XenApp: “This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action” when try opening Picture Files

If you happen to run XenApp 5 on Windows Server 2008 platform and users can’t open Picture files on a Citrix session, you are having the headache once I had. Let me describe the problem.

Users are trying to open up an Picture file attachment on a Citrix Session (from the published application like Outlook, SAP, etc.,). They get the following or similar error message. If User has Administrative privileges, Picture file opens up with Office Picture Manager if installed, otherwise given a dialog box to select a program to open with.

What’s wrong with Windows Server 2008? It has no default picture viewer. Office Picture Manager (if installed) does not associate picture files for ALL USERS, so it will not work for Users on a Citrix session.

Solution:

1. Install “Desktop Experience” feature in Windows Server 2008 server. (I didn’t choose this solution, because I don’t want to add extra desktop features which my users aren’t going to use it).

• Log on to XenApp server with Administrative privileges
• Open “Server Manager” console
• Select “Features” section and click on “Add features” link.
• Click Next and select the checkbox “Desktop Experience”. Click Install.
• After the Install, verify the picture files are associated with default Windows picture viewer.

2. Install a third-party picture viewer (like IrfanView, FastStone Image Viewer, Picture Viewer). Better yet, find a portable version of these software and download it to the servers. Associate the picture files for ALL USERS using the software options/preferences. I am personally using IrfanView portable version, it works great on Citrix XenApp servers.

Hope it helps you.

Keywords: XenApp 5, Windows Server 2008, Picture files,JPG, BMP, JPEG,TIFF,association