Windows 10 File Association – How to Select and Change

file associationwindows 10

I'm using Windows 10 version 1803 and cannot change file association via

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs

After choosing the "default application by type" option, there's no way to browse the file system to search for a specific software/app. The only two options are the file's currently associated software/app and "look for an app in the store" as shown in the below screen shot.

Question

How can I associate the file to another and very specific software/app that I can browse to choose?

FIGURE

Best Answer

There are a couple ways you can do this to workaround that limitation you wrote about where it doesn't let you select other apps to associate, etc. but I'll write a simple solution you can use.

  1. Create a dummy file with the extension you wish to associate with a specific program if you don't have an actual file already (e.g. test.region) right-click on it and select Open With

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  2. When the How do you want to open this file? window pops up, ensure that the option Always use this app to open <.ext> files is checked and then select More apps

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  3. You will then have a scroll bar that you can navigate to select the app you want the file to open with if it's listed. Otherwise, at the bottom of the scrollable list you can select the option Look for another app on this PC. Then when the Open with window opens you can navigate the file system and find the app you want the file to open with and double click it and you'll be all set.

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