Opening files with default Windows application from within emacs

Question

I\'m trying to tweak the dired-find-file function in emacs on Windows XP so that when I open (say) a pdf file from dired it fires up a copy of Acrobat Reader and op

Answer 1

Tom Smith's answer is nice, but you can also just run the program "start" with the filename as an argument.

(shell-command (concat "start " (shell-quote-argument filename)))

Answer 2

To extend on the 'org-open-file' proposal:

(defun my-dired-find-file (&optional prefix)
    (interactive "P")
    (if prefix
        (org-open-file (dired-get-file-for-visit) 'system)
      (dired-find-file)))

(define-key dired-mode-map "\r" 'my-dired-find-file)

Will let you open a file externally with `C-u RET'.

found at http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-emacs/2012-11/msg01069.html