HELP! Windows cannot open this file

Filed under: Internet, OS Updates, Utilities, Features, Windows, Office, Shareware, Freeware, Open Source, How-Tos

HELP! Windows cannot open this file

by Alan Silcott Jun 20th 2008

Can not open dialog

You've just downloaded that must have program only to realize that Windows has no idea what to do with it. After an hour of Google searching, forum posting, and being called n00b, you finally figure it out.

If only there was a guide that showed you how to get all those needed programs. We at Download Squad feel your pain and have put together a list of 10 free programs that will take care of those pesky "Windows cannot open this file" messages once and for all.

Note: See a blatant omission or oversight? Please add it to the comments. With your help, we hope to re-post a more complete list the future.

K-Lite codec pack

File Types: DivX, XviD, AVI, Mpeg 1-4, AC3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, FLV, OGG, VOB, and tons you've never heard of.

Description: Why there are 85,000,000 different audio and video types we have no idea. What we do know is trying to install codecs one at a time generally ends in a reformat.

Thankfully, the good people from K-Lite (Koors Lite?) have bundled all the software and codecs you need into one executable. Cheers!
Real Alternative and QuickTime Alternative

File Types: RM, RA, RAM, RPM, RMVB, RPX, SMI, SMIL, RT, RP, MOV, QT, 3GP

Description: Before the days of Youtube, the Real Player and QuickTime were kings of Internet multimedia. Sure you had to deal with popups, reminders, updates, and bloatware, but that 1" video was so worth it.

Fortunately, the Real and Quicktime Alternatives removed the real in Real Player and restored the quick to QuickTime. Enjoy your 1" video!

Microsoft Professional Photography Codecs

File Types: CR2, TIF, CRW, DNG, ARW, SR2, SRF, ORF, PEF

Description: Microsoft is now allowing RAW image formats to be supported in Windows. The JPEG community may never recover.
Irfanview

File Types: Full List

Description: Irfanview, pronounced "Ear-Fan" view, is a simple, lightweight image viewer that seems to have no limit to the number of files it supports. We can't wait for Nose-Fan and Eye-Fan view.

Word, Powerpoint and Excel Viewer

File Types: DOC, PPT, XLS, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, WPD, WPS, XML, RTF, HTM, HTML, PPS, PPSX

Description: With so many free alternatives, it seems like the only reason to fork out hundreds of dollars for the Office suite is to read your colleagues work. Oh wait
Foxit PDF Reader

File Types: PDF

Description: Despite Adobe's best attempts with Acrobat Reader, the PDF has become a widely used format. We still don't understand how a PDF brings a dual-core 2gb ram system to its knees.

Foxit is lightweight and fast and does what one would expect from a PDF viewer. The new version of Foxit also supports video and audio files, but don't watch movies in your PDF viewer, that's just wrong.

Winrar

File Types: RAR, ZIP, CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, ACE, UUE, BZ2, JAR, ISO, 7Z, Z

Description: Take for example a file we downloaded from our favorite torrent site; we'll call it "TheBuccaneersCove.org" to protect its identity. The file was an iso image compressed in 50 RAR files and bundled in a ZIP. Winrar took care of all three layers and did it much faster than it would have taken to download the files uncompressed.
Daemon Tools

File Types: B5T, B6T, BWT, CCD, CDI, CUE, ISO, MDS, NRG, PDI, ISZ

Description: Pitchfork, flaming sword, whip, crucifix? Not quite, but equally bad if you ask some PC game companies. Daemon tools is a clever program that gives your CD's and CD images a drive letter on your hard drive eliminating the need for physical media.
Java

File Types: JAVA

Description: Your going to need the Java runtime environment. It helps you play games, view websites, and run miscellaneous software. No, you don't need the Yahoo! toolbar and you certainly don't need annoying update reminders, but it comes with the package.
Shockwave and Flash Player

File Types: Embedded Shockwave and Flash Content

Description: Without Flash games, kids might actually have to use the computer for homework.

Tags: codecs, extension, freeware, shareware, tools, tweet-this, utilities, windows

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Bufsabre said 7:55PM on 6-20-2008

can this article really be tagged open source considering half of those are proprietary?

Insomnious said 8:01PM on 6-20-2008

Erm, instead of WinRAR, you're probably better with something like 7-zip or IZArc, both freeware.

bradwjensen said 4:02AM on 6-21-2008

I was thinking the same thing..

Fumoffu! said 9:39AM on 6-21-2008

WinRAR might cost money, but the trial never stops working, it just has a nag screen. I prefer winRAR over any other archiving program.

Ellen said 8:20AM on 6-22-2008

I like Izarc. Works like a dream.

berelv said 6:37PM on 6-22-2008

Some files will not unzip properly withe 7zip (for instance the "buccaneerscove.org" kinda files

Taylor said 5:30PM on 6-23-2008

I use ExtractNow. It's free, incredibly simple, and small, and extracts just about everything excep 7zip files.
-Taylor

Monoboy said 8:12PM on 6-20-2008

I always found K-Lite to kind of hazardous installing codecs all over your system. I prefer something like FFDShow which granted won't let you encode video, but will let you play videos in many different formats.

To one up that, there is a great pack for video playback called CCCP. http://www.cccp-project.net/ I believe it was originally made to be an easy setup to play downloaded anime videos since they often come in many different container formats and can have subtitle files, but it works great for any video file I have come across.

Alan Silcott said 9:37PM on 6-20-2008

I actually use

Freezer said 8:24PM on 6-20-2008

Instead of the bulky codec packs, I would recommend either installing ffdshow (an all-in-one codec) or VLC or Mplayer (which has ffdshow bulit in and pretty much plays anything).

Steve said 10:20PM on 6-20-2008

While I love me some VLC, it's interface isn't suited to watching a library of videos (no media library, playlist, etc.)For that reason I agree with using CCCP. It's a solid, stable pack that will allow you to use your player of choice.I use VLC for one shots (but agree it absolutely belongs on this list)

Salsa Shark said 2:03AM on 6-22-2008

VLC has a playlist...

flo said 8:30PM on 6-20-2008

ewh, don't install crappy codec packs ... just use vlc.

Will said 9:26PM on 6-20-2008

i prefer 7-zip

Alan Silcott said 9:41PM on 6-20-2008

I actually use FFDShow myself. For the sake of this article I went with the most popular codec pack listed on free-codecs.com because it supported a few more formats.

The one advantage I like about the codec pack over VLC is that you can use the codecs in the player of your choice such as Windows Media Player. Call me crazy but I actually like the Windows Media Player interface over VLC. But I agree, VLC is a kick butt little program and you will most likely have less troubles with it than a codec pack.

Murtadh Altarouti said 10:14PM on 6-20-2008

I would put VLC (videolan.org) as a video/sound codec player, it offer good, reliable and conflicts free install and work compared to the other codec packages like k-lite, ccc or others.

Alan Silcott said 11:15PM on 6-20-2008

I haven't used CCCP before. It looks promising.

I will also give 7-zip a try. I have been using winRAR for years. Back in the day nobody else supported the RAR format.

Thanks for the comments so far.

Robert Headley said 12:26AM on 6-21-2008

CCCP is great Alan, I highly recommend it.

Installing both of the alternative programs are a drag, since they both want to install a copy of MPC. Get the Lite versions, you don't need MPC if you have SMplayer or VLC, which I would highly reccomend.

FFDshow is a must and is probably included in CCCP. If you can't decode it with FFDshow, its probably not worth decoding.. or something.

7-zip or Izarch is a much better alternative to Win-Rar. If I had to have a proprietary compression program, it would be Win-Rar, but 7-7ip/IZarch is better, faster, etc etc. Not to mention more open.

I tend to find that MagicDisc works better, and I beleive its freeware, just like Daemon Tools, DT is just too big and bloated now.

Insomnious said 8:35PM on 6-21-2008

If you really want to avoid installing codec packs, and don't like the look of VLC, you've always got GOM Player and SM Player which are pretty much all-in-one media player and codec packs (and look a lot prettier too).

Make sure you search for GOM rather than DOM player, which is generally pretty nasty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domplayer#DomPlayer)

Robert Headley said 12:30AM on 6-21-2008

MagicDisc
http://www.magiciso.com/tutorials/miso-magicdisc-overview.htm
SMplayer
smplayer.sourceforge.net/
VLC
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
7-Zip
www.7-zip.org/
IZarch
www.izarc.org/download.html

Cheers!

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