All of a sudden, Dolphin is identifying .xls files as “OLE2 compound document storage (application/x-ole-storage).” I searched for xls in Configure desktop, file associations and it still appears as application-vnd.ms-excel. It does not appear as x-ole-storage. Other spreadsheets (ods, xlsx) are still identified correctly and open automatically in the proper program. This is a new behavior, and I’m assuming it has to do with something I updated in Yast. I’m using KDE 4.6.2 under 11.4.
As a workaround, I added the .xls extension to the file association for x-ole-storage, which allows Dolphin to open the file automatically, but it still asks me to install software to handle the file type. I answer no and then the file opens in Libre Office. Before adding .xls to the file association, I tried to get this to happen automatically by going through the open with other application menu and checking always use this application. This had no effect.
If you right-click on the file icon in question, then select 'Properties, you’ll see a little tool symbol (for editing file type) that you can click on. Here you can change the description and application preference order, including adding or deleting apps to handle this file.
Thanks, for this. My problem isn’t editing app. preference order, but that the file is showing up as the wrong file type. It is suddenly showing up as application/x-ole-storage instead of application/vnd.ms-excel which is what it actually is and which is the only application type for which the extension xls is registered under in the file types dialog. I’d like to see this revert to that correct file type. It was showing up as that file type in the past.