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To fix a file that opens in the wrong app, change the default for its file type in Settings > Apps > Default apps. Search for the extension, such as .txt, choose the matching result, and select the app you want. Microsoft documents changing defaults by file type or app; its current instructions do not confirm a universal button for resetting every association at once.
Change the default app for a file type
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Open Settings > Apps > Default apps. See Microsoft’s instructions for changing default apps.
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In the search box, enter the file extension you want to fix, including the period—for example,
.txt. You can also search for a link type, such ashttp.Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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Select the matching result, then choose the app you want Windows to use from the available choices.
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Open a file of that type to check that it launches in the intended app.
If several apps appear, Windows has more than one available handler for that type. Choose your preferred app; the available choices depend on what is installed.
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Change defaults from an app’s settings
You can also start with the app rather than the file type. In Settings > Apps > Default apps, find and select the app. Its page lists the file types and link types it supports. Select the type you want to change and choose the preferred app.
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If you want to undo one incorrect choice, changing that specific extension or link type is the targeted fix. Microsoft’s current support guidance describes changing defaults by type or by app; it does not establish that every Windows 11 PC has a universal control to reset all associations, or specify where such a control would appear across different builds, regions, and managed devices.
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Do not use Reset your PC to fix a file association. That is a much broader Windows reinstallation process that can remove apps, settings, and potentially personal files. It is not the routine way to change which app opens a file type. See Microsoft’s recovery options guidance for the scope of PC reset.
Check the extension before changing anything
A file’s extension is the suffix after the period in its name. For example, Microsoft uses expenses.xlsx to illustrate how an extension identifies a file type and helps Windows determine which app can open it. If extensions are hidden, open File Explorer and select View > Show > File name extensions. See Microsoft’s guide to common file name extensions.
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Changing a suffix does not convert a file to a different format. For instance, renaming a file to end in .pdf will not turn its contents into a PDF. Change the default app in Settings instead.
If you do not know which app can open the file
Right-click the file and choose Open with > Choose another app to inspect the installed options. Microsoft also documents using Open with > Search the Microsoft Store to look for an app, or searching the Store for the file extension. These options can help identify a compatible app when the extension is unfamiliar.
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For administrators managing Windows devices
Windows also supports deploying default associations for managed environments. Microsoft documents exporting and importing associations through XML and DISM as an administrator workflow for preparing or servicing Windows images—not as the ordinary repair for one user’s file-opening problem. See Microsoft Learn’s default application association deployment guidance.
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