Changing Default Programs
Let's start with the programs that Windows uses to perform specific types of tasks. For example, when you want to browse the Web, Windows by default launches its own Internet Explorer web browser; when you want to send an email message, it launches Windows Mail or Outlook Express.
That's the way it worked in previous versions of Windows, anyway. In Windows 7, things are different; now you can easily choose which programs Windows uses by default.
Behind the Change
Why did Microsoft make this change? Microsoft says it's all about giving its users the freedom of choice, but that's not it at all. You see, Microsoft has been subject to a number of antitrust lawsuits over the years, accusing the company of monopolizing the market for various types of applications. Microsoft's unbundling of core applications (discussed later in this tutorial) and enabling easier change of default programs is simply a reaction to those lawsuits. Change isn't always given, but it is sometimes taken-in this case, by concerned users (and competing software companies) around the world.
NoteThese changes go even further in Europe, where action by the European Union forced Microsoft to fully remove Internet Explorer from Windows 7.
Whatever the impetus, being able to change Windows' default programs truly results in your being able to configure and use Windows your way. You're no longer locked into Microsoft's default applications; you can pick and choose what programs you want to use for all sorts of basic tasks.
Let's say, for example, that you're an iPod user and would prefer to use iTunes as your media player. Right now, when you insert an audio CD, it launches Windows Media Player by default; you'd rather not see WMP at all, and want to have iTunes launched instead. Well, that's what these changes are all about-changing the default programs for common operations. Changing from Windows Media Player to iTunes is now easy to do.
What You Can Change
What programs are we talking about changing? Essentially, these are applications that Windows uses for core operations, as detailed in Table below.
Windows Default Applications
| Operation | Default Application | Optional Programs* |
| Email program | None | Microsoft Outlook,Mozilla Firebird,Windows Live Mail |
| Instant messaging | None | AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger,Yahoo! Messenger |
| Java virtual machine | None | Sun JVM |
| Media player | Windows Media Player | iTunes, QuickTime, RealPlayer,Windows Media Center |
| Web browser | Internet Explorer | Google Chrome,Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari |
*The applications listed here are commonly chosen alternates; other applications are available.
All of these applications are somewhat self-explanatory, with the exception of the Java virtual machine, or JVM. This is a plug-in for your web browser that enables the running of Java-based web applications. Back in the Windows XP days, Microsoft supplied its own JVM, but it discontinued it several years back. Today the only real option is Sun's JVM (Sun being the developer of Java), but since many older systems might still have the Microsoft JVM installed, the option to change the default is there if you upgraded to Windows 7 from an older version of the operating system.
Changing the Defaults
In Windows 7, Microsoft makes it easy to select any program you have installed on your PC as the default program for these core operations. Here's how to do it:
- Open the Windows Start menu and select Default Programs. (Alternately, you can also open the Control Panel and select Default Programs from there.)
- When the Default Programs window appears, click Set Program Access and Computer Defaults.
- When the Set Program Access and Computer Defaults window opens, click the down arrow to expand the Custom section.
- For each operation listed, check the program you want to use as the default application.
- Click the OK button when done.
When you change a default program, you don't physically remove the previous program from your computer's hard drive.
Remember, you can only set a program as your default if you have it installed on your computer. So, for example, if you want to switch from Internet Explorer to Mozilla Firefox, you first have to download and install Firefox on your PC. To that end, Table below lists the URLs where you can download many of the third-party programs you might want to switch to using this procedure. All of these programs are free.
TipIf you don't want to make changes for a given operation-that is, if you want to continue using the current default application-check the Use My Current option.
Third-Party Programs Download Information
| Application | Download URL |
| AOL Instant Messenger | www.aim.com |
| Google Chrome | www.google.com/chrome |
| Google Talk | www.google.com/talk |
| ICQ | www.icq.com |
| iTunes | www.apple.com/itunes |
| Mozilla Firefox | www.mozilla.com/firefox |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | www.mozillamessaging.com |
| Opera | www.opera.com |
| QuickTime | www.apple.com/quicktime |
| RealPlayer | www.real.com |
| Safari | www.apple.com/safari |
| Sun JVM | www.java.com/getjava |
| Windows Live Mail | download.live.com |
| Windows Live Messenger | download.live.com |
| Yahoo! Messenger | messenger.yahoo.com |