Often when you install a new application, it asks you to make it the default program for certain file types. If you're too quick with the "Enter" key during installation, you might inadvertently grant ...

Microsoft uses file associations to set default programs for opening different file types on all its operating systems. As a result, when you open a file, be it text, image, or document, on your ...

When you double-click on a file in Windows 8, Windows will automatically open that file using a program that has been associated with that file's extension. There may come a time, though, that you ...

In the Mac OS it is possible to change the default program the operating system will use to open a file when you double-click on it. After you have changed this file association, though, you may want ...

Sarah is a freelance writer and CNET How To blogger. Her main focus is Windows, but she also covers everything from mobile tech to video games to DIY hardware projects. She likes to press buttons and ...

However, if you are using Windows 10, do the following: When you click open a file, it will open the file with your OS default app that is associated with it. It could be a web link, video file, and ...

There are two methods in Windows 11/10 to set or change default programs. One is the classic Control Panel method and the other is easier – via the new Settings app. We will discuss the Settings app ...

Not all third-party file managers have built-in settings to set them as the default file manager on Windows 11. You can make them your default file manager by running a reg file. You can also use ...

Nearly every computer these days comes with a PDF viewer, a program that allows you to read, print, and sometimes edit a PDF file. In the newest versions of Windows 10, the default PDF viewer is ...

What steps do I need to take to change the default action on Windows XP and Windows 7 when someone tries to open a CHM file? I want the file extension to be associated with notepad.exe for ALL users.

Every file on your hard drive (.jpeg, .html, and the like) can be associated with a compatible program, which will open that file format by default. Some applications will change a format’s default ...

David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...