by Dee-Ann LeBlanc
Every operating system comes with a preset list of what programs should open what files. That doesn’t mean, however, that these are the programs we want to use.
Say that you want to use the Bean text editor rather than TextEdit. Every time you wanted to open a text file, you could navigate to the file in the Finder, select it, right click, choose Open With, and then either select Bean from the list, or choose Other to find Bean and choose it.
But then you have to go through this process for every single text file. That’s no fun. Instead, right click any file on your system with the ending you want to configure (.txt in this case), and choose “Get Info.”
The Get Info dialog box with all of the sections expanded.
Most of the sections of this dialog box are probably contracted to save screen space, meaning that their arrows point right and you can only see the title of contracted sections. Click the arrows and they will turn to point down, and the sections will open up.
In particular, you’re interested in the “Open with” section. Click the list box to see a list of the other applications that OS X thinks can handle this type of file.
The list of programs in your dialog box may be different, depending on what software you have installed.
If the program you want to use isn’t listed, choose Other, find the program in the Finder, select it, and click Add. Those who find the program in the listing can just click it. Either way, this setting only changes for the file you have selected right now. To change it for all of the files with the same ending, click the “Change All” button beneath the list. You’ll be asked if you’re sure. Click Continue, and you’re done.
Remember that computers are tools that should work for you, not the other way around. You’re the one that tells the computer what software you want to use.
Dee-Ann LeBlanc (www.freelancesurvivor.com) has been a computer geek since childhood and a computer writer for the last 15 years. Her home is run by Macs, Linux boxes, and a trio of dogs.
{ 2 comments }
You’re a legend. exactly what i was looking for.
Perfect tip, just what I was looking for. I tried right-click-menu selecting “open with other…” and checking “Always Open With”, but that only works on a per-file basis. Your tip can change it for all files of that type which is what I was looking for.
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