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Unable to change Default Programs in Win10 - (can't make CHROME my default browser?)

I am using the Default Programs functionality to change my default browser from Window's/Microsoft Edge to Chrome.

No matter how many times I change the default browser, it always reverts the change automatically back to Edge.
Same issue when I try to change my Email Client and the default PDF reader (I do not wish to use IE/Edge to read or edit PDFs.)

John

In Control Panel, Default Programs, Set Default Programs, select Chrome on the left and then on the right, set as Default .

What specific error do you get.

I set Windows Photo Viewer to be default and Windows Photo Viewer does not come natively with Windows 10.

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Albert Widjaja

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rindi

I don't use chrome, but Firefox. The procedure will be similar in chrome though. Start the browser, and in tools I can check on "Make this the Default Browser". That will open up the Default Program's tool of the control Panel of Windows 10. Now towards the bottom where you see "Edge" click on that, and you'll see Chrome as one of the options to choose from. Select that. Now you get asked whether you don't want to try Edge, again make sure you select not to try Edge. Now your system is set to use Chrome as main browser.

Anastasia D. Gavanas

Is this a stand alone machine or on a work network? In the later case there may be group policies in place that keep changing your defaults.

McKnife

The link https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/pdfviewer.html which Senior IT System Engineer gave you needs some explanation. You will need to modify the xml file that the linked command will create...or otherwise all your defaults will be locked forever.
Simply take that xml file, open it in notepad and locate the sections for the file types in question and delete the rest. I can show you an example file for pdf and pdf-related filetypes files which locks them to acrobat reader DC:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
  <Association Identifier=".acrobatsecuritysettings" ProgId="AcroExch.acrobatsecuritysettings" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".api" ProgId="AcroExch.Plugin" />
  <Association Identifier=".fdf" ProgId="AcroExch.FDFDoc" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="AcroExch.Document.DC" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".pdfxml" ProgId="AcroExch.pdfxml" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".secstore" ProgId="AcroExch.SecStore" />
  <Association Identifier=".xdp" ProgId="AcroExch.XDPDoc" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
  <Association Identifier=".xfdf" ProgId="AcroExch.XFDFDoc" ApplicationName="Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" />
</DefaultAssociations>

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If you need further assistance, just say.

rgb192

ASKER

this is best adobe link. thanks

rindi

What does Adobe have to do with the google chrome browser?

McKnife

The link illustrates how to enforce file type associations. Pdf to adobe is just an example, the method is the same.