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[CLOSED] [PM] Installer steals file associations with no warning (for a few users) #5546

Open core-ai-bot opened 3 years ago

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Issue by msssk Thursday Nov 21, 2013 at 18:24 GMT Originally opened as https://github.com/adobe/brackets/issues/6073

On Windows 7 the Brackets installer over-writes file associations. It should allow you to specify whether or not you want it to do this.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 04:56 GMT

@msssk That shouldn't happen. Which file extensions? What app were they assigned to before?

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 04:56 GMT

Tentatively assigning@bchintx to do follow-up investigation once we have more info.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by aniforprez Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 07:20 GMT

In my case it overwrote the file associations of MD, Lua, JSON, .properties files.

They were previously assigned to other text editors. MD, Lua and JSON where assigned to Sublime Text whereas .properties was assigned to Notepad.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by msssk Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 17:39 GMT

I haven't investigated exhaustively, but my .js file association was changed as well as .sh.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by njx Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 17:41 GMT

We got a report of this on Twitter as well.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 18:06 GMT

High priority to investigate for Sprint 35.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 18:09 GMT

Adjusting title (was: "Installer does not prompt to set file associations")

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 20:35 GMT

@msssk You've installed earlier versions of Brackets too, right? Did this just start happening with the Sprint 34 build?

We did have some installer changes in Sprint 34, but I'm having a really hard time seeing how the diff (https://github.com/adobe/brackets-shell/compare/sprint-33...sprint-34?w=1#diff-13) could in any way be causing this. We previously registered only for the Open With list, and we still register only for the Open With list... If that didn't cause bugs before I'm failing to see how it could now. @bchintx any ideas?

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Friday Nov 22, 2013 at 20:38 GMT

Is it possible there's some other common app that uses the registry key SOFTWARE\Brackets and we're colliding with it? It's certainly a less unique reg key than we used to use...

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by Krindi Saturday Nov 23, 2013 at 00:18 GMT

I just installed Brackets for the first time yesterday, Sprint 34, and did not have any file extensions changed without warning. This is on Windows 8.1, which just gives a prompt about having new programs that can open this file. May be a Windows 7 specific issue.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Saturday Nov 23, 2013 at 01:41 GMT

@Krindi Yeah, this is definitely not the typical install experience for most users. I'll clarify the title.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by msssk Saturday Nov 23, 2013 at 02:11 GMT

@peterflynn I think the last time I installed it was Sprint 24.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by bchintx Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 07:51 GMT

@msssk@aniforprez The Brackets installer on Windows should only add Brackets as an available program in the "Open With..." context menu, when rt-clicking on a supported file type in Windows Explorer. We don't remove anyone else from the list and we shouldn't automatically take over any default associations.

So, perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what you're seeing. Can you please clarify with some detailed steps to describe the issue?

For example, after installing Brackets, I would expect the following to occur on Windows:

  1. launch Windows Explorer and browse to a file of a supported file type, such as .js.
  2. select and right-click the .js file and mouse-over the "Open With..." context menu item.

At this point, I would expect that you would see a list of programs, including "Brackets", above the last menu item of "Choose default program...". Of course, clicking "Brackets" would then launch Brackets and open the selected file. This is correct behavior.

Are you seeing something different? Or, perhaps, is your concern that the above behavior occurs at all -- ie. that the Brackets installer should have prompted you on install that it was going to add itself to the Open With... list? @Krindi I think this is what you're referring to?

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by aniforprez Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 16:15 GMT

No, it took over completely as the default application for some file types. As in, if I double-click it, it opens in Brackets automatically for those file types and shows the Brackets icon for files of those few types. The files had been previously assigned as defaults to other text editing software.

This is slightly irritating, especially because it opens file types that have nothing to do with Brackets' intended functionality. For eg. .properties files.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by Krindi Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 16:44 GMT

@bchintx Yes that's what I was referring to, just the Windows 8 version of the same effect. The next time you open something relevant a little overlay shows up in the corner informing you that you have new programs that can open that file type and offers to let you change your default program.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by pthiess Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 17:29 GMT

@gruehle Hi Glenn may you have a look at this while Bryan is out?

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by njx Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 19:04 GMT

This was somehow tagged both "medium priority" and "high priority". We discussed it in bug review and agreed that it was high priority--we shouldn't be stealing file associations. However, we need to distinguish between people seeing the default file association change vs. just seeing it get added to the Open With list.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by bchintx Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 20:52 GMT

@njx@peterflynn@pthiess IMHO this isn't "stealing file associations". We're just adding ourselves as a candidate to open specific file types. We don't replace or remove other applications that may also be in the Open With... list, nor do we override any other apps that may have set themselves as the default editor for those file types.

As@Krindi points out, yes, Window 8.x will display a popup saying that another application is available to open a just opened file type. However, any other app would do the same if it registers itself as a candidate to open any individual file type.

IMHO, this isn't a med or high priority issue. I'd vote that this be a great enhancement request to the installer UI to allow the user to specify whether/which file extensions they'd like Brackets to register (or not register). I can create a user story in Trello, if that'd help.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 20:57 GMT

@bchintx Note that some users such as@aniforprez have reported that Brackets does replace other applications as the default Open gesture (not just on the Open With list).

I agree the issue@Krindi described is not a bug -- but the other reports seem much more serious.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by njx Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 20:59 GMT

Yes, and we had at least one report on Twitter of the same behavior@aniforprez is describing (Brackets taking over the default file association).

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by bchintx Monday Nov 25, 2013 at 22:53 GMT

@peterflynn@njx Hmm. Ok. I'll setup a clean Windows image and investigate...

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by bchintx Monday Jan 13, 2014 at 18:54 GMT

quick update: I'm able to reproduce the reported behavior if I install Brackets to a clean Win8 system -- ie. that since we install ourselves as the first and only Open With... application, then Win8 will go ahead and use us as the default editor for that file type. However, it there's at least one other application that's also in the Open With... list (by ProgID), then Brackets isn't being used as the default.

Also, I haven't (yet) been able to reproduce the problem where a Brackets installation actually steals the association from another previously installed application, but I'm still trying to reproduce this on different systems. (I haven't seen it on Win7 yet at all.)

For now, going ahead and clearing the milestone and dropping to Med priority.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by le717 Monday Jan 13, 2014 at 19:41 GMT

I have this issue, Windows 8.1 Core x64. I'm on Sprint 35, only previous installation was Sprint 34. I know for sure Brackets now has the file association for JSON (as in, the file opens in Brackets when clicked and has the Brackets logo). Previously it had no association. I'll check for any others when I boot my laptop.

I am a bit experienced with Windows installers using Inno Setup and I have read multiple NSIS installer scripts in the past (simply learning how they are written. Those things are difficult to write), so I'll take a quick peek at Bracket's and see if I can catch anything that could cause this stealing. You're still using the standard msiexec.exe stuff to compile it and not WiX, right? NVM that question.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by peterflynn Monday Jan 13, 2014 at 21:37 GMT

@le717 I think what you're seeing is expected behavior. If no app was previously associated with the file type, my understanding is that (at least on Win 8.x), merely registering an app for 'open with' on that filetype sets it as the default as well.

The subject of this bug the case where there was already a file association pointing to some other app, but Brackets overwrites the association when installed. We haven't been able to reproduce that, but we've gotten a couple isolated reports (e.g. from@aniforprez) of it happening.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by le717 Tuesday Jan 14, 2014 at 01:31 GMT

@aniforprez How did you associate the file extensions with Sublime? Using regedit or the method described here? I'm attempting to recreate this bug as well based on a wild idea I had.

@peterflynn You're right, that is how it is supposed to act. I guess I did not have my techie and programmer hats on right then.

One thing I am definitely seeing is number of file associations the installer makes "Open With" strings for. Take for example .py and .pyw. As you may know, these are Python scripts. Yes, Brackets allows editing of them and there are even pep8 and linter plugins, but most of the time Python programmers (and this is coming from a Python programmer) have a more dedicated editor when working in that language, such as PyDev, PyScripter, Aptana or some editor that incorporates PyDev, NINJA-IDE, etc. My point is just because Brackets can support those files may not mean the installer should attempt to support them by creating the strings. Removing files that are not core to Brackets' mission (web design) would help remedy what@aniforprez said:

This is slightly irritating, especially because it opens file types that have nothing to do with Brackets' intended functionality. For eg. .properties files.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by MarcelGerber Tuesday Jan 14, 2014 at 20:06 GMT

I appreciate@le717's idea, too. Not to register some of the languages Brackets supports would be a cool thing, for example, I wouldn't ever had the idea of editing a .ini file with Brackets.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by MarcelGerber Wednesday Mar 19, 2014 at 15:23 GMT

Looks like this is still a problem: http://blog.brackets.io/2014/03/18/brackets-sprint-37-build/#comment-2448

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by njx Monday Apr 14, 2014 at 20:59 GMT

Reviewed. Removing 1.0 milestone.

@le717@SAPlayer - we talked about the idea of removing specific file extensions to try to avoid this problem, but it seems like if this really is happening (which we can't reproduce), removing some file extensions won't really mitigate the issue (because we're still going to take over JS, HTML, CSS, JSON, etc.) - people will still be mad that we're taking over the associations from their favorite editor.

It seems like if we want to make progress, we need to either try again to reproduce the problem, or verify that what people are seeing is expected OS behavior.

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by luisillo26 Thursday Apr 17, 2014 at 21:30 GMT

I'm facing the same issue on Windows 7 64 bits. Brackets overrode some of teh association previously set by Notepad++ and Sublime Text

core-ai-bot commented 3 years ago

Comment by roman02 Monday Apr 21, 2014 at 18:17 GMT

This has happened to me with Sprint 38. Interestingly, this applied to PHP files, but not to front-end files. (This shouldn't happen silently for any file types.)

Windows 8.