Default app by file choice.

Hi, this free program should give the flexibility you need.

You can even create your own command for the program associated with a particular file type. ('Edit selected....').

E.g.


If both instances of Word are shown in this list you can use that.

Curious said:

Windows 10 home, version 22H2, OS build 19045.2846

I have 2 versions of Microsoft Office installed on my laptop. I would like doc files to open in one Word and docx files in the other Word.
When I go to Settings/Choose a default apps by file type and go to ".doc", the setup dialog only offers me only one version of Word (and Adobe Acrobat). How do I force a choice of the other installed version of Word?
I don't mind doing it in the registry if I have to.
Thanks.

You have to be careful about having two versions of Office on your computer at the same time. There is a potential for conflict.

One time I had both Office 2003 and Office 2010 on my computer at the same time. I was taking a class for Office 2010. I was wondering why the options in Word 2010 did not match what was expected. I finally realized that Word 2010 was using the default template, normal.dot, for Word 2003. After I deleted normal.dot, Word 2010 recreated the correct normal.dot for it.

dalchina said:

Hi, this free program should give the flexibility you need.

You can even create your own command for the program associated with a particular file type. ('Edit selected....').

E.g.


If both instances of Word are shown in this list you can use that.

That's the functionality which should be part of Windows!

Curious said:

I would like doc files to open in one Word and docx files in the other Word.

In File explorer, right-click on a .doc file then select
Open with,
Choose another app,
set the checkbox to Always use this app ...,
select the application of choice
- this might involve scrolling to the bottom of the first list to select More apps then, if necessary,
- scrolling to the end of the next list that appears to select Look for another app on this PC. This will let you browse through folders to find the particular application you want to run. If you find entries ambiguous in the first two lists then this is the way to go to avoid all ambiguity.

Your Office files, such as WinWord.exe, are within C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office in subfolders called Office11 and so on
Office16 - Outlook 2016 onwards
Office15 - Outlook 2013
Office14 - Outlook 2010
Office12 - Outlook 2007
Office11 - Outlook 2003

Do the same with a .docx file and any others you want to set up.

Denis

So you've been able to do it, I assume.

Thanks for the rep,
Denis