5 ms·

In order to prevent malware from hijacking popular file extensions, anytime an application "improperly" tries to set itself as a default app, it will revert to

In order to prevent malware from hijacking popular file extensions, anytime an application "improperly" tries to set itself as a default app, it will revert to the Windows 10 default instead. If you are having issues with this, it's probably bring caused by a legacy app or script doing something in a way that is no longer allowed.

cpach 7y ago
Oh. That’s a bit subtle. Sounds like a good explanation though. Would be great if W10 logged this somewhere or in some other way gave the user a hint as to what is happening.
- shakna 7y ago
  When that happens, you should get a notification that says something like: > An app default was reset > An app caused a problem with the default setting for .png files, so it was rest to Photos.
- pxeboot 7y ago
  It does get logged and is viewable with the Event Viewer. Useful for sysadmins, but not end users.
java-man 7y ago
I might be wrong, of course, but the OS should respect the user preference. The OS must not, under any condition, override the user preference - especially, as you say, in case of "malware hijacking popular file extension".
- jodrellblank 7y ago
  The reason Microsoft do this is to respect the user preferences[1]. When a program goes through the proper channels, Windows pops up the dialog which says "you have installed a new program which can handle {Foo} filetype, would you like to open it in the new program, or the one you were using?" When a program skips this user-respecting dialog, and edits the registry directly to take control of a file extension without user consent, Windows detects it and resets, to give control back to the user instead of letting random software take over. It's part of Raymond Chen's "What if two programs did this?[2]" and "I bet someone got a nice payrise for hijacking user file extensions" comments on his OldNewThing blog. [1] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20170517-00/?p=96175 https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20170517-00/?p=96... [2] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20050607-00/?p=35413 https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20050607-00/?p=35... [3] See also: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20190724-00/?p=102730 https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20190724-00/?p=10...
  - java-man 7y ago
    I really don't understand your reasoning. Let me clarify the scenario: 1. the user modified the default application for PDF to use FoxIt. 2. Win10 reverts the assignment back to Edge after an update and/or reboot. There is no other program involved. There is a user setting the preference and Win10 ignoring it, consistently for a period of several years, ever since I installed it.
GnarfGnarf 7y ago
But what if I explicitly select a non-Microsoft app to open a PDF, or JPG? Why does Windows systematically and consistently override my choice every few days? It's very aggravating.

cpach 7y ago

Oh. That’s a bit subtle. Sounds like a good explanation though. Would be great if W10 logged this somewhere or in some other way gave the user a hint as to what is happening.

shakna 7y ago
When that happens, you should get a notification that says something like: > An app default was reset > An app caused a problem with the default setting for .png files, so it was rest to Photos.
pxeboot 7y ago
It does get logged and is viewable with the Event Viewer. Useful for sysadmins, but not end users.

java-man 7y ago

I might be wrong, of course, but the OS should respect the user preference. The OS must not, under any condition, override the user preference - especially, as you say, in case of "malware hijacking popular file extension".

jodrellblank 7y ago
The reason Microsoft do this is to respect the user preferences[1]. When a program goes through the proper channels, Windows pops up the dialog which says "you have installed a new program which can handle {Foo} filetype, would you like to open it in the new program, or the one you were using?" When a program skips this user-respecting dialog, and edits the registry directly to take control of a file extension without user consent, Windows detects it and resets, to give control back to the user instead of letting random software take over. It's part of Raymond Chen's "What if two programs did this?[2]" and "I bet someone got a nice payrise for hijacking user file extensions" comments on his OldNewThing blog. [1] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20170517-00/?p=96175 https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20170517-00/?p=96... [2] https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20050607-00/?p=35413 https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20050607-00/?p=35... [3] See also: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20190724-00/?p=102730 https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20190724-00/?p=10...
- java-man 7y ago
  I really don't understand your reasoning. Let me clarify the scenario: 1. the user modified the default application for PDF to use FoxIt. 2. Win10 reverts the assignment back to Edge after an update and/or reboot. There is no other program involved. There is a user setting the preference and Win10 ignoring it, consistently for a period of several years, ever since I installed it.

GnarfGnarf 7y ago

But what if I explicitly select a non-Microsoft app to open a PDF, or JPG? Why does Windows systematically and consistently override my choice every few days? It's very aggravating.