The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To change which app opens a file type in Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, search for its extension (such as .txt), select the matching result, and choose an available app. This sets a default for that type; to open just one file in another app, use Open with instead.
Change the default app for a file type in Settings
- Open Settings.
- Select Apps, then Default apps.
- In the search field, enter the file extension, including its leading period—for example,
.txt. - Select the matching file-type result.
- Choose the app you want from the options Windows shows.
- Open a file of that type to check that it opens as expected.
This is Microsoft’s documented Windows route for changing an association: Change Default Apps in Windows. The available choices depend on apps installed and registered on your PC; Windows does not offer every app for every file type.
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Make PDFs or .txt files open in a different app
For PDFs
In Default apps, search for .pdf, select the matching result, then choose an offered app. The steps work only with apps Windows makes available for that type; if your preferred PDF app is not listed, see the troubleshooting section below.
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Search for .txt, select the matching result, and choose the text editor you want from the available options. The change applies to the file type, not just one particular text file.
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Use the app-first route
You can also start with an app rather than an extension. On the Default apps page, select the app and review the file types and link types associated with it. Choose a specific type to change its association. Microsoft documents this approach in its Default apps guidance.
Change the default from File Explorer—or open a file once
Right-click a file and choose Open with, then select an app. If Windows offers a choice between Always and opening the file just once, choose Always to make that app the default for files of that type. Choose the one-time option when you do not want to change the default. Microsoft’s instructions cover mouse and keyboard navigation in Use a screen reader to explore and navigate File Explorer in Windows.
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Find the right extension if the file type is unclear
A filename has a name and an extension separated by a period: in expenses.xlsx, the extension is .xlsx. Extensions identify file types; changing the extension text does not convert the file’s underlying format.
- In File Explorer, select View > Show > File name extensions to display extensions.
- Check the end of the filename to identify its extension.
- Use that extension in the Default apps search.
For an unfamiliar extension, Microsoft recommends trying Open with to see installed apps or searching the Microsoft Store. See Common file name extensions in Windows.
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Troubleshoot a missing app or file type
- The file type does not appear: Search for the actual extension, including its leading period. If you are unsure what it is, turn on file name extensions in File Explorer.
- Your preferred app is not offered: Check Open with for installed choices. Windows only shows apps registered as options for that type; the cited guidance does not guarantee that every installed app can claim every file type.
- You only wanted to open one file differently: Use Open with and choose the one-time option rather than Always.
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