How To Change File Associations

Having files open in the wrong programs (hey even your web browser!) can be quite frustrating, but it’s too easy to set a file association by mistake. Your text documents are opening in Internet Explorer, your picture files are opening in Paint (when you don’t want them to), it’s frustrating!

Here’s how you fix that:

  • Right click the Start button (on your Start Menu)
  • Select ‘Explore’
  • Find the file that you wish to open
  • Right click on that file (older versions of Windows may require you to hold the shift button down at the same time)
  • Select ‘Open With’
  • Select the program (if it’s listed in the right click menu) that you want to open the file with
  • If it’s not listed, select the ‘Choose Program’ option at the bottom of your right click menu.
  • In the ‘Open With’ box provided, find and select the program you wish to use to open that file
  • Click ‘OK’

And that’s it! The file should now open in that program.

If you wish to use that program as the default for opening all files of that type:

  • Click the tick box ‘Always Use This Program To Open These Files’
  • Click ‘OK’
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This entry is filed under Computer Tips.

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