Windows can only open one program for a particular file extension automatically, so if you like to work with your PNG files in Photoshop Elements, for example, and not Paint, changing the default file association for PNG files is required.
Follow the easy steps below to change a file type's program association in Windows.
To edit a file association, click the default app currently associated with a file type, or click the ‘Choose a default’ button for unassociated file types and select an app from the pop-up menu. You can easily edit default programs in Windows 10, either by file type or by the function (though the functions list is limited). Apr 17, 2015 How to Reset File Associations of a File in Windows 10. If you only want to reset the file association of one specific file type then this is the best method to use. Browse to any file of the file type you want to reset, for example I will use a TXT file in this tutorial 2. Right-click the file and choose Open With and then click on “Choose a Default Program”. Step 1: Right-click on a file of the type you wish to change the association for. Step 2: Select Open with from the resulting menu. Step 3: Windows will then offer you an app or a list of apps.
Instructions in this article apply to Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.
Time Required: It'll take less than five minutes to change the program that's associated with a particular file extension, no matter which Windows operating system you're using or what file type we're talking about.
Change File Association Windows 10
Setting a program's default file association does not restrict other programs that support the file type from working with them in other situations. More on this at the bottom of the page.
How to Change File Associations in Windows 10
Windows 10 uses Settings instead of Control Panel to make changes to file type associations.
Right-click the Start button (or hit the WIN+X hotkey) and choose Settings.
Choose Default apps on the left.
Scroll down a little and select Choose default apps by file type.
Locate the file extension for which you want to change the default program.
If you're not sure what extension the file is using, open File Explorer to find the file and use the View > File name extensions option to show file extensions.
In the Choose default apps by file type window, select the program to the right of the file extension. If there isn't one listed, select Choose a default instead.
In the Choose an apppop-up window, pick a new program to associate with that file extension. If there isn't one listed that you want to use, try Look for an app in the Store.
Windows 10 will now open the program you chose each time you open a file with that extension from File Explorer.
When you're done, you can close any windows you opened to make these changes.
How to Change File Associations in Windows 8, 7, or Vista
Open Control Panel. In Windows 8, the Power User Menu (WIN+X) is the quickest way. Use the Start menu in Windows 7 or Vista.
You'll only see this link if you're on the Category or Control Panel Home view of Control Panel. Otherwise, choose Default Programs instead, followed by Associate a file type or protocol with a program link. Skip to Step 4.
Select Associate a file type or protocol with a program on the following page.
Once the Set Associations tool loads, which should only take a second or two, scroll down the list until you see the file extension that you want to change the default program for.
If you're not sure what extension the file in question has, right-click it (or tap-and-hold) the file, go to Properties, and look for the file extension in the 'Type of file' line of the General tab.
Choose the Change program button, located just above the scroll bar.
What you see next, and the next step to take, depend on what version of Windows you're using. See What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you're not sure which set of instructions to follow.
Windows 8: From the 'How do you want to open this type of file [file extension]?' window you see now, look through the list and select the program you'd like to open when you double-click or double-tap these types of files. Try More optionsfor the complete list.
Windows 7 & Vista: From the 'Open with' window that popped up, look through the programs listed and choose the one you'd like to open for this extension. The Recommended Programs are probably the most applicable, but there may be Other Programs listed, too. Use Browse to manually locate a program.
Select OK if you see it, and Windows will refresh the list of file associations to show the new default program assigned to this file type. You can close the Set Associations window if you're done making changes.
From this point forward, when you double-click or double-tap on any file with this particular file extension, the program you chose to associate with it in Step 8 will automatically launch and load the particular file.
How to Change File Associations in Windows XP
Go to Start > Control Panel to open Control Panel.
You'll only see that link if you're using the Category View of Control Panel. If you're instead using the Classic View, choose Folder Options instead and then skip to Step 4.
Select Folder Options near the bottom of the window.
Under Registered file types, scroll down until you find the file extension that you want to change the default program association for.
Choose the extension to highlight it.
Select Change in the lower section.
From the Open With screen that you're now looking at, choose the program you'd like to open the file type with by default.
If you don't see that screen, choose Select the program from a list, and then OK.
The most common programs that support this particular file type will be listed under the Recommended Programs or Programs list, but there may be other programs that support the file as well, in which case you can manually select one with the Browse button.
Select OK and then Close back on the Folder Options window. You can also close any Control Panel or Appearance and Themes windows that might still be open.
Going forward, any time you open a file with the extension you chose back on Step 6, the program you chose in Step 8 will be opened automatically and the file will be loaded within that program.
More About Changing File Associations
Changing a program's file association doesn't mean that another supporting program can't open the file, it just means that it won't be the program that opens when you double-tap or double-click on those types of files.
To use another program with the file, you'll just need to start that other program manually first, and then browse your computer for the particular file to open it. For example, you can open Microsoft Word and use its File > Open menu to open a DOC file that is normally associated with OpenOffice Writer, but doing so doesn't actually change the file association for DOC files as explained above.
Also, changing the file association doesn't change the file type. To change the file type is to change the structure of the data so that it can be considered to exist in a different format. Changing the file's type/format is usually done with a file conversion tool.
Each file in your Windows operating system has an extension in its filename, eg. .txt, .doc, etc. These extensions are used to identify the program, with which, windows can open this file. You can set or change these file associations in your Windows. In Windows XP you had this setting to change file type associations in Folder Options. In Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista you don’t see it there, though.
Change file associations in Windows 10
To set File Associations in Windows 10/8/7, Open Control Panel > Control Panel Home > Default Programs > Set Associations. Select a file type in the list and click Change Program.
You will be displayed a list of Programs along with a Description and the Current Default. You can click on the Change program to set or change the current defaults.
Alternatively, you can also right-click the file whose association you want to change > Properties > General tab > Type Of File > Change > Choose a program from the list or recommended or other programs or else click Browse to select one.
If you wish, you can also set, reset, change File Associations & extensions easily with this freeware.
Types is a free and lightweight configuration utility for Windows that allows you to edit program associations, icons, context menus and other properties of various file types displayed in Windows Explorer.
Modify File Associations Windows 10
It is a worthwhile replacement for the inbuilt Windows file type utility.
In Windows 10, to set default apps you will have to go to Settings > Apps > Default apps. You can even choose default apps by file type or protocol and set defaults by the app.
File association fix Windows
If you wish to fix file associations easily, you may want to check out our freeware File Association Fixer. Go here if you are unable to Change Default Program Extension on Windows. This post will help you fix broken EXE file associations.
Learn how to configure, export, import App File Associations in Windows using PC Settings and DISM Tool. This post will show you how to reset all File Associations to default in Windows 10.
Post ported from WinVistaClub.com and updated and posted here.
Change Edit File Association Windows 10 1
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