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After an update for Windows 10 Pro, I can now no longer choose a program as the default for opening a certain type of file, but rather must choose an app from the Microsoft store. Am I doing something wrong, or is there now no way to do this from the Settings app? I am still able to set the default by locating a file and using right-click > Open With to pick a program.

EXAMPLE: I want .ANS files to always open with Notepad++.

Of course I have Notepad++ installed and functioning, but after this update, I can't just click "Choose a program" and go find the notepadplusplus.exe like I used to.

I do not want to install Microsoft's Notepad++ app for this.

Choose default

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  • 1
    open the .ans file in Explorer with Notepad++ and tell here Windows to open it all time with Notepad++
    – magicandre1981
    Commented Mar 19, 2018 at 16:30
  • 1
    So Microsoft intentionally made it impossible to do this starting from the Settings app?
    – Matt
    Commented Mar 19, 2018 at 18:30
  • I have no idea why Microsoft makes it so complicated. I always use the explorer/open with way
    – magicandre1981
    Commented Mar 20, 2018 at 16:14
  • The accepted answer posted doesn't work any more on newer versions of Windows 10. I use Windows 10 20H2. Can anyone provide a working solution?
    – desbest
    Commented Dec 16, 2020 at 2:06

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Open file explorer and paste C:\Windows\System32\control.exe /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms /page pageFileAssoc in the bar and hit enter.

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  • Also, you can just type that in Run without the file path control /name...
    – El8dN8
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 22:08
  • This doesn't seem to work for me as of now. It offers a very limited range of options by name ('Photo viewer') not extension, and selecting the option for file types brings me to the screen in OP where it only allows me to go to the App Store.
    – Nick P
    Commented Oct 3, 2019 at 6:11
  • This doesn't work any more on newer versions of Windows 10. I use Windows 10 20H2. Can anyone provide a working solution?
    – desbest
    Commented Dec 16, 2020 at 2:06
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You need to right click to Open with one .ans file to choose desktop app.

enter image description here

After that, it will show up in settings:

enter image description here

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  • So Microsoft intentionally made it impossible to do this starting from the Settings app?
    – Matt
    Commented Mar 20, 2018 at 15:56
  • Absolutely not; you can clearly see the ability to choose a default application for an extension in the screenshot
    – Ramhound
    Commented Mar 22, 2018 at 22:15
  • I said "starting from the Settings app", not "starting from a file's right-click menu" @Ramhound
    – Matt
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 17:24
  • You absolutely can find the “choose default...” from within the Settings application I just did it the other day.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Mar 23, 2018 at 18:46

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