Windows 10: My default apps Preventing MS from changing settings

I use Irfanview 64 bit as my default image viewer app. It has been a while since I tried accessing my images. Today I noticed that the tools menu was missing from this app. I finally figured out that the toolbar skin had been changed from Default to some other setting. I went to an Irfanview forum page and found out that MS will change app setups to fit there agenda. I am tired of this happening. Is there anything I can set in Microsoft Defender that would prevent MS from making these changes without my permission!

:)

 

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.

 

Windows Update today Set MS Edge as Default PDF App

One of the updates today set MS Edge as the default app for PDF files. I have Acrobat installed and after the update and reboot, Acrobat asked if if I wanted it to be the default program. I didn't realize it had changed. So when I said yes, I got an error that said Acrobat cannot be set as the default app, or something along those lines.

When I went into settings to try to change it there, Edge was shown as the PDF default app. When I tried to change it, Acrobat was listed but it wouldn't change when I clicked on it in the list.

Finally, I went into the Set Default Programs in Control Panel and I set Acrobat as default to open all file types it can open by default. Hopefully that is the correct choice.

If there is some other way to do this, please advise. But maybe this will also help someone else who had this happen.

 

Lost default photo viewer after profile rebuild

Thanks Brink. I've tried those steps before i started searching Google. After the profile rebuild i don't have the Photo app listed to choose to make it default in either the system settings for default apps or the Open With option.

I can't even find it doing a search. Seems to have been removed somehow with the profile rebuild, which doesn't make sense.

Might be helpful to list what i've done I've done the open with check, the choose default program in the system menu, tried that in device manager default programs also. I've checked the programs and features Turn windows features on/off and it's not listed there (never thought it was but that was a suggestion), searched the MS Store, it's not listed there either.

I don't like playing in the registry unless i have defined steps and haven't found anything for this yet, just the Win7 version like in my OP.