How to Set Default Programs in Windows 11

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By James Namo

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Do you want to set an app as default for a program in Windows 11 but don’t know how? This article will show you how to perform this task.

You can also set default programs with Group Policy but that is not covered in this guide.

Set Default Programs From Default Apps Settings

To set default programs in Windows 11, follow the procedures below.

  1. On the taskbar, right-click the Windows start menu button and click Settings.
  1. When the Settings window opens, on the left pane, click Apps.
  1. On the Apps pane, click Default apps.
  1. Once the Default apps settings open, you can select an app in the program list to set as the default.

For example, to set Google Chrome as the default browser for Windows 11:

  1. Go to the search box on the Default apps settings page and search Google Chrome and click.
  1. Next, click the Set default button beside Make Google Chrome your default browser.
Remember the current browser is Microsoft Edge.
  1. When Google Chrome is made the default browser, you notice these changes as shown in the screenshot below.
  1. To set another app as a default program follow the same procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I reset the default app settings on Windows 11?

To reset default apps settings on Windows 11, follow the steps below:
a) Right-click on the start menu and select Settings.
b) On the Settings page click on Apps on the left pane, then select Default apps on the right pane.
c) On the Default apps page, scroll down to the bottom, find the Reset all default apps, and click the Reset button beside it.

Remember that this will reset all default app settings but won’t affect anything in an app. It only affects the type of apps that opens each file type.

2. What is the default browser for Windows 11?

Microsoft Edge is the default browser for Windows 11.

3. How do I remove file association in Windows 11?

To remove file association in Windows 11:

a) Go to settings and click on Apps on the left pane.
b) On the Apps page, click Default apps.
c) On the Default apps page, scroll down to find the option called Choose defaults by file type and click on it.
d) Next, select the file type to remove the present association.
e) Thereafter, you can create a new file association by clicking on a chosen application.

4. How do I set defaults by file type or link type

a) Launch the Windows 11 Settings.
b) Select Apps on the left pane. Then, click Default apps.
c) Go to the search box below “Set a default for a file type or link type” and search for the file extension. For instance, to set a default app to open MP4 files, search for .mp4.
d) Click the result from the search and chose your preferred app and click OK

In the situation whereby the app for the chosen is not available on the PC, you can look it up on the Microsoft Store.

5. Does Windows 11 have a PDF viewer?

The Edge browser that comes with Windows 11 can open a PDF file. However, you can install a free PDF viewer application like Adobe PDF reader.

Conclusion

Most people with PCs usually have a preferred application for opening different file types. For instance, a lot of people like to use the VLC player to open all their multimedia files.

However, setting up the computer to always open the preferred app can be a little difficult, especially in Windows 11.

Nonetheless, I believe this guide has been able to help you learn how to set default apps on your Windows 11. Also, I really hope this guide has been helpful to you.

If it has, click on “Yes” beside the “Was this page helpful” question below. You may also express your thoughts and opinions by using the “Leave a Comment” form at the bottom of this page.

To get more Windows 11 guides visit our Windows 11 How-To page

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About the Author

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James Namo

James Namo is a Technical Writer for Itechguides.com. He has a B.Sc in Computer Science. Aside from writing for Itechguides.com James loves movies, music, cars, and gadgets. In Itechguides.com, he writes gadget buying guides, apps and software reviews, movies, and video games reviews.

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