Windows 10: File associations revert to Windows default apps on every boot

Every time I reboot, the file associations for images (jpg/png), media (mp3/wav/mp4/mkv) revert back to the default Microsoft apps. I prefer to use VLC for videos, Winamp for audio and Irfanview for images, and it's getting really annoying having to set all my file associations every time I boot up. This never happened on Win7 or 8. Has anyone experienced this before and/or know a fix?

:)

 

Windows 10 forgets assigned default apps

This is still a major issue for me. No matter where or how I associate a file type with an application, Windows 10 ALWAYS forgets them, and after a restart reverts to using its own dumb and useless apps. For example, I have PhotoShop CS6 installed, so always
want JPG, PNG and every other image format to open in PhotoShop. But after a restart Windows 10 reverts to using its useless Photos app by default. Similarly, I have the full version of Acrobat DC so of course ALWAYS want EVERY .pdf file to open in Acrobat...
but no, Windows 10 thinks I should open PDFs in a particularly useless web browser called Edge! Why? This file association problem is the worst bug (or most stupid 'feature') in Windows 10. Professionals need to use the correct app to do their work
(PhotoShop, Acrobat) not lame Microsoft substitutes!

 

Windows 10: Set video player to default to VLC media player for all video type

Original title: Media Player Default

I set my video player to default to VLC media player for all video type (reported to be 118). I then extract a zip file that has the extension of *.MKV. and windows 10 reverts to show the file as associated with Windows Media player or what ever the win
10 equivalent is. This happens each and every time. It is very annoying.

I have tried restarting, changing the way I default. Told windows not to use the windows media player. Nothing helps. I even reinstalled VLC. It re-associates everything until the next time I unzip.

Thanks.

 

The following tutorial shows seven different ways of associating apps with file extensions. Maybe you should try one or two of the alternative methods to see if they work better for you (e.g. choose by protocol)

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html

 

Thanks for the reply, I have seen this article and tried a few methods to change my associations, all of which work, but only for several hours. The problem is that the associations I make are un-done by some Microsoft process. And I was wrong in my OP - Turns out it happens without a reboot! Seemingly randomly all my file associations change back to the Windows default apps.

 

Hi, does this change happen e.g. after resuming from sleep or hibernation? (Of course it shouldn't change..)

Experiment:
It would be interesting to try to determine if the associations being reset is correlated with any other change to the registry being reversed at the same time. E.g. placement of an icon on the desktop. Try moving one, noting its position, and changing an association. When the association is reversed, inspect your desktop (you may need to refresh it or maybe restart explorer).

Suggestion:
Try (as an experiment) disabling fast startup.

 

Hey djxdj-

I was also having a similar issue for a while. I use images often, and I was continuously getting that 'open with' window to select the program to use. I was finally able to get things fixed by manually selecting the file association, while within the "Set Program Associations" section.

If you follow philc43's link and scroll down to section #6 (6. To Choose Defaults for Selected Program- subsection B) you can see how to do that if you're unaware.

 

Thanks guys, I am setting the default apps successfully, and everything works as I want for a while. Images open in irfanview, music plays in Winamp, videos in VLC. But then I leave my computer for a few hours, and when I come back, images once again open in the Windows Photos app, music opens in Groove Music, and videos open in Windows Movies & TV app.

It's like my defaults stick for a few hours and then somehow revert to the Microsoft defaults.

 

Here's a thought - do you have Sync your settings ON for your PC and do you have another windows 10 system running with your Microsoft account? I'm thinking that Microsoft is somehow picking up your defaults from another source and changing them.

 

The same problem for me. Do you use an old version of WinZip? I found that every time I launch this program, the JPEG association reverts to default.

 

Winzip (old version) is one program that has been reported as having this effect.
It might be reasonable to think other programs could equally have such an effect.
Elsewhere I've suggested using the free SUMO update checker to scan installed programs and update them where reasonable.

(Use the version labelled Lite or 'nork' to avoid adware - 'Related Knowledge' - otherwise it's the most comprehensive update scanner around)

 

I have been frustrated by this same issue, Groove Music kept hijacking files with adt extension. I am able to set the default program using Control Panel or Settings and it would work for a while and then change back again.
After reading this, I proved that it is WinZip (mine is v17.5) that is causing the problem.
As soon as I opened a file with WinZip, the file extension for adt reverts to Groove

 

I was having the same issue and posted about it here as well. I managed to resolve the issue by uninstalling the default Windows apps that were hijacking the file associations I wanted to change. Here's the post detailing what I did: Solved Last update caused all custom file associations to reset to defaults - Windows 10 Forums

 

The problem will come back to bite you when the apps are reinstated.. which will happen if you do an in-place upgrade repair install or (probably) there's another big upgrade like 10586.

Which is why I suggest scanning for old version software may help to give a permanent solution:

Winzip (old version) is one program that has been reported as having this effect.
It might be reasonable to think other programs could equally have such an effect.
Elsewhere I've suggested using the free SUMO update checker to scan installed programs and update them where reasonable.

(Use the version labelled Lite or 'nork' to avoid adware - 'Related Knowledge' - otherwise it's the most comprehensive update scanner around)

 

SUMO sounds very similar to Secunia PSI which I've been using for years. I try to keep my programs as up-to-date as possible, but certain ones are marked as "end of life" (no longer being updated or maintained) or are paid upgrades. Those ones still work on Win10 and I want to keep using them so I put them on the "ignore" list (so they won't be scanned for updates in the future).

That being said, the apps I'm using for opening media files (the file types that are being effected by this issue) are all current versions.

If the next update causes this problem again by reinstalling the apps I removed I guess I can just keep re-uninstalling them until MS addresses this (I won't hold my breath). However, the way they've designed Win10 to be so aggressive, I wouldn't be surprised if a future update purposefully reinstalls the Metro apps and then locks them down so they can't be uninstalled.