Windows 7: Open With - Change Default Program

   Information

A default program is the program that Windows 7 uses when you open a particular type of file extension. This will show you how to change a file type to open with a different default program for just this one time or always using the context menu in Windows 7.

These Default Programs association settings are a per user setting and not applied to all users.

1. Right click on the file type (ex: .txt file) that you want to change the default program for, then click on Open with. (see screenshot below)

   Note

If you do not have Open with in the context menu, then this means this file does not have a program associated to open it with.

• Instead, click on Open.

• Select (dot) Select a program from a list of installed programs, and click on OK.
• Go to step 3.

2. To Select a Program that is Already Listed in Context Menu
NOTE: This option will only open the file type with this program for just this one time and not everytime by default.

A) After you have expanded Open with, select a listed program (ex: Notepad or Wordpad) that you want to open the file with for just this one time. (see screenshot below)

B) Go to step 4.

3. To Select a Program that is Not Listed in Context Menu
NOTE: This option will allow you to be able to select to have the file type to always open with the selected program by default if you like.

A) After you have expanded Open with, select Choose default program. (see screenshot below step 1)

B) Under Other Programs, click on the drop down arrow to the far right to exapnd it and see more programs to select from. (See screenshot below)

C) Select the program that you want to open the file with. (See screenshot above)
NOTE: If the program you wanted to select is still not listed, then click on the Browse button and navigate to the program's exe file. Select it, and click on the Open button to add it to be able to select it.







D) To Always Open this File Type with the Selected Program by Default

• Check the Always use the selected program to open this kind of file box. (See screenshot below step 3B)
• Go to step 3F.

E) To Only Open this File Type with the Selected Program for Just this One Time

• Uncheck the Always use the selected program to open this kind of file box. (See screenshot below step 3B)

F) Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 3B)

4. The file will now be opened by the selected program.