I have someone who is trying to send me pictures of my family and cannot open the files. Whenever I try to open it 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 have no idea how to do that.

Thank you.

Usually images have common file extensions like:
.bmp
.jpeg
.gif
However, occasionally you will find a file with .dat extension which can be just about any form of data file - from text to video. The thing is, .dat files are usually reserved for computer program files and are not used for photos.

When you get the message to make an association between the extension and a program, your computer is asking you to pick the application you want to use to open your file. You do that by double clicking on one - which to open a photo would usually be "Microsoft Paint" or "Microsoft Photo Editor" In your case, I doubt either one will work. Whomever is sending you photos, needs to save them in a different format - that is my opinion. There are a few others on this board that are far more knowledgeable with computers than I - they might have more information for you.

Good answer from Georgia. The easiest solution is to get the sender to include the program information needed to open the file. However, it is possible that there are other factors at work here, too. Is the filename winmail.dat? If so, please take a look at the following page:

winmail.dat

Another easy option is to try the free graphics program "IrfanView". Right click on the file attachment in your email and choose "Save As" and save the file to your computer.

IrfanView can open just about any Graphic or Audio file. To open your file in IrfanView, open IrfanView and click the File/Open command. Navigate to the save location on your computer and if the file is some form of multimedia, IrfanView should be able to open it. http://irfanview.com

Dwight