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

---

• 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

 

[concentrate]

Thanks, but that's the version I'm using. It allows for a portable install. I guess I'll fix it by reinstalling windows.

 

[whitebloodcell]

File extension isn't listed

The file extension I want to set default association for isn't listed, and checking the registry I see it is not there either. How can I add a new entry for the extension to the registry? The program in question is MetaTrader4, the extensions are .mq4 and .mqh among others.

(Have tried reinstalling with UAC turned off and with Admin privileges but it hasn't helped, also tried using compatibility wizard on the installer but again didn't help)

 

[Brink]

Hello Whitebloodcell,

According to that program's FAQ's page, MQ4 and EX4 are the only file extensions supported. MQH is not listed as being supported.

You might see if you can set the file extensions to be associated with MetaTrader EXE file by right clicking on the file and using Open With.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[whitebloodcell]

Well the FAQ is mistaken in the case, have been using MetaTrader for a long time and the .mqh (header files for adding library code) have always been associated before under different operating systems, even under the same operating system when different brokers are used. (Each broker distributes their own copy of MT4, for some reason some broker's distributions associate correctly). Using 'open with' doesn't seem to do anything in regards to the association.

 

[Brink]

I thought that may not have looked correct. I'm not familiar with the program's settings, but you might check to see if it may have one to set itself as the "default program" or to be able to select the file extensions. If it doesn't, then the program may only support opening the files from within the program itself instead.

 

[fwin7fork]

file ext

Brink,

There are a number of file extensions listed in the default program setting that show as "unknown." Some of these seem like they ought to have a program, like an excel library ought to be associated with excel.

Is unknown a legitimate association?
And is there is quick way to correct or reset to default all such ones?

Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Fwin7fork, and welcome to Seven Forums.

File extensions that are listed with "unknown application" could just be a data file for a program or Windows 7 and is not actually opened by anything. If you look at the "Description" it will help give you an idea of what the file is for. Googling the file extension will also give you more detailed information about the file extension and if it normally uses a default program to open it or not.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[vincemoe]

Dear Brink,
I accidentally changed the default program for opening a .py file (python code) to the command prompt . It will not let me change it back to python.exe! Do you have a .reg file for this? If not, what can I do?!
Thanks,
vincemoe

 

[Brink]

Hello Vincemoe, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sorry, but no since .py is not a default file extension included with associations in Windows 7.

You might see if you may able to use "Open with" instead to either select the program or it's .exe file?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12196-open-change-default-program.html

Hope this helps,

Shawn

 

[vincemoe]

Thanks for the speedy reply,
unfortunately when I go to select "Always use this program to open the selected type of file" the check box and words are grey and wont let me check it, it seems as if me selecting the command prompt to open it locked it up.

 

[Brink]

You could also do a system restore using a restore point (if available) dated before you did this to undo the changes made.

 

[vincemoe]

I do not have a restore point before this happened.
Thanks for all your help, if you have another option I would love to hear it, also, do you know if when changing the default program to the command prompt it locking up is a glitch?

 

[Brink]

Not usually. Usually you just wouldn't be able to open the file until you selected the proper default program.

If you like, export the registry .py and FileExts keys at the locations below, and upload it here. I'll be happy to look at it to see if we may be able to get this sorted.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.py

and

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts

 

[enigmafyv]

I've found that if you're trying to associate a file type with a portable app, this can be done by adding the path to the portable app to your environmental variable PATH statement.

The way I do this is:
Open a command prompt and type, "setx PATH <path_to_program>"
Example: "setx PATH C:\users\matt\Documents\progs" (This is case insensitive so you don't have to worry about uppercase anything.)

Note 1: The path can be a parent folder to a subfolder or to many recursive subfolders. For example, I used Notepad++ for my primary editor, but I use the portable version so I don't have to install the program for numerous reason I'll not describe here. I recently moved the folder to a different location and I lost access to the file association. I then ran "setx PATH <new_location>" and I was able re-associate the file types if/when necessary. But instead of adding "C:\users\matt\documents\progs\npp\unicode" I just added "C:\users\matt\documents\progs" which contained the remaining recursive sub-directories and this was sufficient to allow file associations. The beauty of doing it this way is that I can put any programs in this progs directory, in their own respective directories, and they're automatically implemented into my path statement.

Note 2: When you perform the 'setx' command, it does not append and will overwrite, so if you've ran this in the past and run it again you'll lose what you've previously entered. What I usually do is type command plus all of the paths into a text editor first appending any new, fully listed, directories, making sure I have all the paths I want to use, and then paste that in the command prompt. Also, setx will ONLY set the USER's environmental variable PATH, NOT the System's, so this will only affect your account and no others.

Finally, you can then setup your file associations.

Mileage my vary as I've only tried this on my computer, but I'm pretty sure this will work for everyone. If anyone gets a chance to try this option and it works, could you please reply as such so we can have a few people confirm their and my findings.

All of this is done without having to mess with the registry too!

 

[deniwow]

Association Problem

So Admin I did like you showed in the steps.And also tryed to do it with cmd and .reg file.But it's still not working.Can you help please?

 

[Brink]

So Admin I did like you showed in the steps.And also tryed to do it with cmd and .reg file.But it's still not working.Can you help please?

Hello Deniwow, and welcome to Seven Forums.

See if using the tutorial below for the affected file types may be able to help.

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