Resources

Lost File Association

It sounds to me as if the file association for opening the Word file has been lost. File associations are used by Windows to determine which program should be launched for working with particular file types. Occasionally, these associations are changed or removed, either on purpose or inadvertently, thus confusing the operating system. In this case, when clicking on a Word .doc file, your computer doesn’t understand that this file type requires Word to be launched.

Resetting the Word File Association

Fortunately, it’s easy to change the file association. Assuming it’s a .doc file that you are trying to create an association for, right-click the Start button and choose Explore. This opens Windows Explorer. Navigate to a .doc document (it doesn’t need to be the one you have on your desktop). Right-click the .doc document and choose Open or Open With, depending on the choice presented. Windows will display a listing of suitable programs, but Word may not be listed. If Word is listed, click it. If not, click Browse and then browse until you can select Word. Once Word is selected, make sure to place a mark in the box that sets this program as the default program type for the selected file type. That will set the file association.

Changing the Program Associated with a Desktop Document

You can also change the program used to open documents that you have stored on your Desktop. Right-click the Desktop icon and choose Properties. You should see the file name listed followed by “Type of file.” Look for “Opens with” and then click the Change button. Windows will list suggested programs. Choose the desired program and then click OK. You will also have an option to set the desired program to the default program for that file type.  

What is the PDR File Extension?

The PDR file extension is a Windows system file known as a Windows Port Driver. This driver is used for recognizing USB devices such as MP4 players, USB flash drives, and so forth. PDR files are a part of the system that allows Windows to recognize and use these USB devices.

Plug and Play Players

Most USB devices such as MP3 and MP4 players are plug and play devices. That is, when you plug them into a USB port, Windows recognizes them and automatically loads the required device drivers. However, since you have a driver disk that you must install, I’m assuming that your player is not a plug and play device.

Installing the Disc

Since the installation disc doesn’t appear to want to run automatically, let’s see if we can’t manually launch the installation program. Insert the disc and the right-click the Start button. Choose Explore and the find the CD drive in the list and click on it. The contents of the disc should show up in the pane. Look for a setup or installation program such as setup.exe or install.exe and double click it. This should launch the installation program. Hopefully, all will proceed normally without the PDR error. If not, let’s try the Add and Remove Hardware option.

Add and Remove Hardware

Go back to the Start button and click on Control Panel. Choose to manually install the hardware when prompted with a choice. Click Portable Device from the list. I would try using the Have Disk option and installing it directly from the CD. Follow the prompts.

Head to the Manufacturer’s Website

If you can’t manually install the MP4 player, then you may want to head on over to the manufacturer’s Web site and visit their tech support section. If I knew the make and model of the MP4 player, that would have been one of my first stops in researching your installation error. While there, double check the system requirements for your device. If you have an older PC, such as Windows 98, USB connectivity is problematic. There’s also a chance that the installation disc is bad or the PDR file on the disc is bad. Look for a replacement download on the site for your particular device and see if you can’t install it using a fresh copy of the installation program.

For further research, try Googling the entire file name, not just “PDR.” Try a few different variations including the product name and exact PDR name. For example, “Sansa MP3 player missing sample.pdr file” may turn up relevant results that related to your specific problem.

What are VOC Files?

The .voc file is a compressed Creative Labs Audio File format that is used by some sound cards for audio files or other recorded sound files. This kind of file most likely contains audio data, like music, and you will need a media player to open it. In this case, the media player that you use needs to be compatible with the sound card that was used to create the files. Unfortunately, the big names in media players, like Windows Media Player and Quicktime don’t support .voc files, and they are not very common. However, there is a media player that is capable of playing these files called WinAmp.

WinAmp

WinAmp was designed by a software development firm called Nullsoft, and released in 1997, but it is now owned by Time Warner. WinAmp Media Player is a free program, and a quick and easy download. There are almost 60 million WinAmp users around the world and it is a reliable download. There is a pro version available that cost just under twenty dollars, but the freeware version works well enough.

Where to Get WinAmp

You can get this download from the WinAmp website, and the most recent version is the 5.54. If you are running the Windows Vista operating system on your computer, there are a few known compatibility issues that will restrict WinAmp performance, but developers are working on fixes for them that will be available in future releases. Once you download the program stay on top it and keep checking back with the website until you get the updates you need. You might also want to update your drivers to make sure that everything is up to date.

WinAmp Requirements

Before you can use WinAmp, your computer will need to meet some minimum system requirements that include:

• 500 MHz Pentium III or higher processor
• 64 MB RAM
• 15 MB of available hard drive space
• 16bit sound card
• Windows 2000
• Internet Explorer 5.01 for online user support

However, these are only minimum standards, and the program developers recommend higher system preferences.

What are CBL Files?

The .cbl file extension is used for files that are written in a programming language called COBOL. COBOL is one of the oldest computer programming languages that is still used today. In order to play the .cbl file, you will want to restore the file association to a COBOL-compatible program. There are a few different COBOL programs that you might have, or can get, on a Windows based operating system, including IBM COBOL, NetCOBOL, and OpenCOBAL.

File Associations

Windows-based computers use file extensions to identify different file types and determine which program will launch in order to open it. File extensions are your computer’s way of tagging and sorting your files, so that it knows what to do with them. If your file associations aren’t the way that you’d like them, you can adjust these settings manually using the Set Associations utility.

Adjusting File Associations

To adjust your files association settings, first open your Start Menu, and then your Control Panel. Find the icon that is labeled Default Programs, and click it twice to open. On the Default Programs menu, there are two options that you can use to change file associations.

Set Your Default Programs

If you use the first option, called Set Your Default Programs, you can choose the program that will be used to open particular file extensions. From the list on the left side of the menu, select the program that you want to set as the default. Not all programs on your computer are listed here, so if the program you want isn’t listed, you can use the second option that is detailed below. If your program is listed, select it to open the next menu. Near the bottom of this screen, there will be a link called Choose Defaults for this Program, which will provide a list of the file extensions that the program opens. You can now add the name of the extension that you want the program to open.

Associating File Types

You can also choose the second option on the Default Programs menu, that is called “Associate a file type or protocol with a program.” When you open this option, you will see a comprehensive list of extension types and the names of the programs that they are associated with. You can change the program by choosing the extension, and then the Change Program link. Remember, you will need a COBOL-compatible program to associate the extension with.

This sounds like a classic case of a broken file association to me.

What are File Associations?

Your computer has thousands of files on it, all with an alphabet soup of file extensions. These file extensions tell Windows what type of file it is. For example, you likely know that a file named “file.txt” is a text file thanks to the “.txt” file extension. Likewise, a file named “file.doc” is a document file. The list goes on with literally thousands of known file extensions out there.

However, Windows doesn’t necessarily know what to do with files containing certain extensions. A file association is a setting that tells Windows what the file extension is and which program to use to open it. For example, your computer may have a file association set up on it instructing Windows to use Notepad for opening .txt files. It may have a file association that tells Windows to use Microsoft Word for opening .doc files. Similarly, audio files such as .wav, .wmv, or .mp3 may have file associations set instructing Windows to use your favorite media player.

What Happens when File Associations are Broken?

When a file association is broken, Windows no longer understands what to do with the file. It then opens a Search box and often fills the box icons of programs representing programs that it thinks may work. For example, if the file association for .txt files is broken, when you click on the desktop icon representing the .txt file (or click a .txt file in Windows Explorer or an e-mail attachment), Windows will open the search box and suggest various programs such as Notepad, WordPad, or Microsoft Word. A Browse button is also present where you can browse your computer to find a suitable program.

Fixing File Associations

Fixing broken file associations involves right-clicking the icon, choosing Open (or Open With), finding the appropriate application for the file type, selecting it, and then marking the check box that says “Always use the selected program for opening this file type.”

Why do File Associations get Broken?

File associations break occasionally, usually because some glitch caused corruption in the Windows registry. In addition, other software sometimes makes itself the default program for opening certain file types. Users also inadvertently change file associations. Any number of possibilities exist.

One Other Possibility

Since this is a Desktop icon, possibly a shortcut, it’s possible that the shortcut’s target is missing or incorrect, causing Windows to open a Search box of some sort. Right-click the icon and select Properties. Is a path entered in the Target box? If so, is it correct? It may be easier to delete the problematic shortcut and create a new one from the original source.

ALB Files

There are quite a few different kinds of file types that use the .alb extension, so you might need to find out a little more information about your file before we can figure out how to open it. Before you can decide which program can open your file, you need to know what kind of file it is. There is a list of .alb file extensions here http://filext.com/file-extension/ALB so that you can research more about your file and figure out the appropriate program. You will need to narrow down which file type your .alb file is, and then you can download or install the corresponding program.

Likely ALB File Types

Since you sent yourself the file from your Samsung cell phone, it is probably safe to assume that it is either a photo, song or ringtone. You can start narrowing your search to these file types. Once you find out what kind of file it is, then you can install the program that you will need to open the file.

Tips

If you can’t find the program that created the file and that can open it on your computer, you can try something else. Another option for you is to try and convert the .alb files to another extension that you can open on your computer. For example, if the file is a photograph, you can change the extension from .alb to .jpeg and see if your computer will open the file that way. This process isn’t guaranteed to work, so create a backup copy of your file first just in case.

Some digital cameras and phones use photography software programs that use an .alb file extension. You can try to change the file extension by changing the format that you are opening it in. Sometimes files convert automatically when they are moved into different program formats. For example, in your case, if you try moving your .alb file from your desktop to your email client, as though you are attaching it in an email to yourself, it might automatically change into a format supported by your email client, most likely a .jpeg file. To do this, highlight and drag the file into the email window, and drop it in the program. With luck, this will change the file extension automatically, and you can then email the file to yourself and open it in its new form.