I sometimes can't open files sent from friends but not too worried about this. But I need to open an important file from my virus checker so Ican re-install it. A box pops up and says 'This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the folder options control panel'
I don't know where the folder options is and what to associate it with, any help appreciated.

You probably haven't got a program installed to handle the file. What is the extension of the file? If you can't see the extension, save it to a folder, then when in that folder click on tools the folder options then the view tab. Scroll down and untick the "hide extensions for known file types", or something like that and click OK. The file should now have a .*** after it. Let us know what the *** is.

Thanks lurch, I did save it to a file and contacted the support team and it's sorted. As for the emails I get when I can't open a file, I suppose I'll have to continue to delete them.

what file association is it?

eg:- mp3, wav, doc, html, mov, vob, dat (dats the hardest to know cos a hell of a lot of things use dat files :)

if you know the file extension and know what program SHOULD open em you can right click on the file and select open with, then select the file

also you can open any folder and click the tools menu, then select folder options and file types....you can change em in there