Windows 11 keeps asking "Select an app to open this .JPG file"

[elqasar2]

I've found that when using XYplorer to double-click on a JPG file in Windows 11, Windows always asks me to "Select an app to open this .JPG file". After making my choice, even though I click "Always", I'm then asked again the next time. Every single time. If I use File Explorer to double-click a JPG file, then the app that I've set as default (the Photos app in Windows 11) for that file type immediately opens the file, with no additional prompt.

I've searched online, and it turns out there are many other people reporting the same thing, i.e. that a 3rd party file manager results in the prompt each time, but File Explorer works fine. For example, here is a conversation I found where someone was experiencing the same thing with Double Commander:
https://doublecmd.h1n.ru/viewtopic.php?t=4687

Does anybody know how to solve this for XYplorer?

[RalphM]

Search this forum and use the solutions provided here, i.e. set a CFA for the file types that don't work automatically.

[elqasar2]

Thanks, but that's not what I'm looking for. I'm fully aware of how to use CFA. I'm not wanting or expecting XYplorer to do anything different from what is already configured as the default action system-wide. I'm hopeful there's an actual fix for the underlying problem. Obviously something is going wrong, for something that should just work.

[jupe]

I could suggest to you how to fix it by setting a registry key, but using that as a solution will probably not live up to your expectations either.

[elqasar2]

but using that as a solution will probably not live up to your expectations either.

There's no need for sarcasm. I don't need to explain myself, but I'll go ahead anyway and point out just one reason why CFA (suggested as a workaround by someone else) might not be a good solution, and is not what I was looking for: the Store apps (like Photos in this instance) can change path as new/updated versions are installed from time to time. Referencing and calling them by path is not always straightforward and not reliable.

I'm just expecting XYplorer to open JPG files using whatever application has been configured as the system default, even if it's a Store app. In other words, I'm just expecting XYplorer to do exactly what File Explorer does. Despite what you may think, that's not me having unrealistic expectations. Furthermore, sometimes its good to implement a proper solution to the fundamental problem, that solves all related cases, rather than trying to hack a workaround for a specific case. I guess that is also an expectation you do not share.

So I'm sure you thought your sarcastic answer concerning my "expectations" was very clever. But it wasn't.

On a side note, I'm quite surprised that other users of XYplorer don't mind that doing something as common as double-clicking on JPG files results in an annoying extra prompt every single time. Is the average XYplorer user just putting up with that, even though it's slowing them down?

[Horst]

On a side note, I'm quite surprised that other users of XYplorer don't mind that doing something as common as double-clicking on JPG files results in an annoying extra prompt every single time. Is the average XYplorer user just putting up with that, even though it's slowing them down?

I don't complain because the system defaults work fine here.
I have for example assigned IrfanView to *.jpg
and this is honored by XYplorer, Total Commander, Free Commander and Everything.

[elqasar2]

So the summary is: if you want XYplorer to open image files in the default, built-in app in Windows 11 called 'Photos', you cannot have it do so without an annoying prompt each time asking what application you want to use.

In other words, on a new, fresh, healthy installation of Windows 11, (like many users of XYplorer might use), their experience will be as follows:
1) In File Explorer, they double-click on a jpg file and the image opens up in the built-in Photos app, with no prompt and no hassle.
2) In XYplorer they try to do the same thing, but they are prompted every time with a question asking what application they would like to use. And when they click 'Always' it makes no difference -- they are asked yet again the next time what application they would like to use.

CFA is most definitely NOT the solution to use in XYplorer for at least 2 reasons:
1) Apps like the Photos app, being Store apps, can have their path change in future as updates are applied.
2) Even if you define a CFA anyway, such as 'jpg>C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_2023.11050.16005.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\PhotosApp.exe', this does not work, as the Photos app simply opens as if no argument/file was passed to it.

So far the only responses to this thread have been:

1) Use CFA!
2) The registry can solve this! But I'm not going to tell you how!
3) I use a different app from the default one in Windows 11! It's not even a Store app! Therefore this problem doesn't affect me, and doesn't apply to me! But I want to comment anyway!

[Horst]

3) I use a different app from the default one in Windows 11! It's not even a Store app! Therefore this problem doesn't affect me, and doesn't apply to me! But I want to comment anyway!

The reason is very simple, there is no store app for which no normal app is available.
Microsoft designed the way store apps are called almost unusable
which means one should avoid them as long as better tools are available.

Btw. your topic title or first problem description doesn't contain store apps,
so my comment is simply a reaction of your description.

[davidhelp]

XYplorer just uses the Windows file associations.


How do I reset the default associations in Windows 10?
Microsoft will reset the file associations and to fix this do the following:

To reset all Apps and File Associations to default in Windows 11/10, do the following. You have to do a Reset first as you will find that just doing a file association that Microsoft will ignore.

Press Win+I to open Windows Settings. Or Start button> Settings icon (gear) then Apps> Default apps

On the right side scroll down and you will see:
Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults and click on the "Reset" button.

Next go to above list seen there and choose the programs you want.
Example: Web browser> Firefox

Some other file types you will need to go here:

"Choose default apps by file type"> Click on the file type and a popup appears and choose the program app you want.

Example: A .pdf file will open in Microsoft Edge and you want Adobe Reader or the better Foxit PDF Editor
Or for a .zip file you want Winzip or some other zip program.


Do this anytime the issue happens again, generally after installing some other software that has the ability to open images, pdfs etc. A reset then choosing your apps as default again will fix the issue and no restart is needed.

When you do a Windows update it may reset your favorite app to a microsoft one.....

[elqasar2]

Well it seems the current userbase (well, the ones in the forum anyway), aren't too interested in the fact that XYplorer doesn't work well with the built-in Photos app. Well, the current status is now slightly different (whether that's due to the way 24.80 works or due to an update to the Photos app, I don't know). What happens now if I double-click an image file in XYplorer, it that it now opens in the Photos app without any further prompt, but in the Photos app it is not possible to use the mousewheel or arrow keys to move on to the next/previous image. Only the file that was double-clicked can be viewed. When doing the same from File Explorer, you can navigate to next/previous images in the same folder. So something is different about what XYplorer is passing to Photos compared to what File Explorer passes to Photos.

It's disappointing that Don didn't even bother with this thread. Oh well, I'm sure in future we'll some new user to XYplorer mention how strange it is that they can't use XYplorer to initiate a viewing session for a folder full of images in the default/built-in Windows 11 Photos app. And then I'll point them to this thread, showing them that no-one cared, and wish them better luck than me in getting a useful outcome.

[Norn]

but in the Photos app it is not possible to use the mousewheel or arrow keys to move on to the next/previous image.

It seems that none of the third-party file managers support it, and the solution is to use another photo viewer.

[admin]

Or use F11.

[FrancisL]

I'd also like a solution to this rather annoying problem. Nothing in the works?

[podizzler3k]

go to windows settings, apps ->default apps. click reset all default apps. then reopen the file and select your app and choose always. it wont ask again. edit: i see david said the correct answer in july but some people still didnt get it for some reason.

[elqasar2]

i see david said the correct answer in july but some people still didnt get it for some reason.

No, I'm afraid it is you who doesn't get it for some reason. The recurring prompt has stopped happening and this has already been mentioned in my last update I made to this discussion back in August 2023. The actual remaining problem I discussed still stands, and is still what happens. Try reading the below text slowly and carefully and thoughtfully.

What happens now if I double-click an image file in XYplorer, it that it now opens in the Photos app without any further prompt, but in the Photos app it is not possible to use the mousewheel or arrow keys to move on to the next/previous image. Only the file that was double-clicked can be viewed. When doing the same from File Explorer, you can navigate to next/previous images in the same folder.