Opening a file using a different program

Your file isn't lost. You only need to know two things to fix this problem: the full name of the file (including the stuff after the dot) such as 'budget99.txt', and where it is on your computer (for example: c:/myfiles/budget99.txt)

Windows decides which program to use to open a document based on its three or four-letter extension (the part of the filename after the dot). So an .htm file is opened with Internet Explorer (IE) or Netscape and a .doc file is opened with Word. And if Windows doesn't know which program to use, it will ask you and then remember this association for next time.

To solve your problem, you have two choices:
1. CHANGE the association for the file type to Internet Explorer, or
2. RENAME the file with an .htm extension (which is already associated with Internet Explorer on your machine)

Option 1: To change the association of a particular file extension (such as .txt), go to 'My Computer' and click on 'View', then 'Options', then 'File Types'. Browse down the list of file extensions until you see yours, and click 'Edit'. Then 'Edit' again until you see the 'Choose Application' dialog box.

Option 2: This is probably easier. Open Explorer (not IE but Windows Explorer) and highlight your file and then click the right-hand mouse button and choose 'Rename'. Now rename the file with an .htm extension (such as budget99.htm). Now whenever you want to view this file, Windows will know that it has to open it with IE.