Windows operating system allows user to for most kind of file extension type via Control Panel’s “Set Associations” or “Set Default Programs” under “Default Programs” link, or Setting’s “Default Apps” in Windows 10 or newer. However, there is no option or way to reset or restore the default apps for file types or protocols association back to original default the is configured in factory pre-installed or freshly installed Windows OS.List of programs available under “Set Default Programs” link, such as Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Outlook, Windows Calendar, Windows Mail, Windows Media Player and Windows Photo Gallery has defined their own default supported file extensions, types and protocols; while in Windows 10, “Default Apps” lists several categories and their respective default applications. And, user can easily set a program as the default program to use to open all file types and protocols it can open.
The trick works on most Windows operating systems, especially Windows Vista and Windows 7. In Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, the registry key may lack necessary permissions for editing or deletion, hence you may need to before able to manipulate it.If you’re using Windows 10, and if you want to reset the default apps for email, map, music player, photo viewer, video player and web browser to original factory default, navigate to Settings - Apps - Default apps, and hit the Reset button to set the default apps for above categories of files back to Microsoft recommended defaults.
Windows 8.1 allows the user to change the file association for.bat files. I made the mistake of using this facility to change the default file association for.bat files to Notepad. Now when I attempt to run a.bat file, the script for the.batcomes up in Notepad, instead of its being run as an executable file! All my.bat files are now useless. I tried finding a way to change this back to the original executable setting, including deleting Notepad from my system, but nothinghas worked.There are discussions that I found on the Internet about this problem, and the solutions to which I was led have not worked either.
Most of the solutions apply to Windows 7 or Vista, but not to Windows 8. There are a few solutions that purport to apply to Windows8 and 8.1, but they do not work for me.(Disconcertingly, some of the solutions presented for the problem that apply to Vista or Windows 7 and are dated as early as 2009, so this problem has apparently been around for some time, but Microsoft still keeps.bat files on the Control Panel facility thatenables the change to be made. I cannot see why, but there it remains.)Can someone please help me change this file association back to the original setting for Windows 8.1? Remember, most if now all the links that address this issue are focused on Windows 7. I need an answer that has been tried and proven to apply to Windows 8.1.Nothing I have tried works. Hi,For the issue, we can restore Default File Extension Type Associations through adding the registry entries.1. Download the.reg file from the following link.Note: Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support.
This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.2. Save the.reg file to your desktop.3. Double click on the downloaded.reg file to Merge it.4. If prompted, click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.5. Sign out and in, or restart the computer to apply.6. If you are logged in as a standard user and this still does not help, then have the administrator also merge the needed.reg file for the listed file extension or protocol below while logged into their administrator account.Hope this helps.Regards,Kelvin hsuTechNet Community Support.
Kevin,Thanks for trying, but I tried exactly what you described, including turning off the computer and restarting, and the file association was not changed; I checked the setting in Control Panel, and it is still set for Notepad. I was logged in with full adminstatus when I attempted the fix.Regarding the earlier question of what I have done that did not work, this is the main attempt to which I referred.
It seems to be the 'solution' that everyone offers for this problem. Perhaps it works like a charm for Windows 7, Vista, and maybe even Windows8.0, but for Windows 8.1 on my computer, it does not work - at least for meThe questions I have seen posted on this have all described having specified Notepad as the file association for.bat, but I specified Notepad. Could that make a difference?Finally, I really believe this is a Microsoft problem, and they have a responsibility to fix it. Bat files should not be in the Control Panel facility for changing file associations - any more should than.exe files. Is anyone at MS aware of this? Does anyonethere care?Is my only option to wipe out my hard drive and reinstall Windows? Or buy yet another computer?
This is an unreasonable mess!Happy holidays!Tim Beckham. Tim, try this. It worked for me in Windows 8 when I mistakenly associated my.exe files to PDF and just couldn't get them changed. This will remove all associations for this extension and you should be set. I got these off of anotherboard several months ago, but it worked like a charm for me.Let.ext be the extension you want to deassociate.Run regedit1. Go to.HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExtsRemove the subtree.ext2.
Windows Restore Default File Association
Go to.HKEYCLASSESROOTRemove the subtree.extRemove the subtree extautofile (note, mine never had this last subtree at all in the registry so there was nothing to remove here.)Once I restarted the.exe files were just plain.exe files again. Hope it works for you. To provide a little context, this is a fix, kinda. He is showing what is it supposed to look like, but didn't give the instructions how to change it.