3

When opening a specific file (or clicking on a link in a program) Windows will use the default app, set under Setting > Apps > Default apps.

I would like to remove the default such that Windows will ask every time.

Once you set any individual default, there seems to be no way to undo only that default. From what I can tell, the sole option is the nuclear option: reset all default apps.

This option isn't the best either. For one, all things browser will revert to Edge. So I can't have HTTP links or html files ask me every time now. Aside from the browser, zip, image, and txt files have this issue too.

Is there a regkey I can modify to do this?

FWIW: I know I can right click > open with > XYZ in Explorer. But that doesn't solve the issue of opening things from inside other applications that adhere to these settings.

Improve this question
3
  • Not exactly what you request, but there's a tutorial on displaying and importing a list of default apps as XML at elevenforum.com/t/… . This list could be edited to set other defaults -- but I believe simply removing one would set the default to that MS chose originally.
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 2:23
  • so are you suggesting that if for example i had a default of notepad for txt files, but right clicked and opened one with Notepad++, that if I went to file > Open to open another txt file, that it would launch notepad instead of just opening another tab in notepad++? is that the kind of application issue you are experiencing?
    – Frank Thomas
    Commented Mar 10, 2023 at 5:09
  • @DrMoishePippik While that guide does allow me to save and apply settings to other machines, it seems that the third option to wipe defaults doesn't work properly. I tried it a few times with different types on my systems, the selected defaults remain in settings.
    – Matthew Cordaro
    Commented Apr 20, 2023 at 18:47

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

As of Q2 2023 the Registry is the way to reset any individual default application selection.

TL;DR

You will need to Delete the registry folder UserChoice in one of the two following locations and then Restart Explorer:

Path for Link Types (URIs)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\abcdefg\UserChoice folder where abcdefg is a URI (e.g.: mailto or https).

Path for File Types (File Extensions)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.XYZ\UserChoice folder where XYZ is a file extension (e.g.: .zip, .png, or .txt).

Steps to "Reset" Defaults

  1. Open up the Registry Editor
  2. Navigate to the relative above path.
  3. Delete the relative UserChoice folder.
  4. Close the Registry Editor
  5. Kill & Restart Explorer (in Task Manager) or Reboot the computer (not always necessary).

Windows' Nomenclatures

URIs: are referred to as "link type" in GUI Settings and "UrlAssociations" in the Registry.

File Extensions: are called "file type" in GUI Settings and "FileExts" in the Registry.

IMHO

In a future update, under Apps>Defuault Apps, an option should be added to Reset or Ask Every Time for an individual selection, since a Reset all default apps exists as on option. Any non-power user would have to wipe all their settings just to reset a single one.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .