To Enable 'Set Program Access and Computer Defaults' NOTE: This is the default setting.A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Set Program Access and Computer Defaults - Enable or Disable. A program configuration specifies default programs for certain activities, such as Web browsing. How to open and change default programs settings in Windows 8 / 10 for fileextensions. Set program preferences in windows 8.1? How to set your default programs.

1. Set Default Command Prompt

With the command line: assoc.='No Extension' ftype 'No Extension'='C: path to my editor.exe' '%1' To give credit, I learned this from the vim wikia and Extra info: Instead of 'C: path to.' , the following macros may be useful:.%SystemDrive% - drive windows is installed on, i.e. C:.%ProgramFiles% - e.g. 'C: Program Files '.%ProgramFiles(x86)% - e.g. 'C: Program Files (x86) ' You will need to properly escape them though: ftype 'No Extension'=^'^%ProgramFiles(x86)^% Notepad notepad.exe^' '%1' To set the icon to be the same as.txt files (I didn't do this, since it automatically made the files' icons display as Notepad files): assoc 'No Extension' DefaultIcon=%SystemRoot% System32 imageres.dll,-102 To undo, you can read the assoc /? Information, e.g.: ftype 'No Extension'= assoc 'No Extension' DefaultIcon= assoc.=.

: Normal files with an extension can have a program associated however this is not the case with files that don't have an extension. If you double click on one and select an application and check the box to always use that application it is ignored and every time you select a file you have to choose the application. You can force this using the registry:. Start the registry editor (regedit.exe).

Move to HKEYCLASSESROOT. From the Edit menu select New - Key. Enter a name of '.'

And press Enter (don't type the quotes). Select the new '.' Key. Double click the (Default) value. Change to the HKEYCLASSESROOT used to open, e.g. NOTEPAD for the notepad.exe application NOTEPAD.

Click OK If you now double click on a file with no extension it will open with the application selected. To check what an existing application used look at its entry under HKEYCLASSESROOT, e.g. HKEYCLASSESROOT.doc uses Word.Document.8 so if you wanted this as your default editor you would change HKEYCLASSESROOT.(Default) to Word.Document.8. Any method which avoids the need to edit the registry is as follows:. Open Explorer - View - Folder Options. File Types - New Type:. Description of type: Text (any description, you can type in).

Associated extension:. (just a period). Actions: - new. Action: open. Application used to perform action: c: winnt notepad.exe. Click ok, then ok again.

Most of these solutions didn't work for me on Windows 8.1. I got it working by doing the following (this should work for Windows 7 and Windows 10 as well):. Follow hasnj's solution: First open an elevated command window and type assoc.='No Extension' ftype 'No Extension'='C: path to my editor.exe' '%1'.

Open regedit and navigate to HKEYCURRENTUSER Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Explorer FileExts. Right click and add a new key called UserChoice if it doesn't already exist. In the new UserChoice key, right click and create a new String Value called Progid. Set its value to 'No Extension' (without the double quotes). The other answers are a bit outdated.

Set Default Command Prompt

Here is a link to one that works for Windows 7: Shell extensions for file names with no file extension can be registered under the following: HKEYCLASSESROOT. For example, to associate a program (for example, Notepad.exe) to open all files with no extension, use the following registry keys: HKEYCLASSESROOT. @=' HKEYCLASSESROOT. Shell HKEYCLASSESROOT. Shell open HKEYCLASSESROOT. Shell open command @='%1' Here is an alternative method: HKEYCLASSESROOT. @='NoExtFile' HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile shell HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile shell open HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile shell open command @='%1'.

With the command line: assoc.='No Extension' ftype 'No Extension'='C: path to my editor.exe' '%1' To give credit, I learned this from the vim wikia and Extra info: Instead of 'C: path to.' , the following macros may be useful:.%SystemDrive% - drive windows is installed on, i.e. C:.%ProgramFiles% - e.g. 'C: Program Files '.%ProgramFiles(x86)% - e.g.

'C: Program Files (x86) ' You will need to properly escape them though: ftype 'No Extension'=^'^%ProgramFiles(x86)^% Notepad notepad.exe^' '%1' To set the icon to be the same as.txt files (I didn't do this, since it automatically made the files' icons display as Notepad files): assoc 'No Extension' DefaultIcon=%SystemRoot% System32 imageres.dll,-102 To undo, you can read the assoc /? Information, e.g.: ftype 'No Extension'= assoc 'No Extension' DefaultIcon= assoc.=. : Normal files with an extension can have a program associated however this is not the case with files that don't have an extension. If you double click on one and select an application and check the box to always use that application it is ignored and every time you select a file you have to choose the application. You can force this using the registry:.

Start the registry editor (regedit.exe). Move to HKEYCLASSESROOT.

From the Edit menu select New - Key. Enter a name of '.' And press Enter (don't type the quotes). Select the new '.' Key. Double click the (Default) value. Change to the HKEYCLASSESROOT used to open, e.g.

NOTEPAD for the notepad.exe application NOTEPAD. Click OK If you now double click on a file with no extension it will open with the application selected. To check what an existing application used look at its entry under HKEYCLASSESROOT, e.g. HKEYCLASSESROOT.doc uses Word.Document.8 so if you wanted this as your default editor you would change HKEYCLASSESROOT.(Default) to Word.Document.8. Any method which avoids the need to edit the registry is as follows:. Open Explorer - View - Folder Options. File Types - New Type:.

Description of type: Text (any description, you can type in). Associated extension:. (just a period). Actions: - new. Action: open. Application used to perform action: c: winnt notepad.exe. Click ok, then ok again.

Most of these solutions didn't work for me on Windows 8.1. I got it working by doing the following (this should work for Windows 7 and Windows 10 as well):. Follow hasnj's solution: First open an elevated command window and type assoc.='No Extension' ftype 'No Extension'='C: path to my editor.exe' '%1'. Open regedit and navigate to HKEYCURRENTUSER Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Explorer FileExts.

Right click and add a new key called UserChoice if it doesn't already exist. In the new UserChoice key, right click and create a new String Value called Progid. Set its value to 'No Extension' (without the double quotes). The other answers are a bit outdated. Here is a link to one that works for Windows 7: Shell extensions for file names with no file extension can be registered under the following: HKEYCLASSESROOT. For example, to associate a program (for example, Notepad.exe) to open all files with no extension, use the following registry keys: HKEYCLASSESROOT. @=' HKEYCLASSESROOT.

Shell HKEYCLASSESROOT. Shell open HKEYCLASSESROOT. Shell open command @='%1' Here is an alternative method: HKEYCLASSESROOT. @='NoExtFile' HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile shell HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile shell open HKEYCLASSESROOT NoExtFile shell open command @='%1'.