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I prefer to use OpenOffice for word processing. Since I downloaded Mountain Lion, my documents now appear in TextEdit. Is it possible to change this?
iMac (20-inch Mid 2007), OS X Mountain Lion
I'm assuming you are referring to files with .doc or .docx extensions (and even maybe .rtf or .rtfd).
In Finder, select one such document file (don't open it), CMD+I to 'Get Info'.
In the Get Info popup, you should see an option "Open with:" (if you can't, click the little triangles to expand each option), with a drop-down menu. Choose your preferred Word Processor in the drop-down and then click the Change All button to make that default to all documents of that type.
Repeat for the other file types as necessary. You may have to Relaunch Finder if the file doesn't open with the new application (rare though)
I'm assuming you are referring to files with .doc or .docx extensions (and even maybe .rtf or .rtfd).
In Finder, select one such document file (don't open it), CMD+I to 'Get Info'.
In the Get Info popup, you should see an option "Open with:" (if you can't, click the little triangles to expand each option), with a drop-down menu. Choose your preferred Word Processor in the drop-down and then click the Change All button to make that default to all documents of that type.
Repeat for the other file types as necessary. You may have to Relaunch Finder if the file doesn't open with the new application (rare though)
Hmm, not sure how the privileges are set up on your machine...
Here's is another way, assuming you are using ML:
Select the document in Finder, right click (control click) to get the contextual menu, choose Open with. A list of typical apps for the doc type would be visible. Don't choose directly from there-instead click on Other at the end of the list. This will open a Choose Application window; select 'All Applications' in the Enable dropdown, choose OOO and check the 'Always open with' option
To both the posters above, the link describes the 'change all' option in Get Info window which is typically how one can change the default application for a file type as well as set the owner. But in both your cases this does not work.
http://blogmines.com/blog/2012/01/28/how-to-change-file-association-on-mac-os-x- lion/
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH3774
Have you run disk utility and checked/repaired permissions?
Thanks for suffering the pain for all this - your pain likely saved me many hours of trying to figure out what was going on when I had the same problem!
Note that, rather than totally changing to "Allow applications from anywhere", you can just allow an exception for OpenOffice (copied from somewhere in Mac's Help Center):
The app will be stored as an exception to your security settings, and you will be able to open it in the future by double-clicking it.
I did it this way, although to be honest the whole "unidentified developer" thing is proving so annoying I may soon switch it off anyway.
Do you have adminstrator privileges on your Mac?
In the same Get Info window, expand the Sharing and Permissions option. Is your user name listed there with Read & Write Privileges?
Did you get any messages while trying to change the default?
I'm having the same problem, slightly different details. I cannot get rid of Preview as my default app for opening .XLS files after upgrading to Mountain Lion.
I have tried all methods mentioned in this post, I can override for one launch (by checking always use) but if I quit and double click the same doc it reverts back to Preview.
I am the only user account on my machine, I am listed with read/write for these documents, I get no error message. I can select OpenOffice in the pull down from "Get Info" but it immediately reverts back to Preview when I let go.
I thought my problems were solved, too. Today's problem came with Pages, which I do not have. I could not change the default on it either. The only way I could open the document was to open OpenOffice and drag the file there. Even when I save it as .docx, it still tells me that I can open it only in Pages.
I hope someone has an answer for a universal way to change (and keep) defaults from appearing.
After much agony 😉, the problem is solved! I received a pop-up message this morning that there was an update available for OpenOffice -- 3.4. I downloaded it and then went back through the steps that you suggested when I first posted. I was able to choose OpenOffice 3.4 and click "Change All." AND IT WORKED!
Again, thank you for showing me how to get to this point! I appreciate it!
I assume you have MS Office for Mac on your machine... if so, run MS Autoupdate to see if there is an update you can install for excel. Perhaps it will work out same as with LindaSMu after the OOO update she did.
I assume you have tried repairing permissions
I had this too. After some experimenting, I could select from the Archive app, and Text edit, but not Open Office.
I think the issue is in your security settings, which have changed with Mountain Lion. Go to the Settings app and select Security and Privacy. Click on the 'Allow applications downloaded from anywhere'. The default is to only allow those downloaded from the App store and identified developers. You will need to log in as an administrator to do this.
My problem was solved when I updated to the latest Open Office software and clicked on "Allow applications downloaded from anywhere." It was a long, frustrating series of exercises, trying a variety of fixes, but this worked for me.
Same problem here. Could change "always open with" to any app except OO.
After a clean installation of ML I had installed OO3.4 at first but then deinstalled it *) using app cleaner; then installed OO3.3.0 which always worked fine in snow leopard and lion.
Reparing permissions (none found) and "allow apps from anywhere" made no difference.
How do I get rid of ALL OO related system files and settings when I deinstall (plists, etc or whatever they are) - I have the suspicion that this may resolve the issue.
*) on my system OO3.4.1 crashes when saving as .doc. Also did on lion.
Here is the advice that was given to me several months ago. (I have OS X 10.8.2 and am using OpenOffice 3.4.1.) The info below worked ONLY when I upgraded to 3.4.1. Good luck -- and thanks, again, to the person who helped me!
Select the document in Finder, right click (control click) to get the contextual menu, choose Open With. A list of typical apps for the doc type would be visible. DON'T choose directly from there. Instead, click on Other at the end of the list. This will open a Choose Application window; select 'All Applications' in the Enable dropdown. Choose OOO and check the 'Always open with' option.
hello,
just want to say, that i am having a similar problem. only with some differences.
i upgraded my older mac to ML recently, and OO (version 3.3) had no problem with the transition. no permission problems... odt files still open with OO. yay!
however, on my NEW mac which of course came with ML installed... i installed OO (version 3.3), since that's all i had on hand, and can't make it the default for opening .odt files, as mentioned by other users above.
one problem is, my issue might be solved easily if i had internet access, but i can't connect because of another problem w/ the new mac (ie, java SE 6 not having come installed on the new mac - actually seems to be an issue with ML because that happened with the upgrade to ML on my old mac as well - and is the reason that i can't install my usb modem on my new mac, urgh!).
i checked out all the suggestions above, and none have worked. for instance:
>>get info>>open with>>open office>>change all... just bounces back to textedit and does nothing.
>>security&privacy>>general>>allow applications downloaded from... anywhere is selected... i had already changed that.
>>right click>>open with>>oo... well, that's all fine, but i want to NOT have to tell it to do that EVERY. time.
>>right click>>open with>>other...>>open office>>check - always open with... this is for this document ONLY.
so. my last idea is to download OO 3.4.1 onto my older mac (that has internet connection), transfer via EHD to my new obstinate mac, and HOPE it works... i'll report back when i'm all done with that.
VERY annoying because, i absolutely adore OO, and use it CONSTANTLY. i will be quite distressed if this turns out to be an irresolvable issue.
Found the following solution on the web. You won' believe it, but it actually works ( for me at least with a clean install mountain lion and OO3.3).
Select any .doc file, LOCK it (mark the checkbox in the get info window), then choose openoffice.app to always "open with" as described in variuos posts above), and then UNLOCK again. Hey presto!
Do the same with .xls and any other filetypes.
Tried all other methods including uninstalling oo3 and apple pages (using app cleaner and removing all related files i could find manually), upgrading to latest version OO3.4, nothing worked.
(OO3.4 crashes when saving a doc on ms office doc format, i don' have ms office)
Good luck, Edwin
How can I delete TextEdit as my default word processing application?
