Author Topic: Windows 10 making it easier to manage default file associations  (Read 105 times)

Offline javajolt

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Microsoft is making it easier to change your default file associations by adding a new search feature that lets you quickly find the extension you wish to modify.

When a program is installed in Windows, if configures itself as the default handler for the types of files it knows how to open. For example, Word will associate itself with .docx files, Excel with .xlsx, and VLC Media Player with .mp4 files.

This allows a user to double-click on a file and have the proper program launch and open the file.

Sometimes, though, you would rather a different program become associated with a file extension as you prefer that program over another one.

Windows allows you to change file associations by going into Settings > Apps > Default Apps and selecting at the bottom the option titled "Choose default apps by file type".

This will open a screen that lists all of the configured extensions on the computer and the program associated with them. You can then click on the default app for a particular extension to change it to a different program.


Caption

The problem is that Windows typically has hundreds of extensions configured. Due to this, it can be annoying to scroll through them all to find the particular extension you wish to change.

To help make it easier, Microsoft is developing a new search feature for this settings screen that lets you quickly search for a particular extension you wish to change.


New search field

Now if you want to change a specific extension's default program, instead of scrolling through the whole list, you simply just type of the extension name and it will only display that specific association.


Search for txt file association

This feature is currently in development in Windows 10 Insider builds and will not be available until at least Fall 2020.

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