How to change the default editor for PNG files from MS Paint to paint.net in Windows 10?

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I have paint.net installed in my Windows 10 Pro. When I right-click a PNG file in the Windows Explorer, I see the Edit command. However, it opens the Windows Paint app, and I'd like to change it to paint.net. Is there a way to assign paint.net as the default editor for PNG files using a system applet?

Also, as I know, this is a question of registry settings, and the following key should contain the full path to the editor:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\pngfile\shell\edit\command

In my registry the (Default) value in this key is set to

"C:\Program Files\paint.net\PaintDotNet.exe" "%1"

, but the MS Paint is opened in any case.

TecMan

Posted 2015-09-11T10:37:49.063

Reputation: 966

Check in your per-user registry as well, just in case. I just tried editing HKCR\batfile\open\command: (default) to be Notepad++, and right-clicking a .BAT file and choosing Edit does now open Notepad++ (used to be notepad.exe). – CBHacking – 2015-09-11T10:49:04.210

1@Dave: That will change the Open association, not the Edit one. The asker quite possibly wants PNGs to still open in another image viewer by default, and only in an image editor when making changes to them. – CBHacking – 2015-09-11T10:50:11.897

@CBHacking, what exactly key do you mean? – TecMan – 2015-09-11T10:54:46.267

HKCU\Software\Classes is basically a per-user version of HKCR. Check for PNG associations set there. (Random side note: HKCR itself is just HKLM\Software\Classes.) – CBHacking – 2015-09-11T10:58:02.003

@CBHacking, I do not see any special settings for PNG file in HKCU\Software\Classes. – TecMan – 2015-09-11T11:02:39.960

Huh. It worked instantly for me when I tried editing the Command key. I didn't even need to close regedit. Still, maybe try logging off and on again (or rebooting)? Try temporarily changing the Open command (using regedit) to PDN and see if the command at least works there? This is really odd. – CBHacking – 2015-09-11T11:04:34.677

@CBHacking, even full reboot did not help. And that Command key pointing to paint.net was created many days ago, not today, so it is there for a long time... – TecMan – 2015-09-11T11:16:52.557

Whatever is in HKCU would override anything else. – paradroid – 2015-09-11T11:52:39.787

@CBHacking, I found the answer myself. – TecMan – 2015-09-15T09:06:59.627

Answers

18

I solved my problem by myself. First I decided to find all registry values containing "mspaint.exe" to try to replace the path to MS Paint with what I need. One of the interesting keys I found was this:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\image\shell\edit\command

Googled it, and the first search result was this article:

How to change the default image editor program
http://www.techwork.dk/windows-7/how-to-change-the-default-image-editor-program

Tried it, and it works! We just need to change the default value of that key to the string

"C:\Program Files\paint.net\PaintDotNet.exe" "%1"

TecMan

Posted 2015-09-11T10:37:49.063

Reputation: 966

Please consider marking the accepted answer. – I say Reinstate Monica – 2019-10-16T18:10:34.280

Asked: 2015-09-11T10:37:49.063

Viewed: 5 480 times

Active: 2015-09-15T09:06:34.640