How can I really associate ActionScript .as file with Flash Builder in Windows 8?

Report · Feb 21, 2014

In Windows 7 you go to Preferences - Flash Builder - File Associations, etc. But the File Associations option does not exist in the Windows 8 version: (See image)

Adobe made a web page that says that you must use Windows Explorer to associate .as files with FlashBuilder.exe, but this doesnt work:http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-builder/kb/unable-set-default-file-associations.html

FlashBuilder.exe does not support opening an .as file like that. Flash Builder attempts to launch a new process and requires another workspace to be able to open a file from Windows. So either Adobe needs to add Windows 8 file association support in Flash Builder, or there needs to be a setting that prevents Flash Builder from opening a second process instance.

Report · Feb 22, 2014

Not sure if this will work in win8 as I don't have it but when I want to associate files with certain programs I do the following:

1. Browse to file

2. Right click it

3. Choose open with

4. Which opens another menu (a list of programs) but at the bottom is an option "choose default program" which I then select

5. Then select / browse to the program that you want to use (tick the box "always use the selected program to open this kind of file"

6. Press OK

D

Report · Mar 14, 2014

No unfortunately it doesnt work that way.

Report · Mar 14, 2014

I figured out a solution. I used a Windows 7 machine that has the proper file association and observed the Windows registry keys using regedit.exe. I exported the keys and made a .reg file and copied it to my Windows 8 machine. After installing the registry keys, the file association didnt work immediately because Windows 8 has this user choice key that still associates .as files with Flash Professional. So after installing the below keys, then I used Windows Explorer to associate .as files with Flash Builder and my file associations are working as expected. This is an Adobe specific integration issue that needs to be fixed on Adobe's end in order to support file associations in Windows 8.

Successful steps:

1) Install the registry keys below

2) Use Windows Explorer to always associate .as file with FlashBuilder.exe

========================================================================================

copy the below to a file with the .reg extension. Then use the Windows Explorer "Merge" command to install into registry

========================================================================================

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.as]

@="FlashBuilder.ActionScript"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.as\ShellNew]

"NullFile"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FlashBuilder.ActionScript]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\DefaultIcon]

@="C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Flash Builder 4.7 (64 Bit)\\eclipse\\plugins\\com.adobe.flexbuilder.ui_4.7.0.349722\\icons\\fb_as.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\Shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\Shell\Open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\Shell\Open\Command]

@=hex(2):22,00,43,00,3a,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,20,\

00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,41,00,64,00,6f,00,62,00,65,00,5c,00,\

41,00,64,00,6f,00,62,00,65,00,20,00,46,00,6c,00,61,00,73,00,68,00,20,00,42,\

00,75,00,69,00,6c,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,20,00,34,00,2e,00,37,00,20,00,28,00,\

36,00,34,00,20,00,42,00,69,00,74,00,29,00,5c,00,46,00,6c,00,61,00,73,00,68,\

00,42,00,75,00,69,00,6c,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,\

20,00,2d,00,6e,00,61,00,6d,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,46,00,6c,00,61,00,73,00,68,\

00,20,00,42,00,75,00,69,00,6c,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,22,00,20,00,2d,00,2d,00,\

6c,00,61,00,75,00,6e,00,63,00,68,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,6f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,\

00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\.as]

@="FlashBuilder.ActionScript"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\.as\ShellNew]

"NullFile"=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FlashBuilder.ActionScript]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\DefaultIcon]

@="C:\\Program Files\\Adobe\\Adobe Flash Builder 4.7 (64 Bit)\\eclipse\\plugins\\com.adobe.flexbuilder.ui_4.7.0.349722\\icons\\fb_as.ico"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\Shell]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\Shell\Open]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FlashBuilder.ActionScript\Shell\Open\Command]