Open a file with an alternative program

By Ed Bott

File associations make possible one of the most convenient features in Windows. When you double-click a file with the extension .txt, it opens in Notepad; files with the .html extension open in your default Web browser; and files that end in .jpeg open in your default image editing program.

Most of the time, that behavior is exactly what you want. But occasionally you need to open a file using a program other than the one with which it's associated. If you've saved a web page as an HTML file, for example, you might want to open it in Notepad to inspect its source. Likewise, some text files created with UNIX-style line endings display improperly in Notepad but can be viewed and edited correctly in WordPad.

To use an app that's different from the default association, select the file in an Explorer window (or Ctrl-click to select multiple files), right-click, and then click Open With. The resulting list shows installed programs that are registered as being capable of opening the type of file you've selected. If you don't see the program you want to use, click Choose Another App (Windows 10) or Choose Default Program (Windows 7) to see an expanded list. You might have to browse for the executable file of the program you want to use.

Just be certain that you don't select the Always Use This App... option, unless you intend to permanently change the default association for that file type.

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