Windows 11, Default Apps, Troubleshooting

How to Reset All Default Apps in Windows 11 Back to Microsoft’s Defaults

Over time, different apps compete to become the default for your web browser, photos, music, and documents. If things start opening in the wrong program or you just want a clean slate, Windows 11 lets you reset all default apps back to Microsoft’s own choices in one go. This guide walks you through where to find that Reset button, what it actually does, when it makes sense to use it, and what you’ll need to set up again afterward.

Where to Find the “Reset All Default Apps” Button in Windows 11

Windows hides the master Reset button a few clicks deep, so it helps to know the exact path. Follow these steps carefully:

1. Open Settings. You can press Windows key + I or click the Start button and choose Settings.
2. In the left-hand menu, click Apps.
3. Click Default apps. This opens the main page where you control which apps open which file types and links.
4. Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page. Do not stop at the individual app list; keep going until you see a section labeled something like Reset all default apps.
5. Click the Reset button. Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to restore Microsoft’s recommended defaults.

Once you confirm, the change is applied almost instantly. There is no need to restart your PC, although it doesn’t hurt to do so if you are troubleshooting larger problems.

What Exactly Gets Reset When You Use This Button?

The Reset button affects file and link associations. In practical terms, that means Windows 11 will once again use Microsoft apps as the default choice for opening most common content. Here are some key changes you can expect:

• Web browsing: Links in apps and some documents will open in Microsoft Edge, even if you previously set Chrome, Firefox, or another browser as default.
• Photos and images: Common image formats like JPG, PNG, and GIF will open in the built-in Photos app instead of a third-party viewer or editor.
• Music and audio: Audio files such as MP3, WAV, and similar formats will revert to Windows Media Player or the modern Media Player app, depending on your Windows build, instead of Spotify, VLC, or another player you might have chosen.
• Videos: Video files like MP4, MOV, and AVI will also open in Microsoft’s media app rather than a third-party video player.
• Documents and PDFs: Some document types, including PDFs, may default back to Microsoft Edge or other Microsoft tools instead of Adobe Reader or another viewer.

The key point is that existing apps are not uninstalled. The Reset simply tells Windows to prefer Microsoft’s own apps again for opening files and links, unless you later change those choices manually.

When It Makes Sense to Reset All Default Apps

You probably will not use this button every day, but there are several situations where it is a practical fix.

• After a bad app install: Some apps aggressively take over multiple file types during installation. If you uninstall them or they behave poorly, you can be left with broken or confusing file associations. Resetting to Microsoft defaults gives you a reliable baseline again.
• Starting fresh on a shared PC: On family or shared computers, different people may have set their own preferred apps over time. Resetting everything to Microsoft defaults can simplify the experience and make it easier to explain “what opens what” to less technical users.
• Troubleshooting weird behavior: If certain files refuse to open, open in the wrong program, or you keep seeing errors when launching content, resetting associations is a quick way to rule out misconfigured defaults as the cause. It is often faster than hunting through every file type manually.

In short, use the Reset button when you want a predictable, known-good starting point. From there, you can selectively change defaults again if needed.

What You’ll Need to Redo After Resetting

The trade-off for a clean reset is that you will lose your previous custom choices. Plan on spending a few minutes setting things back up the way you like them. Common tasks include:

• Re-selecting your preferred web browser as default when you next open it. Most browsers will prompt you automatically with a “Make default” option.
• Choosing your favorite photo viewer or editor the first time you open an image. When Windows asks which app to use, tick any option like “Always use this app” so it becomes the new default.
• Setting your preferred music and video player for audio and video files if you do not want to stick with Windows Media Player or the built-in Media Player app.
• Reassigning PDFs and office documents to tools like Adobe Acrobat or alternative office suites if those fit your workflow better than Microsoft’s options.

None of this is difficult, but it is worth knowing ahead of time so the reset does not catch you off guard. If you rely heavily on certain apps, make a mental note to set them back as defaults once you are done.

An Alternative: Reset Just One App’s Associations Instead

If only one type of content is giving you trouble, you may not need the nuclear option of resetting everything. Windows 11 also lets you manage defaults on an app-by-app basis, which is more precise and less disruptive.

From the same Settings → Apps → Default apps page, you can:

1. Scroll through the list of apps and click the specific app you care about, such as Microsoft Edge, Photos, or a third-party browser or media player.
2. You will see a list of file types and link types that the app can handle. For each one, you can click and choose which app should handle it going forward. This lets you fine-tune behavior without touching anything else.

Use this more targeted approach when, for example, only PDFs or only videos are opening in the wrong program. Save the full Reset button for cases where multiple types of content are confused or you want to return the entire system to Microsoft’s recommended defaults in one step.

With these options, Windows 11 gives you both a quick way to start over and a more granular way to tidy up just one app’s associations. Choose the one that best matches the problem you are trying to solve, and you will spend less time fighting with default apps and more time actually getting things done.