>What I mean is, the user could pick any file. There are any number of file types on any given PC. I want to determine what type of file it is.
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>So if the user selected MyFile.DOC, I can determine that it's a Word document. If the user picks Someform.Scx, I can determine that it's a VFP form. But I won't know in code what the extension is, or what type of file it represents.

If it's registered, there'll be an entry in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.file extension; the default value gives the name of a file type registration. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file type registration has a description in its default value.