# How Do I change my mind in a Windows decision? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336 "2005-10-08T18:52:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336/1 "2005-10-08T18:52:53Z")
I downloaded a .pdf file into my hard drive today. When it came time to open it, I had a brain fart and told the system to open it with WinZip. What’s worse, I told it to use WinZip to open ALL .pdf files. How can I tell Windows to use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open .pdf files? ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336/2 "2005-10-08T19:05:23Z")
You can change the default application for a file thusly: [ol] [li]From Windows Explorer, select ‘Tools’ -\> ‘Folder Options’ from the menu bar.[/li][li]In the Folder Options dialog box, select the “File Types” tab.[/li][li]Scroll down to .PDF and click the ‘Change’ button.[/li][li]Select "Adobe Reader’ from the list of programs and click on “OK”.[/li][/ol] That should do it. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336/3 "2005-10-08T19:09:46Z")
You can also hold down right-click on the icon for a .pdf file, then select Open With… “Choose Program…” When the list comes up, select Adobe Acrobat, and select “Always use selected program to open file of this type”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336/4 "2005-10-08T21:20:41Z")
Thank you very much. As it turned out, I did not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in the computer in question. When I downloaded a free copy, the application immediately took control of the files and opened them. Can I change my mind about whether Windows offers to remember any more passwords (that’s another issue that’s arisen)? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336/5 "2005-10-08T21:28:48Z")
In Internet Explorer, you can go to Tools - Internet Options - Privacy - Content. Click on Autocomplete, and the options you want will be there - you can tell it whether or not to prompt for passwords, clear out passwords you’ve already saved, etc. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-mind-in-a-windows-decision/325336/6 "2005-10-08T21:29:50Z")
Scratch the Privacy, it’s just Tools - Internet Options - Content.