Windows 10: Change Default App freezes in Windows 11

I have a brand new HP laptop. Every single time I attempt to change the default app to open a file, either through the system settings or right-click > Open with, my system freezes, usually requiring a reboot or at least a 5-10 minute wait.I don't have any extra anti-virus installed other than Windows Defender, I've even tried disabling Windows Defender, to no avail.

:)

 

How to change default app for file type

'Open With > Choose another app' has three step, in the first it only offers apps registered for that file type. If you click 'More apps' it lists all registered apps regardless of suitability. Both these steps have the tick-box for 'Always use...' in my 18363.752. The third step, if needed, is 'Look for another app on this PC'. The 'Always use...' must be ticked before taking this step if you want the change to stick. However, WMP appears at the second step.

For a quick look at a JPG almost anything (including WMP) is more practical than Photos which on my system takes more than ten seconds just to open a photo. The OP is probably not aware that the Windows Photo Viewer is still available in W10, but hidden away. That's my default viewer for JPG.


Restore Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10

And, once enabled, is available in Settings > Apps > Default apps.

 

change "default app"

There are a couple of ways to change the default app setting for a program in Windows 11.

Method 1: Change the Default App Settings in Windows Settings

1. Open the Start menu and search for Default apps.
   
2. In the Default apps settings, scroll down to the By file type section.
   
3. Find the file type that you want to associate with a different app, and then click on it.
   
4. In the Choose an app window, select the app that you want to use as the default for that file type.
   
5. If the app that you want is not listed, click on More apps.
   
6. If the app that you want is still not listed, click on Look for an app in the Microsoft Store.
   
7. Once you have selected the app that you want, click on Set this default app.
   

Method 2: Change the Default App Settings in File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to a file that has the file extension that you want to associate with a different app.
   
2. Right-click on the file and select Open with.
   
3. In the Open with window, select the app that you want to use as the default for that file type.
   
4. If you want to make this the default app for all files with the same extension, check the box next to Always use this app to open . (file extension).
   
5. Click on OK.
   

If you are unable to change the default app setting using either of these methods, you may need to delete the registry key that stores the default app settings for that file type. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor.
   
2. Navigate to the following key:
   

1. Find the file extension that you want to associate with a different app, and then delete the following key:
   

1. Close the Registry Editor.
   
2. Restart your computer.
   

Once you have restarted your computer, you should be able to change the default app setting for the program.

 

Windows 10 1803 default app change bug

When right clicking a file and going to "Open With", no matter what file it is, I can't change its default. The box is checked, and the app doesn't change.

This is also true of right clicking and going to "Properties". When I click change, the default doesn't change.

This is happening to me on 3 computers now. Steps to reproduce? I could probably do it by:

Installing Windows 8.1, and upgrading to 10 with the media creation tool.

This does not happen with a fresh install from a USB with Windows 10.

Don't tell me to go to "Settings" and change the defaults. The file type list is horrible, and some of my file types are not listed. The registry is not an option on multiple PCs as it is not just one file type. It is ALL file types. No matter what one I
try, it's always the same result.

Are there any suggestions? I know how to navigate computer, so please do not suggest that I need to go to Settings

> Apps > Default Apps. These options are far from optimized, and they don't have what I need. There isn't even an option to browse for an app to select defaults for when the app doesn't show up in the list.

A quick fix would be nice. Even a simple item in the registry? I could potentially have this problem on all 75 computers in this building as they all started at 8.1 before going to 10. I can't reinstall Windows on every machine. That's ridiculous.