Change the app that opens a file type in Windows
Windows opens each file type with one chosen app. If a file opens in the wrong app, you can change the choice just for that file (Open with), or for every file of that type (Default apps in Settings).
Reviewed 9 Nov 2026
Who it suits
- Files of one type consistently open in an app you do not want
- The app you prefer is already installed on the computer
- You know the file's extension — the letters after the dot, such as .pdf or .txt
Who it doesn’t suit
- Windows reports the format itself is not supported by any app you have — that is a different problem; changing the default app cannot make an app read a format it does not understand
- The file is damaged and will not open in any app
Start guided mode or read all 5 steps below — guided mode is never mandatory.
Before you start
Preparation
- Find the file's extension: in File Explorer, look at the end of the file name, or switch the folder to Details view and read the Type column.
- Make sure the app you want is already installed before you start.
▲ Caution — possible effects
- Choosing 'Always' changes the app for every file of that type on this computer, not just the one file — that is the point, but it affects all similar files.
- Choosing 'Just once' changes nothing permanently; it only opens this file this one time.
⬢ Stop if…
- Stop if the app you want is not installed and would have to be downloaded from an unfamiliar website — install apps only from their official source or the Microsoft Store.
- Stop if no app opens the file and the error says the format is unsupported — that is not a default-app problem, and forcing an association will not fix it.
Original sources
- Change Default Apps in Windows — Microsoft Support (Official documentation — accessed 9 Nov 2026)
- Use a screen reader to explore and navigate File Explorer in Windows (Open With section) — Microsoft Support (Official documentation — accessed 9 Nov 2026)
Steps
Try Open with on the file itself
In File Explorer, right-click the file, choose 'Open with', and pick the app you want. If the app is not in the list, choose 'Choose another app' to see more options.
Make the choice permanent with Always
In that same picker, select the app and choose 'Always' (Windows 11) or tick 'Always use this app to open' (Windows 10). Microsoft's File Explorer help confirms that choosing Always makes that app the default for this file type.
Or change it in Settings, by file type
Open Settings → Apps → Default apps. In the search bar, type the file extension, such as .txt or .pdf, select the matching result, and choose the app that should open files of that type, as Microsoft's Default apps guide describes.
Test with a second file of the same type
Double-click a different file with the same extension. It should now open in the app you chose.
If it still opens in the wrong app, check the extension
Similar extensions are separate types: .jpg and .jpeg, or .doc and .docx, each have their own setting. Compare the ending of your file exactly, and repeat the steps for that exact extension.
How to check success
Finishing the steps is not the same as fixing the problem. You are done if these practical checks pass:
- Check: Does the file open in the app you chose when you double-click it?
- Check: Does a second file of the same type also open in that app?
If it fails
- If no installed app can open the file and Windows calls the format unsupported, the file's format itself is the problem, not the default app. For photos and videos, the related method explains containers and codecs in plain words before you convert anything. Related method: Understand a media file's format before converting it ›
Evidence, review and results
- Source
- Official documentation
- Testing
- Not team-tested
- Reports
- No reviewed results yet — be the first to record yours.
An official source means the maker documents this procedure — it does not mean our team has run it, and one person’s success is not a guarantee for everyone. Public counts appear only when reviewed reports exist; none are published yet.
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About this method
Change note: First published version. Where one team did the writing, reviewing and (when done) testing, the same name appears in each role — we say so rather than invent separate people.