Windows 10 opens different types of files by using a certain program. It does this through file links, where a software or application is set by default for that file type.
If you want to set a default program or change file associations in Windows 10, choose one of the methods below.
Each file on your system is saved in a specific format such as JPG image file, DOC document. Only related programs can open those files. For example, an image file like JPG cannot be opened in Word word processor. Instead, you have to open it with the Windows 10 Photos app .
In order to save time for users, Windows specifies the default program to open each file type. As a result, Windows users do not have to spend time selecting each time they need to access them. However, you can change these defaults.
That is why sometimes you need to adjust the file type link. Fortunately, this is easy to do. Now let's learn together the file type, then, to the methods of changing the default file open program combination on Windows 10.
Before changing the default combination, you need to know what kind of file you are storing. First, open File Explorer and navigate to the directory where the file is located. Next, right-click on this file and select Properties .
A new window with details about the file will appear. The type of file tells you the file format. Opens with is the program that opens it.
You can set this up so that the format shows the file name in File Explorer . The steps are as follows: open File Explorer > click the View tab . Then check the File name extensions box .
There are 3 quick and easy ways to change file type association with the default program on Windows 10.
You can change file type links directly from File Explorer. To do this, right-click the file, and then point to Open with .
You will see a list of programs that can be used to open the file, but this is only a disposable option and will not permanently change your settings. If you want to change it forever, select Choose another app .
Now select the application from the list you want to use to open the desired file format. If you don't see the program you need, scroll down and select More apps for more options.
If you still don't have the tools, choose Look for another app on this PC . After that, you can go to Program Files > select the desired program executable. Check the box Always use this app to open .X files at the bottom of the window. This action will permanently change the file type combination. Finally click OK .
The best place to completely change file association and set default apps is via Settings.
First, press the Windows+ key Ito open Settings. Go to Apps> Default apps .
Here, you can set and use default apps for email, maps, music ... Click on that application to make other selections from the list.
You can click Reset when you want to bring everything back to the state Microsoft originally suggested. As expected, the default Microsoft programs on Windows 10 will be selected to open files, for example, listening to music with Groove Music , using Edge web browser
Scroll down, you will see 3 options to tweak file links:
Selecting a file type allows you to set specific programs to open JPG, DOC files ... Perhaps this is the option you need the most.
Select the protocol for the task or link. For example, when accessing the URL link : calculator , you can set the program to use. Most are application specific, so you rarely need to change them.
Lastly, installing by app allows you to manage the entire program with the type of file it combines with the same protocols in one place.
Cannot reset program link to open default file type via Settings . To do this, you need to use the Command Prompt.
Click Start , type cmd . It will find Command Prompt . Right-click on the entry and click Run as administrator .
Type assoc > press Enter , it will open all file types and associated programs respectively. To quickly check certain file types, type: assoc .ext
Replace ext with the file format. For example, enter assoc .jpg . You will see the program open a JPG file.
To delete the association with this program, type: assoc .ext =
Again, replace ext . You can type the first command to check if this command has been executed or not. If so, you will see the message " file association not found ".
Windows 10 resets the default apps by changing the file type combination after each update. The best way for you to change this is to back up file type links and restore them when Windows 10 updates have tampered with them.
The easiest way to backup and restore a file type combination with an open program of choice is to use a third-party utility called Default Programs Editor .
Once downloaded and installed, open it and click Create or restore a backup of registry settings .
Click Create a backup . The Default Programs Editor will process and add an entry to the table with the date and time.
When you need to restore, or return to this screen, click on the item> click Restore selected backup . Finally, restart the computer.
You can also directly access the registry to back up file type links. However, this action is a bit more complicated. Sometimes, it also leads to permission errors when restoring some combination. Therefore, use it as a last resort.
Press Windows+ key Rto open Run . Type regedit > press Enter to open Registry Editor . Now move to the following location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ FileExts
Right-click FileExts (or sub-folder you want), select Export , destination location and backup name of the .reg file .
When you need to restore this backup, right-click and the corresponding .reg file that you saved earlier, then select Merge . This action will overwrite the current settings in the registry and restore the backup configuration.
With the above methods, you will have full control over the program to open the appropriate file type on Windows 10. Hope the article is helpful for you.
Microsoft introduced Bluetooth LE (low energy) Audio support with Windows 11 22H2 KB5026446 (build 22621.1778), also known as Moment 3, in May 2023.
Changing your avatar on Windows 10 to your own photo, or a completely new style, will help you distinguish between user accounts on your computer.
The October 2024 report provides an overview of Windows 11's market share compared to other versions of Windows.
Windows is the most targeted operating system by hackers. Therefore, you should strengthen your PC's defenses to stay safe both online and offline. This article will guide you on how to enable or disable Secure Sign-In in Windows 10.
Adding a printer to Windows 10 is simple, although the process for wired devices will be different than for wireless devices.
Do you want to speed up Windows 10, improve Windows 10 speed or speed up Windows 10 startup? All ways to speed up Windows 10 are in this article, please read and apply to make your Windows 10 computer run faster!
Whether you're new to Windows or a veteran, your system will eventually run into problems that aren't easy to diagnose. Before calling tech support, there are a number of PC diagnostic tools you can try.
Windows clipboard history got a major overhaul with the Windows 10 October update.
Microsoft continues to announce plans to add new features to Windows 10, despite the fact that the operating system will inevitably die in October 2025.
Although Microsoft promotes Windows 11 as the future of computing, many people have recently downgraded to Windows 10 on their main PCs. Here's why it might actually be worth it to go back to an older operating system.
Microsoft charges for its official codecs and doesn't include them in Windows 10. However, you can get them for free without pulling out your credit card and spending $0.99.
When you move the mouse to the Taskbar, it displays all the functions as default when you have not set it up, but if you move the mouse elsewhere, the Taskbar will automatically hide.
Bluetooth makes our life smarter and more convenient, to avoid possible Bluetooth problems in Windows 10, such as Bluetooth not available, users should download and update Bluetooth driver for Windows 10 regularly.
If you miss the familiar look and feel of Windows 10, you can restore the Start menu, taskbar, and other familiar elements with a few simple tweaks.
You can use one of the following 6 methods to open Computer Properties (or System Properties) on Windows 10.
If you no longer need to use Galaxy AI on your Samsung phone, you can turn it off with a very simple operation. Below are instructions for turning off Galaxy AI on your Samsung phone.
If you don't need to use any AI characters on Instagram, you can also quickly delete them. Here's how to delete AI characters on Instagram.
The delta symbol in Excel, also known as the triangle symbol in Excel, is used a lot in statistical data tables, expressing increasing or decreasing numbers, or any data according to the user's wishes.
In addition to sharing a Google Sheets file with all sheets displayed, users can choose to share a Google Sheets data area or share a sheet on Google Sheets.
Users can also customize to disable ChatGPT memory whenever they want, on both mobile and computer versions. Below are instructions for disabling ChatGPT memory.
By default, Windows Update will automatically check for updates and you can also see when the last update was. Here is a guide to see when Windows last updated.
Basically, the operation to delete eSIM on iPhone is also simple for us to follow. Below are instructions to delete eSIM on iPhone.
In addition to saving Live Photos as videos on iPhone, users can convert Live Photos to Boomerang on iPhone very simply.
Many apps automatically enable SharePlay when you FaceTime, which can cause you to accidentally press the wrong button and ruin the video call you're making.
When you enable Click to Do, the feature works and understands the text or image you click on and then makes judgments to provide relevant contextual actions.
Turning on the keyboard backlight will make the keyboard glow, useful when operating in low light conditions, or making your gaming corner look cooler. There are 4 ways to turn on the laptop keyboard light for you to choose from below.
There are many ways to enter Safe Mode on Windows 10, in case you cannot enter Windows and cannot enter. To enter Safe Mode Windows 10 when starting the computer, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
Grok AI has now expanded its AI photo generator to transform personal photos into new styles, such as creating Studio Ghibli style photos with famous animated films.
Google One AI Premium is offering a 1-month free trial for users to sign up and experience many upgraded features such as the Gemini Advanced assistant.
Starting with iOS 18.4, Apple allows users to decide whether to show recent searches in Safari.
