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How to set Microsoft Office Word as default in Windows 10?

How to Choose Microsoft Word as the Default Program in Windows 10?

When you double-click a document, does it automatically open in Wordpad? This software program may be useful for basic text processing, but its features are not as comprehensive as what Microsoft Word offers. We won’t be surprised if you ask, “How can I make Word the default program instead of Wordpad?” In this post, we are going to show you different ways to set Microsoft Word as the default program for opening documents in Windows 10.

How to Set Microsoft Word as my Default Document Program

After adding Microsoft Word on your computer, its installer will automatically set it as the default program for certain types of files. However, even if it supports other file types, Word will not be set as the default program for them. For example, Word can process PDF files, but Microsoft Edge is likely the program that automatically opens them.

If you want to know how to set Microsoft Word as the default program for launching certain types of files, check out our tips below.

First Method: Set Defaults by App

  1. Go to the taskbar and right-click the Windows icon.
  2. Select Settings from the list.
  3. Click Apps.
  4. Go to the left pane, then choose Default Apps from the list.
  5. Click the ‘Set defaults by app’ link. Doing so will allow you to see all the installed programs and apps on your computer.
  6. Scroll down until you see Microsoft Word. Select the software program, then click the Manage button.
  7. You will be directed to another page where you’ll see all the file extensions that Word supports. You will also see the default program for each file type.
  8. To change the default program for a file extension, click the program name beside it. Choose Word from the options, then set it as the default program.

Second Method: Choose Default Apps by File Type

  1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+S.
  2. Now, inside the Search box, type “Settings” (no quotations), then hit Enter.
  3. Select Apps.
  4. Click Default Apps on the left-pane menu, then go to the right pane and click the ‘Choose default apps by file type’ link.
  5. In the new page, you will see the file types and the programs associated with them. To select Word as the default program for a specific file type, click the program’s icon or the + sign next to it. Choose Word from the options.

Third Method: Setting Word as the Default Program from the Context Menu

  1. Right-click the file you wish to use Word as the default program for.
  2. Select Open With from the options, then click Choose Another App.
  3. Remember to select the box beside ‘Always use this app to open this file type.’
  4. Choose Word if you can see it in the available options. If you do not see it, click More Apps. Click OK as the default program for the file type you chose.

If you’ve tried our methods and noticed that it’s taking a while for your files to load, we suggest installing Auslogics BoostSpeed. This powerful tool will tweak non-optimal system settings, helping most operations and processes to go at a faster pace. It also keeps the smooth performance of your PC through its automatic memory and processor management feature. That said, all your frequently used applications will have the maximum resources allocated to them. So, the next time you try loading a document via Microsoft Word, you won’t spend over a minute waiting.

What file types do you use Word for?

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