This tutorial will show you how to reset the "Open with" context menu for a file type back to default for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The Open with context menu allows you to choose an app to open a file with by default.
When you use Open with to select to open a file with an app, that app is added to the "Open with" context menu for that file type for only your account.
If wanted, you can reset the "Open with" context menu back to default for a file type to clear all the apps you added from the "Open with" context menu.
Starting with Windows 11 build 22567, Microsoft has updated the “Open with” dialog box to align with Windows 11 design principles. The updated dialog box honors light/dark theme. We have also simplified the experience by making it possible to update your default app with just one click.
Starting with Windows 11 build 22579, is reverting the Open With dialog box redesign. Microsoft plans to bring this back in the future after addressing some performance issues identified by Windows Insiders.
Apps in the "Open with" context menu for a file type are stored in the OpenWithList and OpenWithProgIds registry keys at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\<file type>\OpenWithList
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\<file type>\OpenWithProgids
EXAMPLE: Before and after reset "Open with" context menu for ".txt" file type
The current default app will always show in the "Open with" context menu.
Here's How:
1 Click/tap on the file type link in the table below you would like to reset and clear "Open with" for to download its REG file.
2 Save the REG file to your desktop.
4 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.
The list of file types available to download in the table below is just a start for now, and is a work in progress. I will constantly be adding more to the list, but if you need one that is not yet listed, then please post a request for it. I'll be happy to get it added to the list.
File Type | Description |
|---|---|
| bat | Windows batch file |
| bmp | Bitmap image file |
| dll | Application extension |
| docx | Microsoft Word document file |
| epub | eBook file format |
| exe | Executable application file |
| gif | Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) image files |
| ico | Icon file |
| iso | Disk image file |
| jpeg | Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) image file |
| jpg | Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) image file |
| lnk | Shortcut |
| log | Text document file that Windows writes a record of events to. |
| mp3 | MP3 sound format file |
| mp4 | MPEG-4 movie file |
| msi | Windows Installer Package |
| Portable Document Format (PDF) file. | |
| png | Portable Network Graphics (PNG) is a lossless bitmap compression method for image files. |
| ps1 | Windows PowerShell Script |
| rtf | Rich text file |
| txt | Text document file |
| url | Internet shortcut |
| wav | Wave audio file |
| webp | WebP is a raster graphics file format designed to create smaller, high-quality images for the web. |
| zip | Compressed (zipped) folder |
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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