"Always use selected program" - Always Checked or Unchecked

How to Have "Always use selected program" Always Checked or Unchecked in "Open with"​

   Information

This will show you how to have the Always use the selected program to open this kind of file check box to always be checked or unchecked by default in the Open with dialog box in Windows 7 and Vista.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial.

   Note

This option was found and created by Daniel Martín at the source website below:

How to display the "Open With" dialog box with the "Always associate this program" checkbox unchecked by default | The Hows and Whys of Windows

EXAMPLE: "Open with" with "Always use selected program" Always Unchecked by Default

OPTION ONE

To Have "Always use selected program" Check Box Always Unchecked by Default

1. Go to the site below, or click on the Download button below, to download the MyOpenAs.zip file.
How to display the "Open With" dialog box with the "Always associate this program" checkbox unchecked by default | The Hows and Whys of Windows

OR


Download




OR

(Direct download below)


Download


2. Click on Save, save the zip file to your desktop, and extract all (drag and drop) contents of the zip to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

3. Do either step 4 or 5 below depending on if you have 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit(x64) Windows 7 or Vista installed.

4. If you have 32-bit (x86) Windows 7 or Vista Installed
A) Open the extracted x86 folder from step 2, and copy and paste the MyOpenAs.dll file into the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

B) If prompted, click on Continue and Yes to approve pasting it into the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

C) Go to step 6.
5. If you have 64-bit (x64) Windows 7 or Vista Installed
A) Open the extracted x64 folder from step 2, and copy and paste the MyOpenAs.dll file into the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

B) If prompted, click on Continue and Yes to approve pasting it into the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

C) Go to step 6.
6. Right click on the extracted MyOpenAs.reg file from step 2, and click on Merge.

7. If prompted, click on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK.

8. Go to the site below, and follow the instructions there.
How to display the "Open With" dialog box with the ?Always associate this program? checkbox unchecked by default ? Part III | The Hows and Whys of Windows

OPTION TWO

To Have "Always use selected program" Check Box Always Checked by Default

NOTE: This is the default setting.
1. Go to the site below, or click on the Download button below, to download the MyOpenAs.zip file.
How to display the "Open With" dialog box with the "Always associate this program" checkbox unchecked by default | The Hows and Whys of Windows

OR


Download



OR

(Direct download below)


Download


2. Click on Save, save the zip file to your desktop, and extract all (drag and drop) contents of the zip to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

3. Right click on the extracted MyOpenAs_RestoreDefaults.reg file from step 2, and click on Merge.

4. If prompted, click on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK.

5. Open the C:\Windows\System32 folder in Windows Explorer, and delete the MyOpenAs.dll file. (see screenshot below)

6. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7) or Continue (Vista) to approve deleting it.

7. Go to the site below, and follow the instructions there.
How to display the "Open With" dialog box with the ?Always associate this program? checkbox unchecked by default ? Part III | The Hows and Whys of Windows



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add or Remove "Always use selected program" in Open With
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[Brink]

I'm glad it could help barsiq, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[alphaniner]

I found this while looking for an easier way to open unassociated filetypes with notepad (without associating them). Only the unavailable MyOpenAs_v2 would have been suitable. In lieu of that, Add "Open with Notepad" to the Context Menu for All Files is a decent solution.

 

[Luigii]

another solution

One can also change:
%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1
to
"%SystemRoot%\system32\rundll32.exe %SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL" "%1"
It still won't work for unassociated files though

Don't ask me how I know this because I just noticed several days ago that my checkbox was always unchecked and that prompted me to investigate this mystery. I compared the regedit path of my computer to that of another computer and saw the difference. Then I put the quotation marks on the other computer and verified that it works. I probably did this years ago but completely forgot about it. The weird thing is that I can't find this solution on the web today. Maybe the article or whatever has been deleted, but it probably was online at one point and I picked it up and implemented the change since there is no way I found this trick by myself. Anyway, at least I can contribute something.

On another note, if someone still has the "MyOpenAs.zip" + the complete "MyOpenAs_v2.zip" (that will work on unassociated files) I'd like to have them, or at least the .dll files, since the download links are all dead and I have no idea how to compile Daniel's code into .dll