How to Edit or Change File Type or Extension Associations (Default Programs) in Windows Vista

In Windows operating system, including Windows Vista, file type or file extension associations determine what’s the next course of action (specifically what application program been used to open a file or document, or what command to run) when user double clicks on a shortcut icon. By default, most file extensions or file types are been associated with various Windows built-in tools and utilities. For example, .txt is associated with Notepad, .jpg with Windows Photo Gallery and HTTP Protocol with Internet Explorer.

In Windows Vista, things regarding file associations have changed considerably from Windows XP, with noticeably missing File Types tab in Folder Options dialog. For user who wants to change association for particular type of file so that it can be opened or ran using other program that doesn’t register its supported file types association automatically, or to revert and restore file association which has been hijacked by newly installed program, changing file type extension association can be done manually.

Method 1: Change File Type Association Directly from the File Properties

1. Right click on a file with the type or extension that want to change its associated application program.
2. Select Properties on right click context menu.
3. In the General tab, click on Change button.

   

4. An Open With window will appear. Choose a program to open the kind of file from the list of programs available. By default, Recommended Programs is automatically expanded. However, there is more detected programs in the section of Other Programs, which can be expanded to select by clicking on Down Arrow at the end of the separator line.

   If the program that want to used as the default program does not found, click Browse to select an executable file manually.

   

5. Click OK button.

Method 2: Change File Type Association Directly On The Fly

Note that this method works if only several programs have been used to open and run a kind of file type extension previously.

1. Right click on a file with the type or extension that want to change its associated application program.
2. Point to Open With on right click context menu, and then select Choose Default Program.

   

3. An Open With window will appear. Choose a program to open the kind of file from the list of programs available. By default, Recommended Programs is automatically expanded. However, there is more detected programs in the section of Other Programs, which can be expanded to select by clicking on Down Arrow at the end of the separator line.

   If the program that want to used as the default program does not found, click Browse to select an executable file manually.

   

4. Check and tick the checkbox for Always use the selected program to open this kind of file option.
5. Click OK button. The file association will be set, and the file or document will be opened using the new default program automatically.

Method 3: Assign New File Association via Windows Vista Set Associations

1. Open Control Panel. Then go to Programs and click Make a file type always open in a specific program.

   Alternatively, in the Classic View, open Default Programs and then click Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

2. In the Set Associations folder, locate and highlight a file type by extension or protocol, and then click on Change Program button.
3. An Open With window will appear. Choose a program to open the kind of file from the list of programs available. By default, Recommended Programs is automatically expanded. However, there is more detected programs in the section of Other Programs, which can be expanded to select by clicking on Down Arrow at the end of the separator line.

   If the program that want to used as the default program does not found, click Browse to select an executable file manually.

   

4. Click OK button.

Method 4: Third Party Program

So far, Windows Vista built-in changing and set file type associations methods only allow user to change default program used to open or run a file or document based on its extension (or protocol). For complete control over the file types, such as assigning and associating different programs to different context menu entries for the particular file extension, third-party tools are required. Here’s a list of file extension and file type management utilities available for user’s disposal.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 12:50 am and is filed under Windows Vista. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.