Dual versions of CorelDRAW creating problems with inline PhotoPAINT editing

At home I have CorelDRAW 12 and an education version of CorelDRAW X7.  I need to have both versions as CorelDRAW-12 is the only version we have at the office and my daughter is learning Corel with X7.

This creates a problem whenever I double-click an image in Corel-12 at home. It should open in PhotoPAINT 12 but it opens in PhotoPAINT X7. Is there any way to change this behavior? I need to open an image from CorelDRAW-12 in PhotoPAINT-12 and similarly for X7.

I would appreciate a workaround (no problem with system level editing or registry tweaks if necessary). I am using Windows 7 Professional on my home desktop.

Thank you in advance for a working solution.

Amit

  • This is normal behaviour. Windows can only have one default editor for CPT files and that is what the edit bitmap uses. The CPT editor will usually be whichever version of CorelDraw was installed or repaired last.

    It is possible to change the CPT default manually, but you cannot set a default setting to two different values at the same time. To change the default in windows 7:

    • Find (or create) a CPT file, and right click on it
    • Choose open with. You should see a list which includes both versions of photopaint, with the default choice at the top
    • Use the choose default program option at the bottom of the list
    • Select the version you want, and make sure the "always use the selected program..." option is ticked.
    • Click on OK to save the new default.

    This will now be the new default for CPT editing. But there is also a special case, which may be easier to use than constantly changing the default.

    If photopaint is already open, the open version will be used in place of the default. So, the easiest way to make v12 bitmap edits open in v12 photopaint is to open v12 photopaint at the same time as CorelDraw, and make sure it is the only version of photopaint that is open.

    • Thanks harryLondon for the quick reply.

      I had already tried the first method and had initially changed the default CPT editor to PhotoPAINT-12 but it ended up opening PhotoPAINT-12 for inline editing even from CorelDRAW X7. I had to change it back since I use that desktop mainly for tutoring my daughter on X7.

      But the second method sounds promising and I will happily try it next time I'm working. It makes sense and should work.

      Thank you for your help.

      Amit

      • Okay, the second method does not work. Everytime I click on a bitmap inside either version of CorelDRAW, it opens a brand new instance of PhotoPAINT X7 despite a PhotoPAINT-12 session open.
        Any alternate workaround?
        • That method certainly works with newer versions, and as it is windows that is choosing which program to launch, I can't think why it might not work for version 12 -- but I don't currently have anything older than X4 to test with.

          When you right click on a CPT file, is version 12 one of the possible choices in the "open with..." list ? And does version 12 open if you select it (without making it the default) ?

          • Yes harryLondon, on both counts. I have an "Open with..." list and there is PhotoPAINT-12 listed just below the X7 version and if I select it, the CPT file does open in it. But there seems to be no way for me to make it default. I even tried the few registry hacks where I deleted the CPT file type and re-associated it with PP-12. But PP-X7 still opens all CPT files without question and no matter what I do, the registry reverts back to X7 for CPT instantly.
            • Hmm -- I've rechecked that here, and it seems that CorelDraw (or more likely, windows) no longer uses an open photopaint in preference to the system default for editing CPT files.

              This seems very strange as windows itself *is* using the open photopaint to open CPT files if I double click on them.

              I'll do some more tests, but at the moment I don't have any other suggestions.
              • You've been more than helpful - I'm actively searching for a solution. Without your helpful suggestions and interest, I would not have been so persistent.
                Thank you for taking out so much time for my problem harryLondon, I appreciate your efforts.
                Peace - always.