# How do I change the type of program that opens downloads?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672 "2004-01-09T16:45:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672/1 "2004-01-09T16:45:59Z")

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I’m trying to download a pdf file, and I selected Wordpad as the program to use when opening this file. Now that I see that Wordpad produces gibberish, but I don’t know how to select a different program to open it in. I’ve tried re-downloading, downloading with a different file name, and saving the Wordpad file as a different type, but all I keep getting is a gibberish Wordpad document.

Is there some way to change the program that the download opens in? I’m using Windows 98, Second Edition.

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**Author:** ![Grave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@Grave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grave)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672/2 "2004-01-09T17:54:31Z")

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Easiest way would be to download and install (or re-install) Acrobat. It should change the extensions during its setup process.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672/3 "2004-01-09T18:11:51Z")

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In Win 9X open Windows Explorer, View, Folder Options, File Types but it seems to me you probably did not have Acrobat Reader installed so better install it and that will do it.

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672/4 "2004-01-09T19:29:29Z")

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Another easy method is to click a .pdf file once to highlight it, hold down the Shift key, right-click the file, and hit **Open With**. Choose the desired program, check the box for **Always use the selected program to open this type of file** and hit **OK**.

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**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-the-type-of-program-that-opens-downloads/223672/5 "2004-01-09T23:41:23Z")

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Thanks, **Number** - that did the trick.