Default Programs - Associate a File Type or Protocol

How to Associate a File Type or Protocol Default Program in Window 7​

   Information

This will show you how to associate a file extension type or protocol to open with a program you select by default in Windows 7.

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

   Warning

The program that you select as the default for the file extension type or protocol must support opening that file extension or protocol for the program to be able to open it. For example, a .TXT will open with Notepad or Wordpad, but it will not open with MSPaint.

OPTION ONE

Restore Default File Associations Using a Download

1. Go to the link below to select a file extension to download a .reg file for to merge and restore it's default associations for.

Restore Default Windows 7 File Extension Type Associations

OPTION TWO

Set File Associations Through Default Programs

1. Open the Control Panel (Icons view), and double click on the Default Programs icon.
2. Click on the Associate a file type or protocol with a program link. (See screenshot below)

3. Under the left Name column, select a file extension type or protocol that you want to change what program will open it by default, then click on the Change Program button. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: These are the default associations in Windows 7 for these Extensions and Protocols.






4. To Select a Listed Program in Open With
NOTE: This is for when the program you want to use to open the file extension type or protocol by default with is listed the Open with window.
A) Click on the arrow next to the right of Other Programs to show additional programs. (See screenshot below)

B) Go to step 6.
5. To Browse for a Program
NOTE: This is for when the program you want to use to open the file extension type or protocol by default with is not listed the Open with window.
A) Click on the Browse button. (See screenshot above)

B) Navigate to the program's exe file, select it, and click on the Open button. (See screenshot below)

6. Select the program that you want to use as the default for the file type or protocol you selected in step 3, and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 4A)

7. Repeat the steps above to change any other file extension type or protocol default program association.

8. When finished, click on the Close button. (See screenshots below step 3)

9. Close the Default Programs window. (See screenshot below step 2)
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• Restore Default Windows 7 File Extension Type Associations
• How to Set Default Associations for a Program in Windows 7
• How to Hide or Show Known File Type Extensions in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default Program a File Type Opens With in Windows 7
• How to Add or Remove "Always use selected program" in Open With
• How to Have "Always use selected program" Always Checked or Unchecked in "Open with"
• How to Change the Default Icon of a File Extension in Windows 7
• How to Create a Default Programs Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Unassociate a File Extension Type in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Create a "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults" Shortcut
• How to Enable or Disable the "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults" Page
• How to Add "Show/Hide Known File Extensions" to Context Menu in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Change the Default Program of the "Edit" Context Menu in Windows

 

[td0615]

i need to change my exe files cause i accidently changed them to open with command prompt but now i cant make ti hwo it was before

 

[Brink]

Hello td0615, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Here is a copy of the default registry entries to restore EXE files. After you download the REG file to your desktop, just double click on it to merge it to the registry. You may need to logoff and logon, or restart the computer to apply.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[td0615]

THANKYOU

thankyou so much this whole thing has been such a pain im showing all my buddies who use windwos 7 this website

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome td0615.

 

[td0615]

it didnt work it says it cannot do it

 

[Brink]

Umm, ok. You try a System Restore using a restore point dated before you changed the EXE association.

 

[td0615]

i tried that it wouldnt let me it said system restore could not start

 

[Brink]

Ok. Next on the list is a Repair Install.

 

[td0615]

man this website is got everything

 

[Brink]

LOL, we do try to.

 

[Menutra]

Brink,

I just installed windows 7 64-bit a few days ago, and had to open a .doc file for an assignment. I had to use a piece of software called MatLab to do the problem, so I stupidly assumed that I should open the .doc file with that. I realized right away that I should have used office word to open .doc files and that I should set word to be the default. I went back into open with, set to default and selected word, but the grey box to click in order to always use word to open doc files wont let me click it. I also tried going to start,default programs, and changing the default for .doc in there too, but when I choose office word as the program it doesn't change. It still sticks with that darn MatLab software (which wont even open it anyways! uhg! so frustrating!) Can you help!?

thanks, Menutra

 

[Brink]

Hello Menutra, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you have Office 2007 installed for Word, then you can use the exported .reg file download below from my system to merge and restore .doc to open back with Word by default. If not, then running the Office Word installation again should restore it back.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Menutra]

Thank You So Much!!!!!!!! AH! it worked!

man that was frustrating... I used to work as a computer technician, so I'm not too bad with computers... but that one had me stumped. It wasn't even letting me edit the registry like I wanted hahaha

Thank you! Brink you rock.

 

[Brink]

Thank You So Much!!!!!!!! AH! it worked!

man that was frustrating... I used to work as a computer technician, so I'm not too bad with computers... but that one had me stumped. It wasn't even letting me edit the registry like I wanted hahaha

Thank you! Brink you rock.

You're most welcome Menutra. I'm happy to hear that you got it back as the default program now.

 

[badkarma666]

Hello Menutra, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you have Office 2007 installed for Word, then you can use the exported .reg file download below from my system to merge and restore .doc to open back with Word by default. If not, then running the Office Word installation again should restore it back.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thank You, Helped Me Also I Couldn't Change The Program To Open With Because The Checkbox Was Greyed Out, The Reg Key Worked A Treat, Thanks Again.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Badkarma, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[Bob OH]

I've been trying method 2, and it's not working. I select the program (an .exe) in step 5B, but it doesn't then appear as a possible program. Any ideas what might be happening?

 

[Brink]

Hello Bob, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might also see if the file extension is listed in the tutorial below. If so, it will restore it back to the default associations for it. If not, then please post back with what file extension this is for, and I'll see if I can add it to the list for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Bob OH]

Alas it's not - it's .odc, which I want to associate with OpenBUGS (http://www.mathstat.helsinki.fi/openbugs/: actually with a newer version than that).