How to Change File Associations in Windows 11
Windows can only open one program for a particular file extension automatically, so if you like to work with your PNG files in Photoshop Elements, for example, and not Paint, changing the default file association for PNG files is required. The Choose defaults by file type option is found in the Windows 11 Settings.
How to Change File Associations in Windows 10
Like Windows 11, Windows 10 uses Settings instead of Control Panel to make changes to file type associations. When you’re done, you can close any windows you opened to make these changes.
How to Change File Associations in Windows 8, 7, or Vista
From this point forward, when you double-click or double-tap on any file with this particular file extension, the program you chose to associate with it in Step 8 will automatically launch and load the particular file. Windows 8: From the “How do you want to open this type of file [file extension]?” window you see now, look through the list and select the program you’d like to open when you double-click or double-tap these types of files. Try More options for the complete list. Windows 7 & Vista: From the “Open with” window that popped up, look through the programs listed and choose the one you’d like to open for this extension. The Recommended Programs are probably the most applicable, but there may be Other Programs listed, too. Use Browse to manually locate a program.
How to Change File Associations in Windows XP
If you still have Windows XP, the instructions are different newer operating systems. Going forward, any time you open a file with the extension you chose back on Step 6, the program you chose in Step 8 will be opened automatically and the file will be loaded within that program. If you don’t see that screen, choose Select the program from a list, and then OK.
More About Changing File Associations
Changing a program’s file association doesn’t mean that another supporting program can’t open the file, it just means that it won’t be the program that opens when you double-tap or double-click on those types of files. To use another program with the file, you’ll just need to start that other program manually first, and then browse your computer for the particular file to open it. For example, you can open Microsoft Word and use its File > Open menu to open a DOC file that is normally associated with OpenOffice Writer, but doing so doesn’t actually change the file association for DOC files as explained above. Also, changing the file association doesn’t change the file type. To change the file type is to change the structure of the data so that it can be considered to exist in a different format. Changing the file’s type/format is usually done with a file conversion tool.
