When you open a file in Windows, it will usually open in the default application for that type of file. For example, a photo will open in Windows Photo Viewer (or the Photos application in modern Windows) by default. But you may not always want this. In this lesson, we'll show you how to open a file in a different application, as well as how to change the default application so a file will always open in your preferred program.
Opening a file in the default application
As you learned in our lesson on Working with Files, you can locate and double-click a file to open it. It will open in the default application for that type of file.
To open a file in a different application:
Sometimes you may want to open a file in a different application without changing the default. For example, you may want to open a photo with Microsoft Paint to crop or resize it.
- From the desktop or File Explorer, right-click the desired file.
- From the drop-down menu, click Open with, then select the desired application. In this example, we'll select Paint.
- The file will open in the selected application.
To change the default application:
You may prefer to change the default application for certain types of files so they'll always open in the new app when you double-click them. For example, you may want your photos to always open in Windows Photo Viewer instead of the new Photos application.
- From the desktop, right-click the desired file, select Open with, and click Choose another app from the menu that appears.
- Select the desired application. If you don't see the one you want, click More apps or Look for an app in the Store to look for other applications. In this example, we want to open the file in Windows Photo Viewer.
- Then check off Always use this app to open .jpg files and click OK.
- The file will open in the new application. The next time you double-click a file of that type, it will open in the new default application automatically.
FAQs
Why does my PDF open in my web browser instead of Adobe Reader?
Windows 10 and 11 set Microsoft Edge as the default PDF reader. To fix this, right-click the PDF, select "Open with" > "Choose another app", select Adobe Reader, check the "Always use this app" box, and click OK.
What do I do if I don't see the app I want in the "Open with" menu?
Click on "Choose another app" and then click "More apps" at the bottom of the list. If it still isn't there, scroll down and click "Look for another app on this PC" to manually find the program's .exe file in your Program Files folder.
Why is the "Always use this app" checkbox missing?
If you are in the basic "Open with" flyout menu, you won't see the box. You must specifically click "Choose another app" at the bottom of that menu to open the full dialog box that contains the checkbox.
How can I reset all my default apps back to normal?
Open the Windows Settings app, go to Apps > Default apps, and scroll down to the bottom. Click the Reset button under the "Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults" section.
What is a file extension and why does it matter?
A file extension is the letters after the dot at the end of a file name (e.g., .jpg, .docx, .mp3). It tells Windows what kind of file it is so the operating system knows which default application to use to open it.
No comments:
Post a Comment