"Choose another app" option

Is there a way/registry hack to add "choose another app" option on default apps?

im using portable apps so its not registered in the system. but i remember in the earlier windows 10 builds, there was an option to choose another app like when you right click a file and "open with" you get that option.

Try Shift + right click?

I don't have 11 booted right now so cannot verify - but Usually Shift plus right click shows stuff that might be hidden in a normal context menu. So I'm just throwing that out there to see if it might work.

johnlgalt said:

Try Shift + right click?

I don't have 11 booted right now so cannot verify - but Usually Shift plus right click shows stuff that might be hidden in a normal context menu. So I'm just throwing that out there to see if it might work.

Click to expand...

doesnt work.

I'm firing up my VM now.

I'm assuming that you're right clicking on the file that you want opened in a 3rd party application, right?

johnlgalt said:

I'm firing up my VM now.

I'm assuming that you're right clicking on the file that you want opened in a 3rd party application, right?

Click to expand...

no,no,no.... what i want is an option in the default apps settings.... not the with the 3rd party app.... sorry for the confusion.

this one here:



If i remember correctly, in the most earliest windows 10 build, there used to be a "choose another app" option at the bottom. but in the succeeding updates it was gone.... and so i couldnt set my 3rd party app permanently (i can do itby right-clicking the file) but sometimes windows is too stubborn and keeps resetting to the default windows apps.... therefore i have to set it again...

Yeah, I've looked at it both ways in my VM - neither option seems to be available.

I'm guessing that they are re-tooling that particular functionality in both the direct for file Open with as well as the Look for another app on this PC:





The above screenshots are from Windows 10, but I cannot find anything like that in Win11 at all.

Although you can still go to default apps and change by file type, protocol, or by existing installed application. But just like in 10, installed apps don't pick up on portable apps (which I use a ton of also).

johnlgalt said:

Although you can still go to default apps and change by file type, protocol, or by existing installed application. But just like in 10, installed apps don't pick up on portable apps (which I use a ton of also).

Click to expand...

that's quite a hustle.... and windows is sometimes an arse and reset it to default... so... 😂

thanks, though! 💪

Lol yeah. It is. I said the same in another thread about how Windows does that, especially when you clean install and then start adding apps to replace the 'default' apps and Windows throws up that pesky "An error has occurred with one of your installed apps. Windows has reset the default app..." message.

I hate that #%^$%^. As if Windows knows better than I do as to what I want to use.

@vannn
You need to remember vannn , you running a Leaked Early Beta copy of Windows 11, there are going to be a lot of things fixed and added in the next few months. Windows 11 is not due out for public release until around October. There are still a lot of bugs in that copy of Windows 11 your playing with. :)

OldMike65 said:

@vannn
You need to remember vannn , you running a Leaked Early Beta copy of Windows 11, there are going to be a lot of things fixed and added in the next few months. Windows 11 is not due out for public release until around October. There are still a lot of bugs in that copy of Windows 11 your playing with. :)

Click to expand...

i know, but its the same for latter windows 10 builds. they removed the Look for another app on this PC option.

was wondering if there are ways to enable it via some registry hack...

vannn said:

i know, but its the same for latter windows 10 builds. they removed the Look for another app on this PC option.

was wondering if there are ways to enable it via some registry hack...

Click to expand...

I did look for a registry hack to restore that feature in 11 ....but I could not find one. Only other thing might be to ask Shawn (Brink) if he could make one for you.

vannn said:

i know, but its the same for latter windows 10 builds. they removed the Look for another app on this PC option.

was wondering if there are ways to enable it via some registry hack...

Click to expand...

Uh, I don't think that is true - the screenshots I posted above were from my completely updated Windows 10 x64 Pro 21H1 install on my primary machine.

OldMike65 said:

I did look for a registry hack to restore that feature in 11 ....but I could not find one. Only other thing might be to ask Shawn (Brink) if he could make one for you.

Click to expand...

Not surprising. If it were removed from other versions, someone might have made one - but it is still there, at least on my computer.

But Win11 completely removes the options as shown in my ss above in my previous post.

johnlgalt said:

Uh, I don't think that is true - the screenshots I posted above were from my completely updated Windows 10 x64 Pro 21H1 install on my primary machine.



Not surprising. If it were removed from other versions, someone might have made one - but it is still there, at least on my computer.

But Win11 completely removes the options as shown in my ss above in my previous post.

Click to expand...

perhaps in builds 19*** its still there but it is no longer in 20-21 above.

Would the option to choose a default app by file type work for what you are trying to accomplish?

hsehestedt said:

Would the option to choose a default app by file type work for what you are trying to accomplish?

Click to expand...

im using portable apps....