Windows 11, Default Apps, Productivity

How to Make VLC, Notepad++, and 7-Zip Your Go-To Apps in Windows 11

If you spend a lot of time on your PC, the apps that open by default can either smooth out your day or constantly get in your way. Windows 11 comes with built-in tools for videos, text, and archives, but many people prefer more powerful third-party options. The good news: you can easily make favorites like VLC, Notepad++, and 7-Zip the default for everyday file types, so they open exactly how you want, every time.

Why Bother Changing Your Default Apps?

Default apps are simply the programs Windows 11 chooses automatically when you double-click a file. If you have not touched these settings, Windows will use its own tools, like the Movies & TV app for videos or Notepad for text. Those are fine in a pinch, but they are pretty basic. By switching to well-loved apps such as VLC, Notepad++, and 7-Zip, you unlock extra features, better performance, and often a smoother experience overall.

VLC: A Better Default for All Your Video Files

What VLC is: VLC Media Player is a free, open‑source video and audio player that has been a favorite for years. It is known for playing almost any format you throw at it without needing extra downloads or codec packs. For our purposes, it is perfect as the default for common video formats like .mp4, .mkv, .avi, and .mov.

Why VLC beats the Windows 11 default: The built‑in Movies & TV app is simple, but VLC gives you more control. You get better subtitle handling, playback speed controls, audio and video filters, and support for far more formats. If you have ever double‑clicked a video only to see an error or missing codec message, VLC almost always solves that problem instantly. It is also lightweight and starts quickly, which makes it ideal as your everyday player.

How to Set VLC as the Default for .mp4, .mkv, .avi, and .mov

First, install VLC from the official website if you have not already. Once it is on your PC, follow this friendly step‑by‑step:

1. Open Settings in Windows 11 (press Windows key + I).
2. In the left sidebar, click Apps, then choose Default apps.
3. In the search box under “Set defaults for applications,” type VLC.
4. Click VLC media player in the results to open its defaults page.
5. At the top, click Set default to make VLC handle as many media types as possible in one go. Then scroll and confirm that .mp4, .mkv, .avi, and .mov are set to open with VLC. If any are not, click the file type, choose VLC media player, and press OK.

Notepad++: Your New Default for Text and Code Files

What Notepad++ is: Notepad++ is a powerful yet lightweight text editor, popular with developers and power users but friendly enough for anyone. It is ideal for editing plain text and code files such as .txt, .log, .json, .xml, .py, and .html.

Why Notepad++ is better than Notepad: The default Notepad app is very basic. Notepad++ adds features you quickly grow to love: tabbed documents, line numbers, syntax highlighting for many programming languages, search and replace across files, and automatic indentation. Even if you are just editing a to‑do list or a configuration file, having these tools makes the job faster and less frustrating. It also handles large files more gracefully than the built‑in editor.

How to Set Notepad++ as the Default for Text and Code

After installing Notepad++, you can make it your main editor for key file types using the same Windows 11 defaults route:

1. Open Settings, go to Apps, then click Default apps.
2. In the “Set defaults for applications” search box, type Notepad++.
3. Select Notepad++ to open its defaults page, then click Set default at the top if available. This tells Windows to use Notepad++ wherever it reasonably can.
4. Scroll through the list and make sure .txt, .log, .json, .xml, .py, and .html all show Notepad++ as their default. For any that do not, click the extension, pick Notepad++, and confirm.

7-Zip: Take Control of Your Archive Files

What 7-Zip is: 7-Zip is a free, open‑source file archiver. It creates and opens compressed archives in many formats, including .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz. It is widely trusted and very efficient, especially with its own .7z format, which often gives better compression than standard .zip files.

Why 7-Zip beats the built‑in archive support: Windows 11 can handle basic .zip files, but that is about it. 7-Zip opens many more formats, integrates neatly into the right‑click menu, and lets you fine‑tune compression levels, passwords, and splitting archives into smaller chunks. If you regularly download .rar files or work with backups, 7-Zip quickly becomes essential as your default archive tool.

How to Set 7-Zip as the Default for .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz

Once 7-Zip is installed, you can make Windows 11 hand archive files to it automatically:

1. Open Settings and head to Apps → Default apps.
2. Under “Set defaults for applications,” type 7-Zip into the search box.
3. Click 7-Zip File Manager in the results to open its defaults page, then choose Set default at the top if the button is available.
4. Scroll down and confirm that .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, and .gz are all set to open with 7-Zip. Change any mismatched ones by clicking the extension, selecting 7-Zip, and confirming.

Pro Tip: Recheck Your Defaults After Windows Updates

One last friendly reminder: big Windows 11 updates sometimes nudge your default apps back toward Microsoft’s own choices or quietly add new options. Every so often, especially after a major update, take a minute to audit your defaults. Just revisit Settings → Apps → Default apps, search for VLC, Notepad++, and 7-Zip, and make sure each is still set as you like. It is a small habit that keeps your PC feeling like your own, with your favorite tools front and center whenever you open a file.