Changing Default Programs in Windows 11

Overview

This knowledge base article outlines how to change the default program for file types in Windows 11.

Instructions

Still have questions?  Contact the Technical Service Desk or complete the LINK TO SERVICE OFFERING request.  

1. Select the blue Windows logo (located at the bottom-center of your screen) to open the Start menu.

Computer desktop screen with icons on the left and taskbar at the bottom featuring a blue swirl background. There is a red arrow pointing to the blue Windows Start Menu button.

2. In the Start menu, select the 'Settings' icon. If you don't see the icon, enter "Settings" in the search bar, and it should appear.

A Windows 11 desktop interface. There is a red box around the Windows Start Menu button. The Start Menu is open, and the "Settings" icon is highlighted in a red box.

3. In the Settings window, find and select "Apps" in the left-hand menu. This will open the Apps settings.

The Windows system Settings panel with the "Apps" menu option, on the left, highlighted by a red box.

4.  In the Apps settings, select 'Default apps' to open the Default apps menu.

A Windows Settings screen with the "Apps" option selected on the left side of the screen. In the center of the window is the list of "Apps" settings. There is a red box highlighting the"Default apps" option.

5. In the search bar at the top of the page, enter the file type that you'd like to change the default app of. This will bring up a drop down menu with file types that match your search criteria. Select the one you want.

A window displaying the "Default apps" settings page in a Windows Operating System. In the center, under the heading "Default apps," there is a search bar with the placeholder text "Enter a file type or link type." Below this, a list of applications is shown, each with an icon next to its name. The list includes the apps installed on the device.

A window displaying the "Default apps" settings page in a Windows Operating System. In the center, under the heading "Default apps," there is a search bar with ".jp" typed in. The searchbar has a dropdown menu directly below it listing file types containing ".jp", including ".jpe", ".jpeg", and ".jpg". The searchbar and dropdown menu are highlighted by a red box. Below this, a list of applications is shown, each with an icon next to its name. The list includes the apps installed on the device.

6. After selecting the file type, the box below the search bar will either show “+ Choose a default” or the current default app for that file type. Select the box to edit the default app.

A Windows settings screen showing "Apps" with a subsection called "Default apps." There is a search field shown with the text ".jpeg" entered. Beneath this, there is a list showing Adobe Acrobat as the default application for opening ".jpeg" files. The Adobe Acrobat icon is shown on the left, and its label reads "Adobe Acrobat Document".

^ In this example, the default app for .jpeg file types is the 'Adobe Acrobat' app

A Windows settings screen showing "Apps" with a subsection called "Default apps." There is a search field shown with the text ".api" entered. Below, a plus sign next to "Choose a default" is visible within a rectangular outlined button.

^ In this example, there is no default app for .api file types, so it shows '+  Choose a default'

7. After selecting the box, a window will appear labeled 'Select a default app for .___ files.'

A Settings window of a Windows operating system, with a focus on selecting a default app for .jpeg files. A pop-up window is prominently shown in the center of the screen, titled "Select a default app for .jpeg files." Within this pop-up, "Adobe Acrobat" is currently selected under "Default app." Below this, a list of "Suggested apps" is displayed, including options like Clipchamp – Video Editor, Paint, Photos, and Snipping Tool. There are more options listed under "More options" like Firefox and Notepad. A blue "Set default" button is located at the bottom of the pop-up.

8. Choose the app you want to set as the default for this file type. In this example, I’ve selected 'Photos'. Once you've selected the app you want, select the blue 'Set default' button.

A Settings window of a Windows operating system, with a focus on selecting a default app for .jpeg files. A pop-up window is prominently shown in the center of the screen, titled "Select a default app for .jpeg files." Within this pop-up, "Adobe Acrobat" is currently selected under "Default app." Below this, a list of "Suggested apps" is displayed, including options like Clipchamp, Paint, Photos, and Snipping Tool. Within "Suggested Apps", the "Photos" app is outlined in a red box. The "Set default" button at the bottom is also outlined in red.

9. The selected app will now be listed as the default app for this file type. 

A Windows Settings window displaying the "Apps" section, specifically showing the "Default apps" settings page. In the center of the page, a search bar is visible with the query ".jpeg" entered. Below this, an icon and the word "Photos" indicate that the default app for opening JPEG files is set to Photos. A red arrow pointing to the Photos icon is annotated with the text "All done!"

Troubleshooting

Still have questions? Contact the Technical Service Desk at 410-777-HELP (4357) or submit a request using the Service Catalog. 

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