Download Article
Download Article
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene has been writing and editing tech content at wikiHow since 2019. She previously worked for AppleCare, served as a writing tutor, volunteered in IT at an animal rescue, and taught as an adjunct professor for EN101 and EN102. Darlene has completed Coursera courses on technology, writing, and language. She holds both a BA (2011) and an MA (2012) from Rowan University in Writing, with a focus on workplace communication. With her extensive experience, academic background, and ongoing learning, Darlene has become the go-to grammar expert for her friends and family, as well as a skilled wordsmith for anyone in need.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 43,790 times.
Learn more...
Oh no! Your .dox or .txt document is opening in WordPad, so what do you do? Since WordPad can open these and other file formats (like .rtf), you just need to change some default app settings to change Word as your default. This wikiHow article will teach you how to change the default app from WordPad to Word in Windows 10.
Things You Should Know
- Open your Windows settings and navigate to Apps > Default Apps.[1]
- Select Choose default apps by file type.
- Change the app next to .docx, .rtf, and .txt to Word.
Steps
Download Article
-
Open Settings. Press Win + I on your keyboard to open the Settings window. Alternatively, you can click the gear icon in the Start menu. -
Click Apps. It's next to a list icon.[2]Advertisement -
Click Default Apps. You'll see this menu option in the menu on the left side of the window next to a list icon with an arrow on it.[3] -
Click Choose default apps by file type. This menu option is at the bottom of the menu under "Reset."[4]- You'll see file types listed on the left side of the window next to the default app used to open them.
-
Change the app next to ".docx, .rtf, and .txt" to Word. If the default is WordPad, click it, then select Word from the drop-down list.- If you don't have an active Microsoft 365 subscription, you'll see a prompt to open the store.
- If there's no default listed, click Choose a default and select Word from the list.[5]
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
-
The file types are automatically changed when you don't have an active subscription to Word on your computer. If you have an active subscription, but all your defaults changed and you can't open the document in Word, you will have to uninstall and reinstall Office.[6]Thanks
You Might Also Like
References
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-programs-in-windows-e5d82cad-17d1-c53b-3505-f10a32e1894d#ID0EDD=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-programs-in-windows-e5d82cad-17d1-c53b-3505-f10a32e1894d#ID0EDD=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-programs-in-windows-e5d82cad-17d1-c53b-3505-f10a32e1894d#ID0EDD=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-programs-in-windows-e5d82cad-17d1-c53b-3505-f10a32e1894d#ID0EDD=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-programs-in-windows-e5d82cad-17d1-c53b-3505-f10a32e1894d#ID0EDD=Windows_10
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/download-and-install-or-reinstall-microsoft-365-or-office-2021-on-a-pc-or-mac-4414eaaf-0478-48be-9c42-23adc4716658
About This Article
1. Open Settings.
2. Click Apps.
3. Click Default Apps.
4. Click Choose default apps by file type.
5. Change the app next to ".docx, .rtf, and .txt" to Word.
Is this article up to date?
