Step One: Change File Association

See how to open a file in any program with these simple steps.

By Michelle VonWald and Greg Melton

"Call for Help" recently received an email from J.M. Escher, who writes:

Please explain the "Open With..." choice. Why is it available to us, and how do I use it?

The answer, J.M., is simply a matter of choice in opening files.

Double-click a text file and it will automatically open in Notepad. How do you open the file in Word instead? By changing the default file association for all text files.

A file association is something Windows uses to figure out which program should open a particular file. You can change a file association permanently, or for only one instance.

You can change the default file association with these simple steps.

Single-click a file.

Hold the Shift key while right-clicking the file.

Select "Open With..."

Select a program.

Place a check mark next to "Always use this program to open this type of file" if you want to permanently change its file association. Otherwise, this will be a one-time solution.

Click OK.

You can use these steps to open a file in almost any program as long as the program supports the file extension. MP3s are one example of why you might want to change a default file association. MP3 players battle for file association control and will often change the association without warning you.

Posted July 16, 2002

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