Thread Subject: MAT Microsoft Access Table

There's a problem I've run into a couple of times and I just
found the solution (in another news group). So I thought
I'd paste it here in case anybody else has similar problems.

For some reason (maybe cause I just installed Office 2007)
my computer decided that my .mat files were shortcuts for
Microsoft Access. Even after going into Folder options and
setting the file type to be associated with Matlab.

The solution I found (in another group).

"Run regedit then click on 'my computer' (registry root).
Search for .mat. You will find 2 hits each one will look
like a folder named .mat or .MAT. Delete them both".

In the registry there was some reference to Access so it was
overriding my preference for file type.

"Richard " <lesricains@PleaseNoSpam.gmail.com> wrote in message <futb89$de4$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> The solution I found (in another group).
>
> "Run regedit then click on 'my computer' (registry root).
> Search for .mat. You will find 2 hits each one will look
> like a folder named .mat or .MAT. Delete them both".
>

I have followed this advice and deleted the two .mat folder-like items, but it still does not work. Is there any additional advice that I can try?

"Philip Arcuni" <parcuni@intevac.com> wrote:
> > The solution I found (in another group).
> >
> > "Run regedit then click on 'my computer' (registry root).
> > Search for .mat. You will find 2 hits each one will look
> > like a folder named .mat or .MAT. Delete them both".
>
> I have followed this advice and deleted the two .mat folder-like items,
> but it still does not work. Is there any additional advice that I can try?
On my Windows Vista (64-bit) it helped to
1. delete the two ".mat" entries in the registry as described above,
2. reboot (==> the "Microsoft Office Access Table Shortcut" should be gone),
3. run Matlab as administrator (right click and select "Run as administrator"),
4. run the link in Matlab help called "Run utility to associate MATLAB with MAT"
    (==> the ".mat" files should now have the matlab icon again).

Thanks for the help everyone! I finally was able to have my .mat files open in matlab instead of the microsoft access shortcuts. Here is what worked for me:

As above, run redegit, click on 'my computer' (registry root), and search for .mat with match whole string only toggled. I found three .mat folders and deleted them all. However, the .mat files on my computer still showed up as the microsoft access shortcuts.

So, I went to Tools ->folder options and then the file types tab. There, I clicked on New and added .mat. Then, click change and choose matlab.exe (you'll probably have to use Browse to find it). That did the trick! This last bit is what I had tried to start with, but it didn't work until after deleting those folders under redegit, so you have to use this order.

FYI, I'm on a Windows XP computer.

> FYI, I'm on a Windows XP computer.

To add a little, perhaps redundant.
On Win7, x64, the .mat files show as shortcuts, but no way would it display the extensions ".mat", even with no hide-this or hide-that boxes ticked.
Interestingly, contrasting with your experience, I only had to associate .mat with Matlab in folder options (or whatever the equivalent is now called), ie no registry edit & it came right.

http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/matlab_env/rmvd_matlablink__14.html

"matlaberboy " <matlaberboy@gmail.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message <hq4bm4$pel$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/matlab_env/rmvd_matlablink__14.html

I had the same problems as the author who started this thread (I'm running XP 64bit, yet discovered a much simpler fix. I just went to a folder - toos - foler options - file types -

Here I selected New and just added a "mat" file extension (even though it already existed) and associated with matlab. This finally associated the extension (and allowed the extension to be viewed in folders.

"matlaberboy " <matlaberboy@gmail.NOSPAM.com> wrote in message <hq4bm4$pel$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/matlab_env/rmvd_matlablink__14.html

I had the same problems as the author who started this thread (I'm running XP 64bit, yet discovered a much simpler fix. I just went to a folder - toos - foler options - file types -

Here I selected New and just added a "mat" file extension (even though it already existed) and associated with matlab. This finally associated the extension (and allowed the extension to be viewed in folders.

Be prepared to go through this process periodically as Windows and Office updates change the settings back. The NeverShowExtension keys for .mat in the registry are also a pain. I eventually stopped installing Access.