File associations still default to Affinity version 1 after installing Affinity version 2

[Granddaddy]

Today I saved my first afphoto file using my newly installed Affinity Photo Version 2. 

I was surprised to find that double clicking that file in Windows File Explorer launched Affinity Photo Version 1.

As expected, the Version 2 document failed to open in Version 1. Version 1 displayed an error saying the file includes features from a later version of Affinity.

Is there some reason that file associations were not updated during the install of Affinity Version 2?

Must I know go through every Affinity filetype in
Windows Settings/Apps/Default apps/Choose default apps by file type
and manually set the file associations to Affinity Version 2? I think there are nearly three dozen such file types just for Affinity Photo.

Almost every program I've ever used is eager to associate filetypes with itself. Affinity Photo 2 is a startling exception.

I do hope I'm missing something. 

[R C-R]

56 minutes ago, Granddaddy said:

Is there some reason that file associations were not updated during the install of Affinity Version 2?

Maybe because once you modify a file in V2, you can't open it in V1?

[Granddaddy]

My point is that files created in Version 2 default to trying to open in Version 1. After installing Version 2, Windows default file associations are all pointing to Version 1. This is bizarre.

[Brian_J]

That is strange. After installing v2 on my Windows computer, file associations for all Affinity-related files (even PDF) were automatically removed. After the install, I was prompted to set file associations the first time I opened each file type.

[walt.farrell]

I saw a response to another topic that suggested to me (not stated explicitly) that the V2 apps might not be claiming ownership of the extensions in the same way that V1 did. I have not investigated further, however. Nor have I experimented on my system.

There are mechanisms in both Windows and Mac to configure the associations yourself, so you can certainly set them up to open in the V2 apps if you're ready to do that   (Remembering, of course, that if you open a V1 file in V2, intending to use it in V1 again, you'd best not Save it from V2. There's no warning for that in place yet.)

 

[John Rostron]

On Windows, if you right-click on your Affinity file you are asked what app you want to open the file with. You might need to delve down to reach the V2 App, but on selecting it you will be asked if you want to make it the default for the file type.

John

[Granddaddy]

I installed APhoto 2.0.4 (MSI) this morning. (Actually Affinity provides a .exe file, not an msi file, but msi seems to be their preferred terminology and they include that in the filename.)

I was pleased to find that double-clicking an afphoto file in Windows File Explorer now causes the file to be opened in APhoto 2 rather than in APhoto 1 as I think should be the preferred behavior.

l have APhoto 1, Aphoto 2.0.3 (MSIX) and APhoto 2.0.4 (MSI) installed at the moment. I will be uninstalling APhoto 2.0.3 (MSIX) shortly. Uninstalling it is more confusing than I had expected for several reasons I'll outline in a new thread maybe later today. For now I'll just note that APhoto 2 MSIX behaves much differently than all other Windows apps that are included with Windows 10 or installed by Dell. 

Edited January 28, 2023 by Granddaddy
Added note about exe file

[walt.farrell]

5 minutes ago, Granddaddy said:

Uninstalling it is more confusing than I had expected

You can uninstall from the Start menu, or the Settings > Apps menu.

[Granddaddy]

Thanks, Walt. I had forgotten about Settings > Apps.

My complication was that I'm using Open-Shell with Windows 10. That divides Apps and Programs into two separate menus. The APhoto 2 (MSIX) gets installed on the Apps menu as it should. Right-clicking any App always displays an Uninstall item under the Create Shortcut item, except in the case of Affinity 2 (MSIX) apps which do not display an Uninstall option. And, of course, Apps are not listed in the Windows Control Panel/Programs and Features menu, so Affinity Apps cannot be uninstalled from there either.

Exiting Open-Shell to the Windows 10 native Start Menu where Apps and Programs are intermingled does provide a right-click Uninstall option for  both Affinity (MSIX) and (MSI) installations, once you figure out which of the Affinity Photo 2 items is the correct one to right click.

As you point out, Settings/Apps/Apps & features provides the most unambiguous display of options. I just uninstalled APhoto 2 (MSIX) without any problems.