Setting OfficeSuite as your default program in Windows 8

Setting OfficeSuite as your default program for file types such as .docx, .xls, .pdf will save you time and effort each time you need to open a file of that type. This can be done in two ways.

Start Menu

Windows has a special menu that is accessed through the Start menu designated to setting what file types are opened by which program. This is handy in cases when you have more than one program that handles a specific file type but you have a preferred one. It's used in the following way:

  1. Open the Control Panel menu from the Start button (the button on the bottom left with the Windows icon). This will open a separate window with a multitude of options for different aspects of your computer.
  2. Click on Programs.
  3. From the Programs menu select Default Programs.
  4. A window will open, listing a large number of file types. Select the one you would like to change the default program to.
  5. Click Change program.
  6. Select the program you'd like to be the default for the selected file type. If the program you want to associate with the file type is not available in the suggested programs click Other Programs (If you don't see Other Programs, or your program is not listed, click Browse to find the desired program, and then click Open.). If the program you're looking for still isn't listed click the arrow next to Other Programs to see a list of programs installed on your computer.
  7. Click OK.

Right Click

While the Default Programs menu provides you with a list of all types for which you are able to select the default program, another approach is to set the default programs on a case by case basis. This is done in the following way:

  1. Right-click on the file you're trying to open and hover over the Open with menu. A context menu will appear on the side of the Open with menu, click on the Choose default program option.
  2. A new window will open featuring a number of programs able to open this file (if you have any installed). If, however, the program you need is not in that list of programs select the More Options button at the bottom of that window and search through your directories for the one you need. Selecting it will list it in the list of programs in the Default programs window.
  3. If you'd like to set this program as the default for this specific type of file, check the box next to Use this app for all .xlsx files. (If, for example, you're trying to open a spreadsheet).
  4. Clicking the OK button after you've gone through the aforementioned steps will result in this file type always using the selected program. Its icon will likely change to visualize the change in association of the file.

We hope this guide was helpful, if you need further help with any of the multitude of options in OfficeSuite please have a look at the rest of the Help section.