Right. My computer has stopped opening xhtml files. I certainly haven't intentially deleted any programe files.

I'm running Vista at the moment but am considering upgrading to Windows Seven. Would this re-instal the needed reader?

I am NOT computer literate.

Any help would be appreciated.

What happens when you try to? Do you get any errors? Does it try to open it but in a different program? When did ut happen – have you applied any updates or installed any new applications around the same time?

Not sure when it happened. I looked at a website page about three weeks ago and it opened automatically. I went back about a week ago and it gives me an option box. The box asks if I want to save the file or find a program online to open it. It doesn't give me the option to open it. It says that the file type is unkown, it's name is guide.xhtml

When I download it and try to open it on the computer I get a message saying unknown file, do you want windows to check online for a program to open it.

I ran a defrag about two weeks ago. I don't know of anyother xhtml files to check that it's not a problem with the web site.

just point it in the direction of your web browser

I would guess that it might be an issue with the website rather than your PC.

Can you view the same site on the same internet browser (i.e. same version) on a different PC?
(or post the site address here)

It's the 'seasonaires guide' at the bottom of this page http://www.thesearchmtb.com/

It opened just fine when I clicked on it a few weeks ago.

Opens fine in Firefox, Chrome
Like I said – point it in the direction of your web browser when it asks

Yep, what browser are you using? I'm guessing an older version of IE?

Technical:
That page is served up as "application/xhtml+xml" which old browsers won't handle.

"Most web browsers have mature support for all of the possible XHTML media types. The notable exception is Internet Explorer by Microsoft; rather than rendering application/xhtml+xml content, a dialog box invites the user to save the content to disk instead. Both Internet Explorer 7 (released in 2006) and Internet Explorer 8 (released in March 2009) exhibit this behavior, and it is unclear whether this will be resolved in a future release.
— http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XHTML#Adoption

I'd contact the web guru of that site and point him to these sources.

Yep, it's internet explorer that's the problem. Opens fine in Firefox but in IE8 I get the same error.

Opens in IE6.0 but text only

I've just tried my Parent's PC and get the same message. I think we're both IE8.

This is why I hate computers. Last month it opened directly, no messages, no fixing it, it opened.

Now it doesn't.

Wish I'd pdf'd it the first time round. Oh well. I'll e-mail Nick tonight.

Thanks guys.

I'd buy a MAC if I could run AutoCAD on it.

Install Firefox and use that.

Install????? Look, I can turn the computer on and off and change the background. But installing software? I may bring down civilisation 🙂

This is why I hate computers. Last month it opened directly, no messages, no fixing it, it opened.

Sometime between then and now someone change the Content-Type of that page on your web server. Nothing to do with your PC.

I'd buy a MAC if I could run AutoCAD on it.

Wouldn't really make any odds. It's a browser + badly tested website issue, not a PC issue.

Use Firefox, Safari, Opera or any decent browser other than IE and it will be fine (though obviously the website should still be fixed for IE users).