File Extensions

InstallShield 2024

Project: This information applies to the following project types:

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Basic MSI

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InstallScript MSI

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MSI Database

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Transform

File name–extension associations, or file associations, are registry settings that tell Windows what application to use to open files of a certain type. For example, Windows typically opens text files (files with the .txt extension) with Windows Notepad, and opens bitmap files (files with the .bmp extension) with Microsoft Paint.

A file extension allows someone to identify the type of file without accessing the file. A suffix (.abc) is appended to the file name. The file extension is also useful in that another application can recognize whether the application can work with the file (for example, open the file or modify it), based on the extension.

In InstallShield, you can register your own file extensions by configuring the settings in the Advanced Settings area of a component in the Components view or the Setup Design view. Registering your file extension instructs the target machine’s operating system to use your application to open files with your file extension when an end user clicks on a file.