SYMPTOMS
When you try to run a non-Windows-based application from Microsoft Windows
operating system versions 3.0 and 3.1, the following error
messages may appear, respectively:
Application Execution Error
No association exists for the specified file.
OK
Application Execution Error
No application is associated with the specified file.
Create an association by using File Manager.
OK
CAUSE
The above error messages may be generated while attempting to run a non-
Windows-based application if there is an omission in the WIN.INI file. The
error messages imply that an association can be created for program files.
This is incorrect, associations cannot be created for program files.
Program files, in the Windows operating system, have one of the following
extensions:
COM EXE BAT PIF
(PIF stands for program information file. For more information on creating
and maintaining PIFs, see your "Microsoft Windows User's Guide" or use the
Windows online Help utility.)
The above error messages may occur not only with non-Windows applications,
but with any file having one of the above extensions if the file is absent
from the "Programs=" line in the [Windows] section of the WIN.INI file.
When upgrading from Windows 386 2.x to Windows 3.0, the WIN.INI file may
not be correctly updated to reflect the addition of "PIF" to the Programs="
line. In any case, the "Programs=" line should be updated as follows:
If any, or all, of the values for the "Programs=" setting are not present,
they may be added using a text editor such as Notepad.