photoshop.

Thanks in advance guys,

j

Mmm...

I've replicated your problem, but I can't solve it! Yet!