Removal of custom default app

I'm using Windows 10 Pro 1909 (18363.535). It seems that I can no longer select an arbitrary executable to open a specific file type. For example, I have the portable version of the photo viewing app IrfanView on my hard disk, but there appears to be no way to make it my default photo viewing app. The last way that used to work appears to now be gone, which was: Right-click an example of the type of file I want to open (e.g., a .jpg), choose Open With -> Choose another app, (if your list is long, scroll to the bottom and choose "More apps"), then scroll to the bottom of the list of apps and choose Select an App on this PC, then you could choose anything on your hard disk. Now that feature has caught up with the obscene limitation of the other methods of only being able to choose an app from the Windows Store.

I can imagine Microsoft claiming it is for security reasons, but that's obviously not a good enough reason to be forced into their store. If I'm developing a new photo viewing app and want it to open as the default, nothing should be stopping me. Is there any way to choose a custom executable to open a file type with?

You can still do this, it's just not in the same place. Pick a file that you want to associate with a program. Right-click it and choose Open with > Choose another app > more apps > Look for another app on this PC.

It would be nice if this was all in the same place but it is what it is for now.

@dalchina, thanks! I had searched for a program like that, but all I found was web pages of people explaining how to do it in the way that used to work.

Using FileTypeMan, running as Administrator, I get the error message "Error 5: Access is denied" trying to update the "User Choice" for .jpg, however, it was enough to add IrfanView to the list of applications that I can Open With...

@hsehestedt, that is what was missing for me. I just got the wording wrong, since I had to do it from memory ("Select an App on this PC"). Instead it gave me the option of looking for an app in the Windows Store. However, after messing with FileTypeMan, the "Look for another App on this PC" has returned.

@GregJ7, that's odd. I'm also on 1909 and when I go that route I can choose absolutely any program at all, be it a Windows Store app or not. I wonder why that had disappeared for you.

You can't make a portable version default.

hsehestedt said:

You can still do this, it's just not in the same place. Pick a file that you want to associate with a program. Right-click it and choose Open with > Choose another app > more apps > Look for another app on this PC.

Yes, that works in 1909.

Edwin said:

You can't make a portable version default.

Yes you can.

Bree said:

...Yes you can.

Individually yes, but it'll never show up here as a system wide default...

But it will show up here (I use Sumatra as my PDF reader)