( Warning: Microsoft will of course point you back to using their own software.) How to Reset or Delete a File Association in Command Prompt If you want, from the main “Default apps” screen you can click “Reset” to reset the file associations to Microsoft’s recommended defaults. If you have the right program, but it’s not appearing as an option in the associations list, you can force the association using the command prompt (see next heading). This happens with more obscure file types, such as various esoteric image formats that only open with image-editing software like Photoshop.

You can click any of these, but in many cases you’ll find that there are no options available. To see a more comprehensive list of file associations, scroll down and click “Choose default applications by file type.” This will show you a full list of all the file types available and the apps they’re associated with. Click any of programs in the list to see your other options for that function. Here you’ll see an overview of the default file associations. To properly manage your file associations, click the Start button, type “default app settings” and click on it in the search results. If the app you want doesn’t appear in the list, don’t bother with the option “Look for another app on this PC.” That will only open the file with your chosen program on a one-off basis. Select the app you want to associate the file with and tick “Always use this app to open. In the new box you’ll see much the same list as before, but scroll down and click “More apps” for an extended list to appear.

Maybe you just pick one of the suggested programs, and that’s the end of that.īut Windows’ suggested programs aren’t always the right ones, so how do you pick exactly what you want?įirst, you can right-click a file whose association you want to change, then select “Open With.” If the program you want to open it with isn’t there, click “Choose another app” at the bottom of the window. You’ve probably been asked a thousand times by Windows when opening a file whether you want to associate it with a certain program.

How to Set and Change File Associationsįirst up, the easy stuff. Luckily, we have the answers, showing you how to change, reset and replace file associations in Windows 10.

Change file association windows 10