Parallels

Symptoms

PDF, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, etc documents are saved or shown as pdf_auto_file, doc_auto_file, xls_auto_file, docx_auto_file, xlsx_auto_file, ppt_auto_file. No default application is assigned to open them.

Also, they may be shown as PDF file, DOC file, XLS file, PPT file instead of Adobe Acrobat Document, Microsoft Word Document, Microsoft Excel Document, Microsoft PowerPoint Document.

Cause

Such issue may happen when the file type was registered in Windows before the default application for this file is installed. actually only the last one.
This may happen due to sharing applications from Mac side.

Resolution

1. Please open Registry Editor (Start > Run... > type regedit > click OK )
2. In the Registry Editor please expand HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and find appropriate file extension and click it. For example, for PDF files - .pdf
3. In the right pane right-clcik on (Deafult) and select Delete. The value pdf_auto_file will go away.



4. Close Registry Editor
5. Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Folder Options. Open tab File Types.Below
6. Find PDF extension in the list. Filetype will be either pdf_auto_file or PDF File. The default file type (Adobe Acrobat Document) is mentioned below. Click Restore button.


8. Repeat the same for all other needed file types (.doc, .xls, .ppt, .docx, .xlsx, .pptx)

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The Windows Vista tool you use to change file associations in located in the Control Panel under the Default Programs icon:

Once on the Default Programs screen you have two choices for changing file associations:

1. Set your default programs
2. Associate a file type or protocol with a program

The first selection on the Default Programs screen  is Set Your Default Programs. On this screen of the tool, you can select a program and either give it complete control as the default program for all file extensions it can handle or choose the file extensions you want individually.

Clicking the Choose Defaults For This Program option on the Set Default Programs screen  shows you a list of potential file extensions that can be associated with the chosen program. From here, you can check additional file extensions you would like Windows Vista to associate with the program.

In the example shown below, we have chosen the .inf extension, which is currently associated with Notepad. From this screen, we can choose to change the association to another available program.

If another viable program is not listed on the screen above, you can browse your system for programs.

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Note: that it is generally not a good idea to associate a file extension with a program that is not capable of reading or otherwise acting on it.

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Once your file extensions are selected, you click Save and then OK to apply your changes to Windows Vista