PGN File Problem

I had a PGN file generated on chess.com and it was mailed to me.

I downloaded it to my desktop, hoping to copy and email to someone.  However, I have ChessBase installed on my computer and the PGN file automatically gets loaded into ChessBase.

How do i get a PGN file in a format I can copy and mail as a Word file?

One way is to open up the pgn file directly with a text editor. (Textpad or Notepad or something similar.)

Don't double-click it... it sounds as if your system opens up all pgn files it finds with Chessbase, by default.  You want to open it up with an editor. 

After you have it opened up in an editor, you can then copy and paste it to an e-mail, or to a Word document, etc.

You MIGHT want to change your file associations, so that your system doesn't associate pgn files with Chessbase.

Thanks for your reply MrEdCollins.  

I believe you are correct.  Someone else on the General Chess Forum suggested your method too.  A couple of minutes ago i simply changed the program to open it and it seems to work.

You are also correct that ChessBase automatically opens any PGN file it can find.  I am new to ChessBase too. 

If you want the recipient to receive the PGN file as it is, I guess it would be most reasonable to simply send it as an email attachment. On the other hand, if you don't wish them to receive a PGN file but want to paste the actual game info and/or the move list directly into your email, just do as per MrEdCollins' istructions above.

It is arguably best to have a given file type associated with the application you most often open it with - if you happen to own the Chessbase program, you likely use it as your main GUI, so the association is probably fine.

Also, keep in mind that the associated program is just the default - by right-clicking the file in question and selecting "Open with", you can select another program, which will be kept in that menu for easy access once used. It's common to have PGN files associated with your mostly used GUI program, and having shortcuts to other GUIs as well as Notepad on the right-click "Open with" menu for that filetype.

If you right-click on the file, you can open in a program other than what you have set as default.

I would recommend using a simple text program like Notepad, rather than Word. Word likes to enter a lot of formatting data that you do not want in files.