Box Edit Opens My File with the Wrong Desktop Program

Overview

Box Edit may open files with the wrong desktop program (for example, a file opens in Preview instead of Microsoft Word). This can happen when the file’s extension is associated with the wrong application on the user's operating system or when the Box Edit helper application is not set up correctly.

Problem

When a user opens a file from Box using Box Edit, the file launches in an incorrect desktop application. Causes include incorrect file type associations on macOS or Windows, an issue with Box Edit’s helper application, or a cached/misconfigured setting that directs files to the wrong program.

For Windows, there is a slight nuance to this behavior. If a given file type has "edit" verb associated with it, then the program associated with "edit" verb is prioritized over the program associated with "open" verb. A CSV file is a classic example on many Windows devices. On a Windows device that has Microsoft Excel installed, the default program for CSV is typically set to Microsoft Excel, but "Edit" verb for CSV file is often set to Notepad.exe. In this case, when you open a file from webapp via Box Edit, the file gets opened with Notepad.exe rather than Excel.exe.

You can check what program "edit" verb is associated with by opening the context menu for a file type of your interest and selecting "Edit".

Process for Resolution

You can follow the steps below to make sure that you have the correct program defaults set for you computer:

• Setting default programs on Windows
• Setting default programs on Mac

You can also change the program associated with the "edit" verb for a given file type by configuring registry key.

The following page from Microsoft shows the relevant registry subkeys for changing/registering the perceived file type for a given file extension and changing/registering the command for "open", "edit" or other verbs.

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/app-registration#registering-a-perceived-type

For the CSV example, either of the followings are the change you can make to open the CSV file with Microsoft Excel (instead of Notepad) based on the above article:

• Change the PerceivedType of .csv from text to document (This will remove "edit" verb from context menu assuming that perceived type document doesn't have edit verb associated with it. In this case, Box Edit will use the program associated with "open" since there is no "edit".)
• Set the "edit" verb of perceived type text to Microsoft Excel by setting \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\text\shell\edit\command to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE" "%1" (Note: The path of excel.exe can differ depending on the editions/versions of Microsoft Excel. Also, this can be the path of any program you would like the file to be associated with.)
• Delete the "edit" verb of perceived type text by removing the subkey \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\text\shell\edit (This will remove "edit" verb from context menu just like the first approach. If "edit" verb for CSV doesn't exist, Box Edit will use the program associated with "open".)

Outcome

Confirm the issue is resolved by opening multiple files of the affected extension from Box using Box Edit and verifying they launch in the intended desktop application. If resolved, the correct application should open consistently without additional prompts or wrong-hand-off behavior.

Alternatives:

If you continue to experience any of the symptoms listed above, collect and submit Box Tools Logs and open a support ticket at support.box.com for further assistance.

Notate the following details:

• Date and time that the file that failed to open
• Name and file ID of the file that failed to open

Further Reading:

Related articles can be found at Troubleshooting Box Edit.