Often when you install a new application, it asks you to make it the default program for certain file types. If you're too quick with the "Enter" key during installation, you might inadvertently grant ...

Sarah is a freelance writer and CNET How To blogger. Her main focus is Windows, but she also covers everything from mobile tech to video games to DIY hardware projects. She likes to press buttons and ...

When you first install Microsoft Word 2010, it automatically sets itself as the default program for handling Word documents. This means anytime you double-click a Word document from File Explorer or ...

When you open files that have a particular file extension, Windows will look at its configuration to determine what the default program should be in order to work with these files. The default program ...

Windows 8 chooses its default players to run your music and video, but what if you want different programs to open your files? Here's how to change them. John Thompson John Thompson has been addicted ...

Windows 11 (and Windows 10, which reached end of support in October 2025) lets you assign default apps for file types, protocols, and links. But a persistent and frustrating bug causes these settings ...

Every file on your hard drive (.jpeg, .html, and the like) can be associated with a compatible program, which will open that file format by default. Some applications will change a format’s default ...

If you want to set portable apps as default apps on Windows 11/10, you need to register them first. PORTABLE Registrator is one of the best apps for registering portable apps on Windows 11 and Windows ...

Q. How do I change the browser that opens when I click my desktop shortcut bookmark icons? I want them to open in Google Chrome. A. The steps vary based on your operating system. To select Google ...

Nearly every computer these days comes with a PDF viewer, a program that allows you to read, print, and sometimes edit a PDF file. In the newest versions of Windows 10, the default PDF viewer is ...

Microsoft is now using a Windows driver to prevent users from changing the configured Windows 10 and Windows 11 default browser through software or by manually modifying the Registry. Windows Terminal ...

What steps do I need to take to change the default action on Windows XP and Windows 7 when someone tries to open a CHM file? I want the file extension to be associated with notepad.exe for ALL users.