Tech-Ease: Files and Sharing Questions and Answers

Quick answers to real classroom technology questions. An online service of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse.

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How do I change the program that opens a type of file on my computer?

When you assign a file extension to a file, you tell Windows what type of file it is and what program should be used to open it. This file association can be changed by opening Windows Explorer and selecting Tools, Folder Options, and then File Types.

Tools, Folder Options

You can then select an existing file association and click on the Change button to change the program assigned to opening that kind of file.

Change open with

A dialog box will open up where you can select a program from the list or use the Browse button to locate the program on your hard drive. To permanently change the file association, you must make sure the checkbox next to "Always use the selected program..." is selected.

When you click on Ok the file association will be changed and you will be returned to the Folder Options dialog box. At that point you can still restore the file association to what it was before you made your change by clicking on the Restore button.

Restore

Additional Websites

Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101: Working with Windows—Files and Folders

Microsoft.com: Windows XP File and Folder Management Overview

Tiptalk: From Microsoft at Home and at Work—File Management

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire LTS Online Help Documentation: Windows XP

Geekgirls.com: Windows XP—An Introduction to File Management

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Tech-Ease for Windows is your source for just-in-time answers for classroom technology questions. A companion Tech-Ease for Mac site is also available. This collection is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse. Funding for Tech-Ease content development has been provided by the USF College of Education and various grants from the Florida Department of Education. Copyright 2009 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida.

			Quick answers to real classroom technology questions. An online service of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse.
ETC HOME	TECH-EASE HOME	FILES FAQ	SEARCH
How do I change the program that opens a type of file on my computer? When you assign a file extension to a file, you tell Windows what type of file it is and what program should be used to open it. This file association can be changed by opening Windows Explorer and selecting Tools, Folder Options, and then File Types. You can then select an existing file association and click on the Change button to change the program assigned to opening that kind of file. A dialog box will open up where you can select a program from the list or use the Browse button to locate the program on your hard drive. To permanently change the file association, you must make sure the checkbox next to "Always use the selected program..." is selected. When you click on Ok the file association will be changed and you will be returned to the Folder Options dialog box. At that point you can still restore the file association to what it was before you made your change by clicking on the Restore button.			Additional Websites Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101: Working with Windows—Files and Folders Microsoft.com: Windows XP File and Folder Management Overview Tiptalk: From Microsoft at Home and at Work—File Management University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire LTS Online Help Documentation: Windows XP Geekgirls.com: Windows XP—An Introduction to File Management
ETC HOME	TECH-EASE HOME	FILES FAQ	SEARCH
Site Map \| Submit a Question \| About Tech-Ease \| Privacy Policy \| ETC Home Tech-Ease for Windows is your source for just-in-time answers for classroom technology questions. A companion Tech-Ease for Mac site is also available. This collection is a part of the Educational Technology Clearinghouse. Funding for Tech-Ease content development has been provided by the USF College of Education and various grants from the Florida Department of Education. Copyright 2009 by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida.