Vista: Associate a File Type with a Specific Program

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From the computer of: shamanstears (738 recipes)
Created: Feb 22, 2007     Updated: Feb 24, 2007

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Previous versions of Windows had an easy way of accessing a list of file types and what program they were associated with. Vista also allows you to do this, but it takes a little hunting before you can find it.

In Windows XP, you would click View and select Folder Options. From there you select the File Types tab.



In Vista, if you follow those same steps, you will notice that there is no File Types tab.



To access the Set Associations window, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button.

2. Select Control Panel.

3. Select Programs.

4. Under Default Programs, select Make a file type always open in a specific program.

The Set Associations window will appear, allowing you to change what program a file type is associated with by selecting the file type and clicking the Change program button.



If you are only looking to change a single file type, simply right-click on a file and select Properties. Under the General tab, click the Change button to select the desired program.