Last update caused all custom file associations to reset to defaults

pjfarr · 10 Feb 2016

My PC updated Windows 10 yesterday afternoon ("Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based Systems (KB3135173)". After rebooting, it completely screwed all my custom file associations (mostly for media files: photos, audio, and video).

A few minutes after the reboot, the Action Center started firing popups at me, one after the other, every few seconds:

"An app default was reset. An app caused a problem with the default setting for .avi files so it was reset to Films & TV."

with a different file extension for each popup (avi, bmp, mp4, and so on) . Even .pdf files were changed from Adobe Reader to Microsoft Edge. As well, all my custom context menu items for these same file types were also deleted. I spent a lot of time setting these associations up and now they were all obliterated. I'd backed them all up in a .reg file but running it didn't do anything. So with a heavy (and angry) sigh I started manually changing the associations back to the way I had them. However, each time I finished making a change within seconds the Action Center would fire the same message as before at me for the file type I'd just changed and it would be reset back to the MS default again.

Finally in exasperation, I just used System Restore to go back before the updates and that solved the problem. Now, the Action Center keeps nagging me to set a time to reinstall this same update. I know I can't block it indefinitely, and there are probably important security patches in it I should have. So the question is: How can I stop it from f'ing up my file associations again?

A Google search indicated others were having this same issue, but so far no one's figured out how to stop it.

dalchina · 10 Feb 2016

Hi, seemed to have affected photos/images for me.
It's often worth being familiar with the many Tutorials (see above)

To save and restore associations:
Default App Associations - Export and Import for New Users in Windows - Windows 10 Forums

So you could save your associations, let the update install, restore your associations

Let us know if it works. Thanks.

(& To suppress an update (FYI):
Windows Updates - Hide or Show in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
)

pjfarr · 10 Feb 2016

dalchina said:

To save and restore associations:
Default App Associations - Export and Import for New Users in Windows - Windows 10 Forums

So you could save your associations, let the update install, restore your associations

Thanks dalchina for the link. It looks promising. I used the procedure to save my custom associations. One (possibly dumb) question: the tutorial specifies "This tutorial will show you how to export and import your custom default app associations in Windows 10 to be applied for each new user afterwards during their first sign in." Does this mean it can only be used with a newly set up user profile?

dalchina · 10 Feb 2016

Hi, my reading of it is that its title states a specific intended application of storing the associations and restoring them to help create a working environment when creating a new user profile as a convenience tool.

That is, although I would expect it to back up your associations and restore them in the same account, that usage of the xml file is simply not described because it wasn't one Brink was thinking about.

pjfarr · 11 Feb 2016

Update:

Realizing that all the default apps that were hogging the media file types were Windows Metro apps (“Films & TV”, “Photos”, “Groove Music”, etc.) I found this tutorial on how to uninstall and remove all the apps that ambushed my custom file associations (I’d never used those apps anyway). I figured if the apps were gone it would free up those file types. After removing the apps, my custom file associations reappeared, without having to manually set them up again. So far everything seems fine now. Here are the specific apps I removed to recover control of photo, audio, and video file types and the commands to remove them:

In an elevated PowerShell window, cut & paste each line, pressing ENTER after each entry:

Code:

Get-AppxPackage *zunemusic* | Remove-AppxPackage

Get-AppxPackage *zunevideo* | Remove-AppxPackage

Get-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage

Greybeard2016 · 12 Feb 2016

Hmmm... uninstalling in PowerShell isn't working for me. I've tried it both as a logged in Administrator, and Run As from a limited account, and rebooted after - but the Apps are still there.

dalchina · 12 Feb 2016

Note that removed universal apps will most probably be reinstated by Windows
a. if you do an in-place upgrade reinstall
b. in the next major upgrade build (like 10586)

pjfarr · 12 Feb 2016

Greybeard2016 - How are you opening PowerShell? Just being logged in as an Administrator isn't enough. Find it on the Start Menu and right-click on the icon, then choose "Run as an administrator". Then copy & paste each command, one at a time, pressing the ENTER key after each pasting and waiting for the command to finish before pasting the next one.

Apologies if this is what you already did—just making sure in case you missed something.

Greybeard2016 · 12 Feb 2016

Thanks - that is indeed what I've done. I tried first from a limited account (with Run as Administrator as you say) then when that didn't work I logged in with admin rights, and did the same thing, Run as Administrator, and the Apps are still there.

pjfarr · 12 Feb 2016

Greybeard2016 said:

Thanks - that is indeed what I've done. I tried first from a limited account (with Run as Administrator as you say) then when that didn't work I logged in with admin rights, and did the same thing, Run as Administrator, and the Apps are still there.

Maybe try this freeware app that runs the commands for you:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/10appsmanager-windows-10

Also, here's a tutorial with an alternative PowerShell procedure:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/uninst...sic-windows-10
It focuses mainly on the music app, but if you scroll down there's a technique for using it on other apps.

I haven't tried either of these because I didn't need to, but I found them while searching for the solution and pinned them for later reference.