Setting Your Default Programs

When you set up Windows Vista, certain programs are designated as the default programs for specific tasks: Windows Mail for your e-mail, for example; Internet Explorer for Web browsing; Windows Media Player for playing videos and digital music; and Windows Media Center for recording TV programs. However, if there are other programs you'd prefer to use instead, you can set them as your default programs. You can also modify which file types are associated with which programs.

Set the System Defaults

Click the Start button, choose Default Programs from the Start menu, and, in the Default Programs window, click Set Program Access And Computer Defaults.

In the Set Program Access And Computer Defaults dialog box, click the down arrows for any configuration you might want to use.

Review the configuration.

Select the type of configuration you want to use. If you chose the Custom configuration, make any changes you want to it.

If you don't want the Microsoft program to be available on your computer, clear this check box.

Click OK.

Customize the Settings

In the Default Programs window, click Set Your Default Programs to display the Set Default Programs window.

Click a program.

Click Choose Defaults For This Program.

In the Set Program Associations window that appears, specify which file types (extensions) and protocols you want to be used by this program. Items currently checked are already defaults for this program.

Click Save.

Continue going through the list of programs until you've customized all of them.

Click OK when you've finished.

Tip

You can't clear a check box for a default setting in the Set Program Associations window. You switch the association by assigning that extension or protocol to a different program.