Microsoft uses file associations to set default programs for opening different file types on all its operating systems. As a result, when you open a file, be it text, image, or document, on your ...

David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...

David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...

Windows 11 (and Windows 10, which reached end of support in October 2025) lets you assign default apps for file types, protocols, and links. But a persistent and frustrating bug causes these settings ...

What steps do I need to take to change the default action on Windows XP and Windows 7 when someone tries to open a CHM file? I want the file extension to be associated with notepad.exe for ALL users.