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How does Windows know which app or program to use to Associate File With Program in Windows? It comes down to how the files are linked. Windows automatically matches each file type with a program that can open it, but you can also change this. Say, for example, you just put Adobe Photoshop on your computer. You want Windows to open.jpg files with Photoshop from now on, but Windows 10 always opens.jpg files with the Photos app by default.
How to Associate File With Program in Windows
- Open the Control Panel.
- In the Control Panel, click the Default Programs option.
- Click the Associate a file type or protocol with a program option.
- In the Default apps window, scroll to the bottom and select Choose defaults by file type.
- Find the file type that interests you.
- Click the current default program or Choose a default option below the file type.
How to Change File Associations in Windows 11
- Right-click the Start button (or use the WIN+X keyboard shortcut) and select Settings. The hotkey WIN+i works, too.
- Select Apps from the left panel, and then Default apps from the right.
- Scroll to the very bottom, and select Choose defaults by file type.
- Click or tap one of the file types in the list.
- Pick a program from the pop-up list, or choose Look for an app in the Microsoft Store.
- Select OK to save. From now on, Windows will now open that program when you open a file with that extension from File Explorer.
Why You Need to Associate File With Program in Windows
For example, let’s say you double-click a.jpg file and you have Paint.net, Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, and Paint installed on your computer. What program would you like to use to open the file? You can either set a program as the default or use the right context menu.
Most programs will ask you when you install them if you want them to be the default handler for certain file types. You can change this, though, at any time. You can set the default using Control Panel or the Settings menu in Windows 10, or you can choose one on the fly with a right-click. you can visit Microsoft support center for further help.
FAQs
From the desktop, right-click the desired file, select Open with, and click Choose another app from the menu that appears. Select the desired application. If you don’t see the one you want, click More apps or Look for an app in the Store to look for other applications.
Log in as a local administrator, open the Settings app, and set up your default apps under Apps > Default apps. Export the file associations using dism. Make sure that you are using the same local administrator account that was used to set the default apps.
Open the Start menu, type “Control Panel” and then click on it. Now, navigate to Programs. Next, click on Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program. Now, scroll down and select Choose default apps by file type at the bottom of the page.