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Advantages of Using File Associations Manager

With PolicyPak File Associations Manager, you don't have to build the perfect workstation and then export all the file associations at one time, making sure to get it all correct the first time, or rebuilding the perfect workstation over and over again. Additionally, if your organization makes a change, for example, to 7-Zip instead of WinZip, and wants to quickly change your .zip associations, you don't have to rebuild your perfect workstation and repeat the process over and over.

With PolicyPak File Associations Manager, you only need to:

  • deploy your application as you normally would, using Microsoft Endpoint Manager (SCCM and Intune) or PDQ Deploy, and
  • use PolicyPak File Associations Manager to make the association between the extension the application.

In addition, it is very easy to have different associations for each computer group by making simple policies for your associations using PolicyPak File Associations Manager. Because Group Policy creation is distributed (that is, different people can create different GPOs), you can leverage PolicyPak File Associations Manager when different people have different needs. In the case of a conflict of two associations, the rules of Group Policy precedence will take effect.

PolicyPak File Associations Manager uses the same basic method and policy settings that the in-box Microsoft method uses. That is, PolicyPak File Associations Manager will create its own associations XML file (one per computer). It works with Microsoft's method (using the XML file and corresponding Group Policy setting), but adds functionality.

However, both methods have some known limitations. First, after the associations are set, users can still work around these methods and try to associate different applications to file extensions. However, those user-created associations will be wiped out the next time they log on and the policy is applied again. Next, both methods only take effect when the Group Policy is set on the computer and the user is required to log off and then log on again. Additionally, both methods only work when the machine is domain-joined. So even though PolicyPak MDM and PolicyPak Cloud can deliver a wide variety of settings to non-domain-joined machines, neither the in-box Microsoft method, nor PolicyPak File Associations Manager, can configure machines unless the machine is domain-joined. Finally, both methods will not affect a user logging onto the computer the first time. The policy will take effect on the second login after the computer gets the Group Policy update.

note

For a video demonstrating how neither PolicyPak File Associations Manager nor Microsoft's method can affect a user until the second login, see the PolicyPak File Associations Manager: Understanding the First Login topic for additional information..