Default Apps

Been playing around setting up default apps apps for various filetypes . I've come to the conclusion that
if an app is installed then it will stay default.
One program i use (NotepadX) is not installed, It's basically a portable, Being able to be copied anywehere
and run. This program never get's made default dispite numerous and varied attempt's.

Would it be a requisite of Windows 11 that a program has to be installed to be made default for opening filetypes?

Pebble said:

Would it be a requisite of Windows 11 that a program has to be installed to be made default for opening filetypes?

Click to expand...

I have a feeling/recollection that if the app doesn't register itself in the registry, then it wont handle as default. Wait for a second opinion though.

You should be able to add it manually to the registry. We have some good coders here, hopefully one will see this thread.

Pebble said:

Been playing around setting up default apps apps for various filetypes . I've come to the conclusion that
if an app is installed then it will stay default.
One program i use (NotepadX) is not installed, It's basically a portable, Being able to be copied anywehere
and run. This program never get's made default dispite numerous and varied attempt's.

Would it be a requisite of Windows 11 that a program has to be installed to be made default for opening filetypes?

Click to expand...

You need the various hooks in to the Windows system which a standalone/portable app does not have. Applied to older versions of Windows as well.
A standalone/portable App is meant to be exactly that. Sometimes an App will give you the choice of installable or portable version. Simply choice.

To set the default use Windows methods Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults by file type, not the options that an installed App may have.
Even so you may get an update to an MS preferred App and it will take over the default, not always, now and again, then you change it back.
It is not bad enough to do dubious system mods.

Yes you can set a portable app as a default app. I just did it for notepad++.
settings>apps>default apps>type 'txt' in search box. Select .txt file type. From list of apps that pops up, scroll all the way to the bottom.
Click 'Choose another app on this PC.'
Browse to the location of your portable Notepad++ folder,
Select Notepad++.exe file

Pebble said:

Would it be a requisite of Windows 11 that a program has to be installed to be made default for opening filetypes?

Click to expand...

To be offered as a choice the program has to be registered. Registration can be per user or per machine. Some 'portable' apps offer this. Two I use are jpegview and XMPlay. However, text editors are rather different. The new 'AI improved' MS Notepad and Notepad++ both offer an 'Edit/ Open with' option for all files, regardless of type. This makes sense because there are many different file types you might want to edit, although they have a different default open method.

If you use the tweak that takes the context menu straight through to 'show more options' then it is easy to add another option which you might call 'Open with NotepadX'. If you would like to stick with the new 'compact' context menu, then there is an App 'Custom Context Menu' available from the MS Store that enables you to add a new option of your choice.

One thing I do is to make sure that all the text like files that I'm interested in will show in the preview pane. You can do this by setting the Perceived Type of the file to text. (e.g. .txt or .c) This is because files with the PerceivedType of text have the preview handler set. Or directly by adding the preview handler to the file type (e.g. regfile).

Files of the PerceivedType text may have an edit option in the 'show more options' context menu which opens them in traditional notepad. Although this can be changed to another program if you wish. regfiles seem to have this even if notepad isn't installed at all.

So, if you say what you would like to happen beyond .txt files opening in NotepadX, then we can probably make useful suggestions. Incidentally, there seem to be a number of programs NotepadX, which one are you using? It might also be helpful to know what you do with the new notepad - leave as is, remove its context menu, or remove the program for your account.

NotepadX is V1.7.7.4

I've already edited the Registry and setup Open with NotepadX in the context menu.
Just want to be able to double click on a file and have it open in the program of my choosing.

Dont like MS telling what i can and cant do