How to Change Program to Open Files
In today’s digital age, the ability to open files with the correct program is crucial for efficient workflow and productivity. Whether you’re dealing with documents, images, or videos, having the right application associated with each file type can significantly enhance your experience. If you find that your files are opening with the wrong program or you want to change the default application for a specific file type, this article will guide you through the process step by step.
Understanding File Associations
Before diving into the process of changing the program to open files, it’s important to understand the concept of file associations. File associations are rules that determine which program should open a particular file type. For example, when you double-click on a “.docx” file, your computer automatically opens it with Microsoft Word. This association is stored in the Windows Registry or similar databases on other operating systems.
Changing the Default Program on Windows
To change the program that opens files on Windows, follow these steps:
1. Right-click on the file you want to change the association for.
2. Select “Open with” from the context menu.
3. Choose the desired program from the list of available applications. If it’s not listed, click “Choose another app” and navigate to the program’s executable file.
4. Check the box that says “Always use this app to open .XYZ files” (where XYZ is the file extension).
5. Click “OK” to save the changes.
Changing the Default Program on macOS
On macOS, the process is quite similar:
1. Right-click (or control-click) on the file you want to change the association for.
2. Select “Open with” from the context menu.
3. Choose the desired program from the list of available applications. If it’s not listed, click “Other…” and navigate to the program’s executable file.
4. Check the box that says “Always open with this app.”
5. Click “Open” to save the changes.
Changing the Default Program on Linux
Linux users can change file associations by following these steps:
1. Right-click on the file you want to change the association for.
2. Select “Properties” from the context menu.
3. Go to the “Open with” tab.
4. Choose the desired program from the list of available applications. If it’s not listed, click “Add” and navigate to the program’s executable file.
5. Check the box that says “Use this program defaultly for all .XYZ files.”
6. Click “Close” to save the changes.
Additional Tips
– If you’re using a web browser, you can also change file associations by right-clicking on a file link and selecting “Save link as.” Then, when you open the downloaded file, you can change the association as described above.
– If you want to reset all file associations to their default settings, you can use the “Default Programs” or “Open with” settings on Windows, the “Open with” settings on macOS, or the “Default Applications” settings on Linux.
– Remember that changing file associations may affect other users on the same computer if you’re using a shared system.
By following these steps, you can easily change the program to open files on your computer, ensuring that your files are opened with the most appropriate and efficient applications.
