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For most documents file types (txt, pdf, docx, etc), 'Open' is the "default" (marked in bold) action and resides at the top of the context menu in Windows 10. I am pretty sure that this was also the case for media file types until recently when something caused the 'Open' menu item to drop down in the list and for the 'Open with' to become the "default" entry. enter image description here

Among recent changes were installing Winamp and adding custom context menu entries for a few tools (Spek, MP3Gain) via the registry (albeit the latter change was done on an extension basis and only for a select list of audio types). Not sure if any of those changes caused this, and if so, which ones.

Regardless, how can I reset the 'Open' menu entry to be the "default" one and to restore its position as the topmost entry in the context menu list?

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1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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It appears, as you state, that the default action has been lost for that document type, likely because an alternative application set itself as the default, and that application was then removed. For each file extension, reset the default action as follows:

  • In Explorer, right-click on a file with that extension, e.g., .mp3.
  • Select Open with...
  • Check "Always use this app to open .mp3 files."
  • Select an application, e.g., VLC, and click OK.

Now, the default action on double-clicking an .mp3 file should be to open with VLC media player, and Open (with VLC) should be at the top of the context menu.

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  • I'm afraid that didn't change anything for me. Ironically, the default action in the shell itself never changed to start with. I mean double clicking on media files triggers the expected 'Open' action with the default registered application (currently Media Player "Zune"). The default action seems out of order only in the menu, not the shell itself, making this more of an aesthetic problem really, but a bothersome one nonetheless.
    – Makaveli84
    Commented Sep 19, 2023 at 19:13
  • @Makaveli84 - I would try booting with a minimal boot configuration, one that specifically avoids loading any additional applications connected to File Explorer shell, allowing to verify if it's one of the many applications you have installed that changed the order.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Sep 19, 2023 at 23:09
  • @Makaveli84, then likely the manual Registry changes caused the issue, rather than WinAmp or another app changing the settings.
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Sep 19, 2023 at 23:46
  • @DrMoishePippik One thing I noticed was that the only common factor present in all the media types that were out of whack and non-present in all other document types was Microsoft's ClipChamp application (one that I had recently installed but prior to installing other apps such as Winamp and Spek, and prior to making the registry customizations). Long story short, uninstalling ClipChamp fixed the problem and restored order to the context menu. It seems that the issue had happened as soon as I installed ClipChamp but I only noticed it recently when I was customizing my menu list.
    – Makaveli84
    Commented Sep 20, 2023 at 16:30

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