How do you prevent .mar extension ruining your files through Microsoft Access?

If you have Microsoft Office installed, any version, and you create a file with a .mar extension, or even if you have an existing file and change its extension to .mar - it automatically turns that file into a Microsoft Access Report Shortcut file - it converts it into a shortcut instead of a file and changing the file extension back to original *does not* get it back. This is crazy. How do you disable this behavior?

So in other words, create a test .txt file and type whatever you want in that .txt file. Imagine it's important data.
If someone comes along and changes that file's .txt extension to .mar on a computer where Microsoft Office is installed, it basically ruins the file for average computer users.

I figured out that I can rescue the files from DOS but how can they be rescued back from within Windows? How do we put a stop to this Microsoft Access Report Shortcut file takeover nonsense?


EDIT:

c627627 said:

I think I got it:

Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program > scroll down to .mar and double click on it > Notepad


This effectively fixes the problem by disassociating .mar files away from Microsoft Access.

Click to expand...

I just tested this with a text file on my computer (with Office 2013, including Access). It changed it to a MAR file. I changed it back, all the contents are still there. I even opened the file when it was ".mar".

Did you undo or did you manually change the name of the file from test.txt to test.mar then manually change it back to test.txt?

What happens when you manually do it, what happens when you change file name to test.mar? Does it become a shortcut like this, a shortcut which doesn't even display the .mar extension:

I created a text file on my desktop. Extensions of files are always on. I changed it to ".mar", which looks like your icon minus the arrow. I tried to open the .mar file, Access opens, nothing happens. I renamed the .mar back to .txt and my file is still intact.

With your picture, why does it not have the .mar extension? Are you sure the option to show all extensions is enabled? What happens if you forcibly open the file in Notepad or Wordpad?

What I expect to happen is exactly what is happening to you. It doesn't happen here, therefore something's up that's unique to this setup. This is a very interesting problem.


All right, so
1. All extensions are set to show.
2. As soon as I change or create a .mar file - the file BECOMES a Microsoft Access Report Shortcut file, A shortcut instead of a file, with its file size unchanged. It launches MS Access when double clicked on.

3. Since shortcuts have no extensions, this file's extension can no longer be set to anything else.

4. File > Open from Notepad does open the file if I set Notepad to see ALL FILES.


But the file's extension can no longer be changed. Therein lies the problem. It permanently becomes a Microsoft Access Report Shortcut file.


EDIT: Problem exists under Windows XP Office 2003 as well as Windows 8 where both MS Office 2003 and Office 2013 are installed... the shortcut launches MS Access 2013 on Windows 8 and MS Access 2003 under Windows XP.

No idea. The older versions could be messing with it. I don't have anything older than 2013 to try.

I rebooted into my Vista partition where I do not have MS Office 2003 installed and was able to replicate this problem.
If I ever discover the cause, I will come back to this thread to post the solution.
I don't expect to find it soon though...

Missing redduc900 right about now...

You know I thought of this before but forgot the mandatory reboot, but this worked under Windows XP

Windows XP > Tools > Folder Options > File Types TAB > scroll down to and select MAR > Delete > Yes > Close > after rebooting, .mar extension will no longer be associated with Microsoft Access and this would solve the problem.



Since Windows 8 has no Folder Options > File Types
I am now trying to find a different way to do this in registry.

By the way, deleting HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.mar\
does not help.

I think I got it:

Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program > scroll down to .mar and double click on it > Notepad


This effectively fixes the problem by disassociating .mar files away from Microsoft Access.