Windows 11, File Management

How to Use “Open with” in Windows 11 to Open Files with Different Apps

In Windows 11, the “Open with” option gives you quick control over which app opens a file, without forcing you to change your system-wide defaults. This is useful when you want to try a different app just once, or when you prefer a specific program for certain file types. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use “Open with,” what the “Always use this app” checkbox really does, how to find apps that are not listed, and how this all differs from changing your global default apps.

Step 1: Right‑click a file and choose “Open with”

To start, locate the file you want to open in File Explorer. This could be any file type: a text document, photo, PDF, or something else. Then follow these steps:

1. Right‑click the file. This opens the context menu for that specific item.
2. Hover over or click “Open with”. In many cases, Windows will show a small submenu with a few suggested apps right away.
3. Select “Choose another app”. This opens a larger panel that lists compatible apps and gives you more options.

The “Choose another app” window is important because it shows you all the apps Windows 11 believes can handle that file type. For example, if you right‑click a .txt file, you might see Notepad, WordPad, Microsoft Word, and any third‑party text editors you have installed. For a .jpg image, you may see Photos, Paint, and other image viewers or editors.

Understanding the “Always use this app” checkbox

At the bottom of the “Choose another app” window, you’ll see a checkbox labeled “Always use this app to open .xxx files”, where .xxx is the file extension you selected, such as .txt or .jpg. This small checkbox controls whether your choice is temporary or becomes the new default for that file type.

• Unchecked: Windows will open the file this time only with the app you select. Next time, it will still use your existing default app unless you use “Open with” again.
• Checked: Windows will change the default app for that file type. From now on, double‑clicking any file with that extension will open it in the app you chose.

This gives you flexibility. If you only want to open a single file in a different app as a one‑off, leave the box unchecked. If you have decided that a different app should always handle that file type, tick the box before clicking OK.

Finding apps that don’t appear in the list

Sometimes, the app you want is not shown in the initial list. Windows 11 helps you discover more options in two main ways. First, the “Choose another app” window often includes a link that says “More apps”. Clicking this expands the list to show additional installed programs that can open the file type.

Second, at the bottom of the panel, you may see a link labeled “Look for an app in the Microsoft Store”. Selecting this opens the Microsoft Store and searches for apps that support that file format. This is particularly useful if you do not yet have a suitable program installed. For example, if you are dealing with a specialized image or document format, the Store might offer dedicated viewers or editors designed for that type of file.

If you already know you want a specific third‑party app that is not in the Store, install it first. After installation, repeat the right‑click → Open with → Choose another app steps. The newly installed app will usually appear in the list, especially after you click “More apps.”

Practical examples: text files and photos

To see how this works in real life, consider a few everyday scenarios. Many people prefer using a powerful text editor such as Notepad++ instead of the basic Windows Notepad. Suppose you receive a .txt file and want to edit it in Notepad++ just once to take advantage of features like syntax highlighting or tabbed documents. You would:

1. Right‑click the .txt file and choose Open with → Choose another app.
2. Select Notepad++ from the list (click “More apps” if needed).
3. Leave “Always use this app”unchecked if you only want this one file to open in Notepad++.

On the other hand, if you decide that all your text files should open in Notepad++ from now on, tick the checkbox before clicking OK. From that moment, double‑clicking any .txt file will launch Notepad++ automatically.

Another common example is working with photos. By default, Windows 11 usually opens .jpg images in the Photos app. If you want to make a quick edit, you might prefer the classic Paint application. To open a single .jpg in Paint, use “Open with,” pick Paint, and leave the “Always use this app” box clear. If you find yourself doing this frequently and want Paint to become the default for all .jpg files, simply check the box once and confirm.

How “Open with” differs from changing global defaults

It is easy to confuse using “Open with” with changing your global default apps, but they are not the same. The global default settings in Windows 11 are found under Settings → Apps → Default apps. There, you can choose one app to handle an entire category, such as your default web browser or email client, or assign apps to specific file types and link types in a more systematic way.

The “Open with” menu is more focused and convenient for everyday use. It lets you:

• Open a single file in a different app without changing anything else on your system.
• Quickly switch the default app for one specific file type by checking “Always use this app.”

By contrast, adjusting global defaults through the Settings app is better when you are setting up a new PC or making broad changes, such as choosing your main browser or media player for all related tasks. In practice, many users rely on “Open with” for quick, file‑by‑file decisions, and only visit the Default apps settings when they want a more comprehensive overhaul.

Once you understand how “Open with” works, it becomes a simple, reliable way to tailor how Windows 11 handles your files, whether you are experimenting with new apps or fine‑tuning your everyday workflow.