Windows 10: How do you change apps associated with different actions for a file type in Windows 10?

When you right click on a file in Windows Explorer, for many file types, you will see several different actions available. For example, the default action, which is usually "Open", but there may also be other actions available such as "Edit", "Edit with Photos", "Edit with Paint 3D", "Print", "Set as Desktop Background", etc. In previous versions of Windows, it was fairly straightforward to change the apps associated with these other actions or to even create your own custom actions. In Windows 10, I cannot find a way to change this at all. The only thing I seem to be able to change is the default app - ie. the one associated with the default "Open" action, but none of the others.


How do I change the app associated with these other actions? For my immediate problem, I want to change the Edit action, which opens the image in Windows Paint - which is **** - and instead have it open the file in GIMP, which is an excellent open-source image editor.


Brett.

:)

 

Restore Default File Type Associations in Windows 10  


Not to pester you, but it is inconvenient to "open with" every single time, and I remain quite perplexed why every other possible file extension appears to be listed in "Settings/System/Default apps/CHOOSE DEFAULT APPS BY FILE TYPE" but not .zip. It has always been possible prior to Windows 10 to associate ANY file extension with a default program. I'm not sure what you mean by ".zip is not listed by default." How else would one permanently associate a program with a file extension? The link I gave you, provided again below, as well as others I could find - indicates that that other people have .zip listed in their file type listings. Have you checked your listings available at location I've specified above? I have ... .yps, .z, .z96... and no .zip. Do you not see a .zip extension either but see essentially all others? Link: unable to Extract Zip files in Windows 10 - Microsoft Community.

 

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.

 

How to change default app for file type

@Bree - yes, I'm quite aware of this thanks, but as you will see it's missing. I recall reading that clicking the dialogue at a certain point in blank space made it appear, and trying that once successfully, but doesn't seem to help now. Plenty of other similar reports of this option being missing.





'Fix' described here: (essentially unassociate the extension)
Windows 10 "Always use this app" checkbox missing - Super User