Set paint.net as default editor for the context menu on Windows 11

[Olle]

Right now I have the regular paint as the default editor, but I want to change it to paint.net. To my knowledge, I have to use the registry to do this, and I am not experienced enough to know what to do. 

[Disk4mat]

Why not change via Default Apps in the Control Panel? Start, Settings, Apps, Default Apps. Scroll down to PDN and click it. In the next screen click on the file type you want PDN to open/edit. A new window pops up. Select PDN and click "Set as default"

[Tactilis]

Alternatively, in File Explorer:

• Right click on an image file
• Select 'Open with'
• Select 'Choose another app`
• Select paint.net
• Click 'Always'

[IHaveNoName]

I don't think you can do that for the context menu Edit option, the Default Program settings for image files are what opens that not the default editor. Unless MS have changed that with Windows10/11 and given you a specific Default Program > Picture Editor setting the default is still MS Paint. I've checked Win7 and read that didn't change for 8/8.1.

 

In the Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program, the list of associations for PDN do not include its use as the Picture Editor.

 

I think the OP may need a registry edit to change the context menu source or use a third party file association program to do the same. In fact I do not know of a third party program which can do that and works with Windows 10/11. The one I do have works with earlier Windows but still only allows you associate/disassociate image file types by their extension just like the Windows Default Programs menu does.

 

Registry editing may still be the only way.

 

EDIT

I do not want to check it with all image file types BUT I think if you associate PDN as the default program for opening everything ie. JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP etc it may also change the editor in certain cases. So if that is what you are happy with it is at least worth trying.

 

Good luck reverting them back to the previous defaults and default icons afterwards. You have been warned!

 

However my suspicion is that it only works for file types that Windows Photo Viewer does not support because I've tested it with .DDS, which I have PDN set as default to open and it also uses PDN as the editor.

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by IHaveNoName