Add Word16 to the "open with" option when I right click .doc files

I have both Word 2003 & Word 2016 on my Win10 machine. I have Word 2003 as my default because I'm more used to it. However, I used to be able to right click a .doc file, choose "Open with" & have Word 2016 as a choice. Word 2016 is located at "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\WINWORD.EXE".

How can I add Word 2016 as an option for "Open with", when I right click a .doc file?

Thank you in advance.

Try the program "Openwithadd"

It's what I use to add some programs to the right click open with context menu.

openwithadd

Open with - Add Program | Tutorials - Option Two

EDIT: It's an old program but still works on Windows 10

Callender said:

Try the program "Openwithadd"

It's what I use to add some programs to the right click open with context menu.

openwithadd

Open with - Add Program | Tutorials - Option Two

EDIT: It's an old program but still works on Windows 10

Thank you! That worked. The only thing is that if I have 2 programs in the "Open with" dialog box (Word 2003 & Word 2016), it will name both of them the same. However, I can tell the difference because the icons are different:

One other point, if desiring to open the newer .docx files in Office 2000, 2002/XP or 2003 one can add the Compatibility Pack [File Conversion] to the older programs. Office 2007 was the change to the new format which adds the x to the file extension. Office 2010 was the first to be available as either 32-bit/x86 or 64-bit/x64 but that doesn't affect the files created.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...8-27abd8107873

Whilst I do not see the relevance of the Compatibility pack to this thread's subject matter, since it has been mentioned I'd like to point out that the download link in that MSAForum thread is invalid.
I used this download link successfully less than a month ago - Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats - CNET Download


Denis

This is a more powerful tool (=less straightforward, more complex) but does have an icon field for the added entry:
GitHub - stax76/OpenWithPlusPlus: Open with++ context menu shell extension

Note too that Openwithadd lets you personalise the label:

- so you shouldn't need to have 2 the same.

Try3 said:

Whilst I do not see the relevance of the Compatibility pack to this thread's subject matter, since it has been mentioned I'd like to point out that the download link in that MSAForum thread is invalid.
I used this download link successfully less than a month ago - Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats - CNET Download


Denis

The relevance is that the OP is using 2 similar programs that default to different file formats, having the older one able to open the newer one can save frustration.

dalchina said:

This is a more powerful tool (=less straightforward, more complex) but does have an icon field for the added entry:
GitHub - stax76/OpenWithPlusPlus: Open with++ context menu shell extension

Note too that Openwithadd lets you personalise the label:

- so you shouldn't need to have 2 the same.

That's what I used, as was recommended in post 2. However, even though I tried to name them Word 2003 (after putting in the path) & Word 2016 (after putting in the path), they end up with the same name.

@phrab

Where to look to change context menu entry text.

That's for AbleWord which I just changed to Ableword 2024 as a test.

So look under this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\******\shell\open

where ***** is shown look for word under "applications" key.

Then inspect shell\ open FriendlyAppName and edit Data value

To check path to application look at the command subkey under shell\ open

Callender said:

@phrab

Where to look to change context menu entry text.

That's for AbleWord which I just changed to Ableword 2024 as a test.

So look under this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\******\shell\open

where ***** is shown look for word under "applications" key.

Then inspect shell\ open FriendlyAppName and edit Data value

To check path to application look at the command subkey under shell\ open

I've been playing around with it, but I still can't get separate descriptions for each Word version. Here's what my registry keys look like:
​ ​

I can't seem to get two separate entries in the registry.