Configuring Windows Explorer - Registry EditFlags

2 dialog boxes are provided for users to configure the Windows Explorer File Type associations -
  1. The File Types tab of the View/Options... dialog box
  2. The Edit File Type dialog box available via View/Options.../File Types/Edit...
In the Registry, an EditFlags Binary Value (4 bytes) can be used to keep users from using these dialog boxes to re-define selected associations. Of course, the user can always edit the registry itself in order to change a protected association, but the easiest way to make changes is to simply
  1. Rename the associated EditFlags parameter (just add a letter to the name),
  2. Use the provided dialog boxes to make the desired changes, and
  3. Re-name the parameter back to EditFlags (assuming of course that you want to).

Under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, each file extension points to a FileType definition. An EditFlags parameter may be part of this definition. Each context sensitive menu selection (defined under the FileType/shell key) may contain its own EditFlags parameter which, when present, over rides the flags defined at the higher level.

Each of the 11 active EditFlags bits disables some function ...

3 flags affect the File Types tab and will
Function
Byte:Bit
Example
Hide the existence of the association
0:0
01 00 00 00
Disable the Remove button
0:4
10 00 00 00
Disable the Edit button
0:3
08 00 00 00

7 flags control the Edit File Type dialog box and will disable the
Function
Byte:Bit
Example
Change Icon... button
1:1
00 02 00 00
Description of Type edit field
1:0
00 01 00 00
MIME edit field
0:1
02 00 00 00
New... button
0:5
20 00 00 00
Edit... button
0:6
40 00 00 00
Remove button
0:7
80 00 00 00
Set Default button
1:2
00 04 00 00

1 flag supposedly controls whether an Open/Save dialog box is presented when MS Internet Explorer reads a file of that type. Set for .AVI, Excel, Midi, MPlayer, PowerPoint 8.0, RealAudio, Text, MS Word 8.0, and RTF files. However, it is not set for HTML files. (Go figure :)
Function
Byte:Bit
Example
Disable Open/Save dialog box
2:0
00 00 01 00

EditFlags - 4 bytes

ByteBit
Description
Affected Dialog Box
07Disable the Remove buttonEdit File Type dialog
6Disable the Edit buttonEdit File Type dialog
5Disable the New buttonEdit File Type dialog
4Disable the Remove buttonFile Types tab
3Disable the Edit buttonFile Types tab
2Reserved
1Disable the MIME edit fieldEdit File Type dialog
0Do not display any informationFile Types tab
17-3Reserved
2Disable the Set Default buttonEdit File Type dialog
1Disable the Change Icon buttonEdit File Type dialog
0Disable the Description of Type edit fieldEdit File Type dialog
27-1Reserved
0Disable MS Internet Explorer Open/Save dialog
37-0Reserved

Bit 7 is MSB
Bit 0 is LSB
Author: Robert Clemenzi - clemenzi@cpcug.org
URL: http:// cpcug.org / user / clemenzi / technical / WinExplorer / WinExplorerEditFlags.htm