AirEd takeover?

[jimslost]

I don't know where this rightly goes, but hopefully Tom will move it if necessary....

The other day I downloaded AirEd to see to better explore the depths of the ever-mysterious .air file. I used it to explore the .air file of one (1) plane, then closed it and spent the next few days working on a sound package. When I came back to look at .air files tonight, I discovered that EVERY SINGLE .AIR FILE IN EVERY SINGLE AIRPLANE ON MY COMPUTER has been changed to the AirEd format. This includes airplanes I keep archived outside of my Microsoft Games directory. In a few minutes I'll find out for myself if this is reversable, but I need to know if this is normal for this program, because if it is, I shall have to remove it from my system. Anyone out there had a similar experience?

Thanks for the help.
jim

[scubakobe]

Maybe it just associated the .air file with the AirEd program.
Try right clicking the .air file, then choosing properties, then choose a program to open it with. This should set the program you choose as default.

[jimslost]

I think you're right about the files now being associated with AirEd, Kobbe. Fortunately getting another program to open/edit the .air files is not a problem (though I will follow your suggestion as I edit each .air file). My worries are that the contents of my .air files remains as they were (and as yet I have found no evidence to the contrary), and that I find a way to replace the new icon (if that's the proper word) with the one they originally had. As it happens, I was writing some of those .air files for other people and it would not be appropriate for the world to think I had created them with AirEd, which I did not.

And of course I would like to understand exactly what happened so I can prevent a recurrence.

[Admin]

Yes, AirEd associates itself with air files. This is a good thing. You can now open an air file in AirEd simply by clicking on the air file. Its the same as Winzip associating itself with zip files or Microsoft Word associating itself with doc files, or Media Player associating itself with MP3s. It does no harm and can be a real convenience. There is no need to prevent a recurrence. I repeat: This is a good thing.

[scubakobe]

The person receiving the .air file will see it with just a default icon (Blank icon with image of an application).
If the person happens to have AirEd, they would already have all the icons changed to AirEds icon, and it would be associated with AirEd.
So don't worry about people seeing the icon because they won't see it unless they have AirEd too, they may have it associated with Notepad (Like me) and will see a notepad icon instead.

Hope this helps

[jimslost]

Ah. Thanks, gentlemen, your information does help. Possibly I've spent too many years in an environment where unexpected changes like this were usually harbingers of disaster.