Specifying the Default Program for a Type of File

Usually you have just one program of a particular type installed on your computerone word processor, one spreadsheet program, one database program, and so on. In each program, you create files of a specific type, identified by the file name extension. For example, the documents you create and save in Microsoft Office Word 2007 have the .docx extension appended to their file names. By default, these extensions are hidden from your view, and you never have to type them when you assign a name to a file. But they are there nevertheless.

One of the functions of the file name extension is to identify programs that can open the file. If you double-click the file in Windows Explorer and the default program associated with the file's extension is installed on your computer, Windows Vista starts the program, and that program then opens the file. This system is all well and good as long as each extension is "owned" by a single program.

However, the system breaks down if a file name extension represents a format that more than one installed program can work with. The classic example of file-type conflict arises with graphics files. The extensions of these files represent the format of the file rather than the program that created it. By design, most graphics programs can open and create files in several different graphics formats, because different formats are suited for different types of output. For example, one format might produce superior results in print, and another might be great for on-screen viewing. Of the files suited to viewing on a computer, some might produce high-quality images but also large file sizes; whereas others might produce acceptable quality with smaller sizes that are faster to download from the Web.

Until you install a graphics program on your computer, double-clicking a graphics file in Windows Explorer displays the graphic in Windows Photo Gallery. When you install a different graphics program, its installation program might lay claim to all graphics file formats. Then if you double-click a file with any of those extensions, Windows Vista calls upon that program to open the file. Or it might not. Double-clicking a file might continue to open it in Windows Photo Gallery, when you really want to work with the file in your new graphics program.

You can right-click a file and then click Open With to display the dialog box from which you can select the program you want to use. If you always want to open all files of a certain type with a different program than the one Windows Vista currently calls on for that task, you can change the default program for the type.

In this exercise, you will change the default program for a bitmap graphic from Windows Photo Gallery to Paint.

1.	In the Content pane, double-click the 03_MusicBox image. Unless the default program for opening bitmap files has changed, the image opens in Windows Photo Gallery See Also For information about Windows Photo Gallery, see "Viewing and Cataloging Pictures" in Chapter 9, "Working with Digital Media."
2.	Close the Windows Photo Gallery window. Then in the Content pane, right-click the 03_MusicBox image, point to Open With, and click Choose Default Program. The Open With dialog box opens, displaying the different programs you have installed that will open this type of file. [View full size image]
3.	Under Recommended Programs, click Paint, and then click OK. Tip If you don't want to use any of the recommended programs, you can click Browse and navigate to the program you want to use. Paint starts and opens the graphic file. Any files with the .bmp extension that you open after this will open in Paint, unless you change the default program to something else.

Changing Your Default Middleware Programs Middleware is software that connects two or more otherwise separate programs, which could be applications or system programs. Common types of middleware include transaction processing monitors and terminal emulation, messaging, and database access programs. Many middleware applications are Web-based. Because middleware is merely a connector and not part of the programs being connected, middleware programs are interchangeable. For example, you might choose to use Windows Internet Explorer or Firefox to browse the Internet, and you might choose to use Microsoft Office Outlook or Windows Mail to send e-mail messages from within those programs. Windows Vista comes with a standard set of Microsoft middleware programs (Microsoft Windows Media Player, WIndows Internet Explorer, and Windows Mail). On a new computer, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) might have installed and selected other middleware programs as the defaults. However, the Microsoft middleware programs are available as part of the Windows Vista installation, and you can select one or more of them as the default at any time. To change the default settings: 1. On the Start menu, click Default Programs. The Default Programs window opens to the Choose The Program That Windows Uses By Default page. 2. Click the Set program access and computer defaults task. In the User Account Control dialog box, if you're running as an administrator, click Continue. Otherwise, enter an administrator password, and then click OK. In the Set Program Access And Computer Defaults dialog box, you have three choices: Microsoft Windows sets all the standard Microsoft middleware programs as the defaults. Non-Microsoft sets the current Web browser, e-mail program, media player, and instant messaging program as the defaults. Custom sets the defaults for each of the five middleware options to your choice of either the Microsoft middleware program or the current program. 3. Make any necessary changes to your default middleware programs, and then click OK.