"Open with" can not change default

Question

Level 1

12 points

"Open with" can not change default

I am unable to change the "open with default" appliacation and it is really bugging me. I have ticked the option to always open with said application however when I click on a file it defaults to another application 😟
any ideas????

mac 20" 2.4 ghz 3gB + MBP 15" 2.66 ghz 4gB + iPhone 3G 16gB = :-), Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Oct 13, 2009 3:57 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

ichingboy

Level 1

10 points

Dec 1, 2009 1:37 AM in response to robandkate

Try this out:

1) click once on the file in Finder
2) choose File -> Get info (or Apple+I)
3) select the application you want to open that file under "Open with"
4) click on "Change All..." to apply this globally

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Answer 2

Sdh0817

Level 1

4 points

Apr 24, 2017 6:39 PM in response to robandkate

When you click on the XML document you get the error:

THE XML FILE ( your file name here) cannot be opened because there is no available data view.

Unspecified Error (whatever number 13 // 18 etc)

But this file was in fact downloaded to your Mac so go to your "downloads" or your "all my files" view search the file you downloaded yourdocument.XML then right click on it and select "open with".

You can only get the 'Open With' option after downloading the file and getting the warning error.

I hope that helps.

Sam

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Answer 3

Jul 25, 2017 6:12 AM in response to ichingboy

Dude, seriously? Did you even read the question? Your solution is the process that isn't working. Clicking "Change All..." just changes the new application selected back to the default application.

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Answer 4

Jul 25, 2017 6:32 AM in response to ninpolearner

ninpolearner wrote:

Dude, seriously? Did you even read the question? Your solution is the process that isn't working. Clicking "Change All..." just changes the new application selected back to the default application.

You're responding to someone who last posted in this thread in 2009. It's possible, though I can't test it, that their solution worked on the system software available then.

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Answer 5

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Oct 13, 2009 4:58 AM in response to robandkate

delete the file /users/username/library/preferences/com.apple.launchservices.plist and try again.

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Answer 6

Oct 20, 2009 2:37 PM in response to V.K.

I have the same problem, and this "fix" did not work for me.

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Answer 7

Nov 9, 2009 4:07 PM in response to robandkate

fix did not work for me either.

any other suggestions. Changing default app only works for one file, Change All is dimmed

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Answer 8

cboody

Level 1

4 points

Nov 22, 2009 2:43 PM in response to David Sanger

I've reported this problem since OS 10.4. No help ever out here. The problem went away with Snow Leopard. I installed Parallels and now the problem is back. I can change each file, but the problem is the OS magically changed the default on hundreds of my files!

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Answer 9

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Dec 1, 2009 12:28 PM in response to robandkate

It sounds like LaunchServices to me also. These are only cache files but can get corrupted. V.K. gave you the local file but this command will also rebuild the system level file.
Launch /Utilities/Terminal and copy & paste this at the command line to rebuild LaunchServices:

Code:

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

</pre>

Then press return. Wait until terminal returns to the command line. Quit Terminal. After that, log out and back in or restart. Let us know

-mj

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Answer 10

davlab

Level 1

0 points

Dec 16, 2009 6:55 AM in response to macjack

I've been having a problem, since installing Snow Leopard, with one app (VectorWorks 2009) refusing to set default app to the current version. I keep 3 versions installed for backward compatibility.

Thanks—your terminal command fixed this problem.

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Answer 11

Jan 7, 2010 11:19 AM in response to macjack

The suggested terminal command did not appear to have any effect. In my case some types of files can have their default applications changed, others cannot. One program that opens 3 different types of files, can be set as the default for one of these file types. Individual files of the other two filetypes can be set to opened by the application in Get Info. But if I click on "Change all", the default specification immediately returns to its previous setting. It would take months to change the "open with setting" for each file, one at a time.

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Answer 12

Feb 24, 2010 4:17 AM in response to Walter Beagley

I had this problem in Snow Leopard when trying to change the default application for Word .docx files. The Get Info/Open With wouldn't let me select Pages for 'Change All'. I fixed it by first selecting Textedit.app then pressing 'Change All' (which was accepted) then selecting Pages.app which this time was accepted when clicking 'Change All'

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Answer 13

Pstjean

Level 1

0 points

Feb 26, 2010 7:05 AM in response to robandkate

I have the same problem for a few users.

.eps will always open in preview even if i do Get info > Open With Illustrator CS3 > When i click change all it turns back to preview...

i have full access to the files.

How cant i change them, its getting annoying

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