How to Associate Files in Windows 10 by Extension

Association of the file in Windows is used to assign a single program which will be used in future to open files of the specified extension. For example, sometimes files .ink or executable programs .exe exposed incorrectly and are opened by the wrong programs which leads to the corruption of files, so you need to restore those afterwards.

If you want to know what kind of program is better to use for opening a specific file type, visit Wiki Ext website containing data about all kinds of file extensions.

Why File Association Is Important?

If a wrong program is used to open the specified file, you will get a zero result. So you need to make sure the files are associated correctly, so that you wouldn’t have to open the file manually using specific program. Correct association will also allow you to use the most convenient programs among those installed on your computer to open the specified types of files.

Restoration Of Files Associations In Windows 10

In the Windows 10 parameters there is a section allowing to drop all associations of files to default settings (which operates with some restrictions that will be disclosed below).

Enter the “Parameters” (Win+I keys) — System — Applications by default. If you manage to enter the specified section “Reset to Recommended Microsoft by Default Values”, you can click “Drop” button. Then all associations of files will be downgraded to the default one.

As it was already mentioned, there are some restrictions to this option. The thing is that when the option is used, the comparisons of files set by the user are deleted: in most cases, it works to correct typical violations of files associations.

However, sometimes it works the other way. For example, if we are taking the associations of the .exe and .lnk files, it is very important to set up a correct program to open those. And if chosen incorrectly, the damage to the registry could be done.

Also, as well as in prior versions of OS, in Windows 10 it is possible to recover associations of system files using the register editor. Without entering the appropriate values in the register manually, and using .reg files for import to the register the system could be corrupted. And most often it is about .lnk (labels) and .exe (program) files.

When you open editor at the end of the specified page you will find the list of file types that need correction of associations. Load .reg file for these file types which are required to be corrected and launch those (or click with the right mouse button the file and select “merge”). Do not forget to acquire administrator rights before you do that.

You will see the editor register window message that the procedure can lead to inadvertent change or deleting values; agree and after the message about successful adding of data to the register appears, close the editor and reboot to restore associations.