Why do I get a .qmsb - unknown file type error when I open a secure assessment?

The file associations that enable your browser to open Questionmark Secure whenever it encounters secure assessments are configured automatically when you run the Questionmark Secure install program if using Internet Explorer. However, it is possible that the installation program may not be able to completely configure all the file associations required. This sometimes happens on computers where security is set to a very high level. This article will take you through the steps required to manually configure the file associations so that Questionmark Secure opens up secure assessments when required.

The instructions presented in this Knowledge Base article are primarily based at configuring Internet Explorer to use Questionmark Secure when the installation hasn't managed to do this. For details about how to assign Netscape to open Questionmark Secure, refer to the article: Why does my assessment fail to open in Questionmark Secure?

Manually configuring file associations

If for some reason your computer is unable to recognize that .qmsb files open with Questionmark Secure, you will need to set the file associations manually. Note that how this is done may vary slightly depending on the version of Windows you are using. The following descibes the procedure for:

• Windows XP
• Windows Vista

You can also view a Flash movie of how to set the file associations manually by clicking the following link.

Assigning the QMSB file extension to open Questionmark Secure

Windows XP

To manually configure the file associations on Windows XP:

1. Open Control Panel

2. Click Folder Options and click the File Types tab

3. Scroll down the Register File Types list until you find the QMSB extension

4. Click Change...

5. Highlight Questionmark Secure player in the Programs list and click OK

If Questionmark Secure player is not listed you will need to locate the Questionmark Secure.exe file. To do so, click the Browse... button and navigate to where you installed Questionmark Secure (by default C:\Program Files\Questionmark\QS). Highlight Questionmark Secure and click Open.

6. Click Close

The file association has now been set, you should now be able to view secure assessments without receiving unknown file type error.

Windows Vista

To manually configure the file associations on Windows Vista:

1. Open Control Panel

2. Click on Programs, then  Default Programs (or just click on Default Programs in classic mode)

3. Click on Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program

4. Scroll down the list until you find .qmsb under the Name column

5. Click on the .qmsb extention to highlight the row

6. Click Change program...

7. Highlight Questionmark Secure player in the Recommended Programs list and click OK.

If Questionmark Secure player is not listed you will need to locate the Questionmark Secure.exe file. To do so, click the Browse...button and navigate to where you installed Questionmark Secure (by default C:\Program Files\Questionmark\QS). Highlight Questionmark Secure and click Open.

8. Click OK

The file association has now been set, you should now be able to view secure assessments without receiving unknown file type error.