Right Click and choose Edit (this is the opreration you want). Maybe POaint is registered for Open but not for Edit. (DblClick just open file with default viewer).

>It works fine
>The file is opened by MSPAINT
>>What happend if you double click on that file in Windows Explorer (there where your ShellExecute not working)?
>>
>>
>>>I get the error code 31 though the file type (It's a Jpg) is associated to MSPAINT
>>>As I told you I have no problems in WinXp Environment
>>>
>>>>>Hi there,
>>>>>I developed an application in which I call the function
>>>>>

>>>>>Procedure CallExt
>>>>>Parameters xfiletoOpen,xlocation
>>>>>
>>>>>DECLARE INTEGER ShellExecute IN SHELL32.DLL INTEGER nWinHandle,;
>>>>>                                               STRING cOperation,;
>>>>>                                               STRING cFileName,;
>>>>>                                               STRING cParameters,;
>>>>>                                               STRING cDirectory,;
>>>>>                                               INTEGER nShowWindow
>>>>>    result = ShellExecute(0, 'Edit', xFileToOpen , '', xLocation, 1)
>>>>>

>>>>>
>>>>>This works fine in Win XP but under a PC running with Win2000 it does not open the file as it was not, but it is, associated to any application.
>>>>>
>>>>>How can I get through this problem ?
>>>>>Thank you all
>>>>>Alessio
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Check the result. If it is bigger than 32 than everything is OK, but if it is smaller or equal to 32 error happened.
>>>>Error codes:
>>>>

>>>>#define ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY      0 &&The operating system is out of memory or resources.
>>>>#define ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND     2 &&The specified file was not found.
>>>>#define ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND     3 &&The specified path was not found.
>>>>#define ERROR_BAD_FORMAT        11 &&The .exe file is invalid (non-Microsoft Win32 .exe or error in .exe image).
>>>>#define SE_ERR_ACCESSDENIED      5 && access denied
>>>>#define SE_ERR_ASSOCINCOMPLETE  27 &&The file name association is incomplete or invalid.
>>>>#define SE_ERR_DDEBUSY          30 &&The Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) transaction could not be completed because other DDE
>>>>                                   &&transactions were being processed.
>>>>#define SE_ERR_DDEFAIL          29 &&The DDE transaction failed.
>>>>#define SE_ERR_DDETIMEOUT       28 &&The DDE transaction could not be completed because the request timed out.
>>>>#define SE_ERR_NOASSOC          31 &&There is no application associated with the given file name extension.
>>>>                                   &&This error will also be returned if you attempt to print a file that is not printable.
>>>>#define SE_ERR_SHARE            26 &&A sharing violation occurred.
>>>>
>>>>#define SE_ERR_OOM               8 && out of memory
>>>>#define SE_ERR_DLLNOTFOUND      32 &&The specified dynamic-link library (DLL) was not found.
>>>>