How to Add a Program to 'Open With'

Learn how to use the open with option in Windows. Use a program from the installed programs to open the file.

In this tutorial, we will teach you how to add a program to the "open with" option. Many a times, Windows might not recognize a certain file extension. In such cases, the user will have to inform the system to open such file types with a particular program.

Step 1 -- Search for open with option

Follow this step by step guide to learn how to add a program to the "open with" option.
For the purpose of this tutorial, we will be working with a svg file that we have saved on our desktop. Right click on the file and you won't even be displayed with the "open with" option.

Step 2 -- Select a program from the installed programs

Go back to the file and this time round, double click on it. As a result, a windows prompt will appear on your screen. From there, check the "select a program from a list of installed programs" option. Once you are done, click on the ok button.

Step 3 -- Choose Internet Explorer to open the file

In the "open with" window, choose internet explorer in order to open this file. There is an option here which allows you to make the selected program the default choice for opening this kind of file. Make sure you have this option checked for future references. Click on the ok button to exit the window and apply the changes.

Step 4 -- Internet Explorer logo

You will notice that the file will bear an Internet Explorer logo because of the changes you just made. Double click on the svg file in order to open it in Internet Explorer. This file won't open in the IE browser.

Step 5 -- Browse for google chrome

Right click on the file again and this time round, you will see internet explorer appear in the open with options. Click on the default program option and in the "open with" window, browse for google chrome.

Step 6 -- Chrome logo

Once you have found chrome on your system, simply click on the open button to add it to the programs list. Select it and click on the ok button to exit the window. You will see the internet explorer logo will be replaced by chrome's logo. Double click on the file in order to open it in Google Chrome.

[JaminKoehn]

And what about files types that *are* recognized, and a program you want to use isn't in the "open with" list?

[howtechpc]

So could you please tell how you fix this registry error, may be someone will need this solution in future!

[howtechpc]

Then you should click "Browse" button and find .exe file of necessary program.

[JaminKoehn]

In my case, I had previously installed the "Unicode" version of Audacity. When I installed the most recent version, the registry wasn't updated, so the "command" was still written for the "Unicode" version, even though I had uninstalled it.

IIRC, it read something like:
"C:\Program Files\Audacity (Unicode)\audacity.exe" "%1".

So, I corrected it to read:
"C:\Program Files\Audacity\audacity.exe" "%1"

[josns]

when ever i run a default program it says "this program wishes acces to your computer, you sure you trust this program?" i got this when i opened msconfig it seems that it can't recognize any default program as it's own, it thinks its a program it was downloaded from internet and asks me if i trust it, help?. p.s i use Windows Vista Home Basic

[rikodx]

how to restart the file to the original file ?

[RaposaCadela]

Daamn, man. I installed some program that had that option on literally EVERY FILE just by clicking right-click, -- even EXE files! -- and it was just awesome. It was so much easy to, for an example, open a program that needed DOS-BOX to work. Now I had to restore my PC and it's gone, and I'm so sad!

[vtbn]

LOL I love it when the dislikes outnumber the likes for click bait videos like this. It may not even have been intended to be click bait but the title of the video bears no resemblance to the content.

[JaminKoehn]

Yeah. I did that.

I found Audacity.exe, double-clicked it, but it still wasn't showing up in the recommended programs list.

I found what the problem was, though: there was an error in its registry entry. Once I corrected it, it was finally showing up.

[arcisjnsnxbd]

How I can to remove it I need to remove this

[JaminKoehn]

ugh...YouTube keeps f***ing-up the structure of my comments.

[carlosvipe]

I ain't even gonna watch this video 51down x 24up

[Snottco]

Why does this guy sound so much like Ben Shapiro