Cannot change default program

Eamoex · 17 Dec 2019

Hi All,

I'll start this thread apparently for the umpteenth time, but none of the forum posts (and not just this forum's) I've read provided with a fix to this one.

My Windows version number is 10.0.17763.

I have a few Adobe CC 2020 programs installed (yes, with a genuine, paid plan). I also have some of them in the 2019 version. I always keep a previous version ready to fire on the drive in case something goes wrong with the new one.

I would like (and, frankly, it doesn't sound like asking much) Windows to connect InDesign files (*.indd) with InDesign CC 2020. Presently, it opens this file type with InDesign CC 2019. Now:

if I go "Right-click -> Open with... -> Choose another App -> etc. etc." until I get the dialog to select the desired *.exe, and then DO select the desired *.exe (in this case, InDesign CC 2020), no new association takes place. It still opens with the CC 2019 version of InDesign.
if I use the other path, i.e. going through Windows setting, change files associations by type or change default programs, InDesign CC 2020 simply doesn't appear in the list. I know it's a problem of apps not "registering themselves" into Windows at install. I've even tried to fiddle with the registry to manually add InDesign CC 2020 to the registered apps list, to no avail.

Please, help.

dalchina · 17 Dec 2019

if I go "Right-click -> Open with... -> Choose another App -> etc. etc." until I get the dialog to select the desired *.exe, and then DO select the desired *.exe (in this case, InDesign CC 2020), no new association takes place. It still opens with the CC 2019 version of InDesign.

Hi, did you tick the check box at the bottom when doing that to make it permanent?
(A screenshot would be great!)

E.g. Option 2, 4, screenshot at end of section
Choose Default Apps in Windows 10

If you wish, you could try this free program- more convenient than editing the registry:

- here I've navigated to the Open command for 7-zip from the initial screen.

Here's another you can use- from Nirsofer:

Rt click also lets you open the registry at the appropriate key.

Eamoex · 17 Dec 2019

Hey dalchina, thanks for your reply. Your first third-party suggestion worked well. Thanks a lot for that.

And yes, I had checked the tickbox.

Still, I can't understand how MS can make things so impossibly convoluted when it comes to such basic functionality. Relying on third party software just for that... as far as I can tell is a no-no.

EDIT: looks like you already helped me before... can't rep you again!

dalchina · 17 Dec 2019

Glad it worked out..odd it didn't with Windows features alone.

Perhaps if you wanted to find out why Windows apparently didn't deal with setting the default in a similar situation, you might be able to discover more by using those tools to see what if any changes Windows had made in the registry after you'd used normal means to do that. I.e. first use them to view...

Eamoex · 17 Dec 2019

dalchina said:

Perhaps if you wanted to find out why Windows apparently didn't deal with setting the default in a similar situation, you might be able to discover more by using those tools to see what if any changes Windows had made in the registry after you'd used normal means to do that.

That's an excellent idea. Just not sure I'll dig out the time to do it!