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[AndrewFG]

I just noticed that Windows 10 Groove music player application has taken over the primary file association for playing many of my audio file types. (Interestingly it has taken it over for Apple M4A tracks, but not for MP3's..).

In MC's own File Types settings, MC appears to think that it has the primary file association, but in fact Windows Groove has it. And trying to change the association via MC does not change this. Nor does trying to change the association via Windows own File Types settings application.

=> Is there any way to fix this, and force MC to take over the primary file association precedence over Windows?

 

[JimH]

You probably need to set it in Groove.  MS tends to get the last word on this.

[glynor]

You probably need to set it in Groove.  MS tends to get the last word on this.

No.

Windows 10 now basically blocks end-user applications from setting their own file associations. So, setting it from within MC (or VLC or Adobe Photoshop or whatever) won't work correctly. It should, in theory, prompt via Windows to confirm after you set it in MC, but this doesn't seem to work correctly lots of the time.

The simplest way is to set it via the Control Panel. Here's how:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-set-default-programs-and-file-types-in-windows-10/

[RD James]

Windows 10 now basically blocks end-user applications from setting their own file associations.

And that's how it should be. Programs shouldn't be able to hijack file associations.

[blgentry]

^ and ^^

I was all prepared to hate this new feature of Windows 10.  But thinking about it, it actually makes more sense than the previous paradigm.  Windows 10 is annoyingly different than the previous versions and I'm still not any where near comfortable with it.  But this one feature seems well done.  At least reading about it (as opposed to using it day to day).

Brian.

[JimH]

And that's how it should be. Programs shouldn't be able to hijack file associations.

Hijack, OK, but setting a file association that a user wants?

[mwillems]

I can say that I like the idea of preventing programs from running amok, but the execution is terrible.  Apart from breaking legacy programs that want to set their own file associations (which is selective, it seems like programs can still set file associations during install but maybe not otherwise?), the thing that bugs me is that there are two different menus for setting file associations only one of which actually works.  There's a "modern" metro style "default program" interface that often won't let you switch away from microsoft's apps, and then there's the old control panel method (which thankfully still works).  It's another symptom of windows' growing pains.

I would normally just fix and forget once I found the way to fix it, but it bugs me because windows periodically resets the defaults to use its apps (so far it appears to happen every few months at major upgrades).  It also seems to change lots of other settings at those upgrades (including privacy related settings, which is maddening).  Changing my settings without asking me gets old really fast and is the single biggest reason I'm trying to migrate away from windows entirely.  

If I'm willing to live with poorly documented, unpredictable, hidden UI, why would I pay Microsoft for it when I can get it for free without spyware on Linux  

[glynor]

And that's how it should be. Programs shouldn't be able to hijack file associations.

I agree.

I can say that I like the idea of preventing programs from running amok, but the execution is terrible.

I agree.

[AndrewFG]

The simplest way is to set it via the Control Panel. Here's how:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-set-default-programs-and-file-types-in-windows-10/

Many thanks for the information. It worked a treat.

I agree with the other posters that applications should not be allowed to arbitrarily steal the file associations. However, I think this comment should also apply to Windows itself.. On Windows 7 I had all the file associations pointing to MC and when I upgraded to Windows 10, it stole those associations away from MC to the benefit of its own Groove application.