Opening a SAS file

[Hong]

Please do NOT use Windows Default Program feature to associate SAS file types. It's going to make things worse and harder to fix SAS file type association. Use following links to fix the opening .sas file.

For SAS 8.2 version, http://support.sas.com/kb/16/399.html

For SAS 9.2 version,

The SAS Filetype Registration Utility was installed by default with Foundation SAS^®. The SAS Filetype Registration Utility is labeled as Manage SAS File Types under Start ► All programs ► SAS ► SAS 9.2 License Renewal & Utilities.

[michele_sas · Accepted solution]

File type associations on Windows 7 can be tricky. Two common issues are:  1. Double click a .sas file and it batch submits. 2. Double click a .sas file and it opens in SAS Enterprise Guide when the user expects it to open in the SAS display manager.   See below for some suggestions.

1. Double click a .sas file and it batch submits:

Check to see if you have a UserChoice key set in your Windows registry. If this is set then you can certainly have problems.  This gets set when you use the Windows operating system methods to associate a file type with an application. For example choosing to associate the .sas file type with sas.exe will result in batch submiting a .sas file when you double click it.

Click start and in the search box type regedit and enter.

Navigate to:

HKEY_current_user ► Software ► Microsoft ► Windows ► Current Version ► Explorer ► Fileexts ►  .sas

Look for a key named UserChoice.

If UserChoice exists right click the key and choose export. This will save the key should you need to add it back to your Windows registry.

After you export and save the UserChoice key delete it from your Windows registry by right clicking and choosing to delete.

Warning: Always backup your Windows registry before making changes.

Next test by double clicking a .sas file.  If it still batch submits or opens in SAS Enterprise Guide you should run the Manage SAS File Types utility. The utility allows you to associate file types with either SAS or SAS Entperprise Guide.

SAS 9.2: Go to Start -> Programs -> SAS -> SAS 9.2 License Renewal and Utilities -> Manage SAS File Types

SAS 9.3: Go to Start -> Programs -> SAS -> Utilities -> Manage SAS File Types

For Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 it is important that you  "right click" the utility and "run as administrator" even if you are the administrator.

Next re-test by double clicking a .sas file.

2. Double click a .sas file and it opens in SAS Enterprise Guide:

File types can only be associated with one application at a time. While some users might want a .sas file to open in SAS Enterprise Guide, some users might want .sas files to open in the SAS display manager. To associate your file types with either SAS Foundation or SAS Entperprise Guide use the Manage SAS File Types utility.

SAS 9.2: Go to Start -> Programs -> SAS -> SAS 9.2 License Renewal and Utilities -> Manage SAS File Types

SAS 9.3: Go to Start -> Programs -> SAS -> Utilities -> Manage SAS File Types

Remember to right click on the utility and run as administrator.

I hope this helps.

[Sunshine_sas]

Oh a Happy Note! Tech Support is working with development to come up with a work around for this issue.

Look for this in Mid-January.

Until then have a very Happy Holiday, a Merry Christmas and a terrific New Year.

Take care, Sandy

[silverbrookkong]

Hi, Michele,

Thank you for your detailed instructions. But I have the problem persisting: a .sas file always opens by Enterprise. I tried to de-associate it in the SAS9.3 Utilities -> Manage SAS, File Types. But even after right clicking "run as administrator", the problem is still there and everything in the File type manager automatically went back as how they were: the file type was still checked as being associated with Enterprise.

Do you have any idea of how to solve this problem? Any thoughts from anyone will be highly appreciated as well.

Thanks a lot!

talaci

[art297]

Do you have administrator rights on the computer you are using?

[silverbrookkong]

Hi, Arthur,

Yes I do have administrator rights for my computer. It's Windows 7 system with Sas 9.3 64 bit.

Thanks so much for trying to help! More ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Best,

talaci

[art297]

The link that Michele provided ( http://support.sas.com/kb/45/779.html ) contained two possible approaches.  Did you try both?

If so, have you submitted the problem to SAS Tech Support?

Art

[silverbrookkong]

Yep, have tried Michele and SAS's approaches. I guess I should go to the last resort of SAS support now.

Thanks a lot Art for your help.

Best,

talaci

[michele_sas]

Hi Talaci,

Unchecking a file type in the utility will not de-register it. If the issue is still not resolved try this instead.

From Start -> All Programs -> SAS-> Utilities -> Manage SAS File Types, right click on the utility and run as Admin.

When the utility opens, select SAS Foundation 9.3, make sure everything is checked then click OK.

If you don't see SAS Foundation 9.3 in the list, run the utility from here:

C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3\SASFileExtensionManager.exe

It’s important to note that the file types you see checked in the utility are not necessarily what is associated. All files types are checked by default. If for example you had selected SAS Foundation, then selected Enterprise Guide and then
selected OK, the file types would be associated with Enterprise Guide instead. The association happens for whatever application is actually selected when you click OK.

If this doesn't work please open a ticket up with SAS Technical Support.

Michele

[silverbrookkong]

Hi, Michele, it works now! Thank you for the instructions! The important note IS really important! Can't appreciate it more!

Thank you,

talaci

[JuliaS]

Hi,

I've tried all of the steps that you gave above, including going through All Programs and going directly to the file folder to the File Extension Manager.  In both of these scenarios, I can only see SAS Enterprise Guide.  There is no SAS Foundation in the list.  When I right click on a file, I do see that I can open it with SAS 9.3.  I would like to be able to just double click on a file to open.  Do you have any other advice that I might follow?

Thanks!

[michele_sas]

Hi Julia,

If you have tried running the SASFileExtensionManager.exe from the folder location:

For 32 bit SAS 9.3 on a 32 bit operating system or 64 bit SAS 9.3 on a 64 bit operating system

C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3\SASFileExtensionManager.exe

For 32 bit SAS 9.3 on a 64 bit operating system

C:\Program Files\SASHome\x86\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3\SASFileExtensionManager.exe

, And you still do not see SAS Foundation 9.3 in the list, the next thing I would check would be your
installation. You might be missing a required INI file.

You should see a sas_en-US.ini file under the ..\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3\ folder

example:
C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3\sas_en-US.ini

If this file is missing, SAS Foundation will not show up as an application to associate file types with in the Manage SAS File Type utility.

If this file is missing you can try reinstalling Base SAS or try copying over the file from a colleauge
that has the same SAS version and bitness  and the same operating system bitness as you have.

If this does not resolve the problem please open a track with SAS technical support who would be glad to help.

Kind Regards,

Michele

[JuliaS]

Thank you, Michele.

I do have this file:  C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3\sas_en-US.ini

Should I contact SAS tech support?

Thanks,

Julia

[michele_sas]

Hi Julia,

Yes, I would recommend that you contact SAS Technical Support.

Kind Regards,

Michele

[Chrisinthemorning]

Hi,

I too am (was) struggling with this issue.

I run a windows 7 environment with SAS 9.3 and the typical "Manage SAS file types" that is run via the program menu didn't work for me. All it offered was establishing which file types to associate with Enterprise Guide and no other SAS product was listed. This is probably due to the fact that I had been already playing around with configuring the file type association via windows which several people have posted is a bad idea.

After hunting around the installation folder for a solution I found "SASFileExtensionManager.exe" within C:\Program Files\SASHome\SASFileTypeManagementTool\9.3

I assumed it would just be the exe I ran from within the program menu. However, when i ran it, the only program it gave me the opportunity to associate files with was the main, foundation SAS 9.3. All file types were selected I clicked okay and it now works!

A double click on a .sas program now opens vanilla SAS not EPG and doesn't batch it off.

I hope this solves the issue for others too.

Cheers,
Chris