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I am trying to set the default program for opening a .txt file to Notepad++. I can change the default program to Wordpad, and it stays like that. If I change it to Notepad++, it immediately switches to regular Notepad. Why does this happen and how can I fix it?

alph
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1 Answers1

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I was able to recreate this issue with Notepad++ on Windows 10 Pro where Notepad++ would not stay the default. I was able to resolve it by:

  1. Open Notepad++

  2. On the menu bar, navigate to Settings > Preferences > File Association

  3. In "Supported extensions", click "Notepad" and in the next panel to the right, you should see the .txt and .log extensions.

  4. Click the .txt extension, then click the "->" right arrow to move .txt to "Registered Extensions", then you can close the Preferences window

  5. Use File Manager and navigate to a directory with a .txt file in it.

  6. Right-click the .txt file and select "Properties"

  7. On the part that says "Opens with:", click the "Change" button, and select Notepad++

When you click OK, Notepad++ should now stay the default app for .txt files.

Blaelph
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    You may need to run Notepad++ as Administrator for the change to work. This is also true of other programs, such as IrfanView and VLC, to set them as default application. – DrMoishe Pippik Oct 17 '18 at 22:32
  • @DrMoishe Pippik - I didn't specifically need to open Notepad++ "as Administrator" in my case, but my user account is in the Administrators group of my local machine. Your suggestion may be relevant in other situations though. – Blaelph Oct 17 '18 at 22:51