Your default mail reader is what's used when you're browsing a web page and share it via email with a friend or colleague, or mail it to yourself for further reading. The Mac default is to use the Mail app, but you can change the default to Outlook. So read on and we'll show you a quick and easy way to change the default programs on a Mac. If you want to change a default app other than your browser or email client then you can still do so.
- Change Default Program Xp
- Change Default Programs On Mac
- How To Change Default Program
- Change Default Program Files
When you choose a file, your Mac tends to open it with a default program, even if you have multiple programs that are designed to work with that type of file. The odds are that your HTML files will open in Safari, your text documents will open in Pages (or if you don’t have Pages installed, it will open in Text Edit) and your pictures will open with Preview. For most of us, that is a good thing, but it may not be for you. Maybe you want to edit your photos with a more advanced tool, instead of just viewing them. That means have to open each photo in the program before you can begin your work. Not exactly what anyone would call a convenient setup.
If you want to fix that, you are going to have to change your default programs. Don’t worry. That may sound really complicated at first, but with Leopard, or Snow Leopard, it is really quite simple. Just follow these steps and you will be up and changing your file associations in no time.
Let’s continue on with your example from above, and figure out how to make your images open in Photoshop instead of in Preview. This process will work for a variety of different programs and file types.
Step One: Find the File (or Files) You Wish to Change
Open the spotlight window by clicking on the magnifying glass icon on the top right hand side of your Mac desktop. Type in the name of the file that you want to find. If you are not sure of the exact name, type in only a few characters of the title. When spotlight displays your results, select the file from the list. This will automatically open the folder or file in Finder where your target item is. If you wish to change a single image, you may have to back out to the folder it is stored in. Alternatively, if you know where the file is stored, simply navigate to that location.
Step Two: Getting The File Info and Making The Change
Change Default Program Xp
Once you have located the file, you can single click on it to highlight it. Once the image is highlighted, go to the menu bar at the top and choose “File -> Get Info”. This will bring up the information bar for this file. Here, you will see a variety of options for your image. Click on the arrow next to the worlds “Open With.”
This will expand your file associations options for this file, but it will also give you access to change the extensions for all files of this type. Here, you will see a drop down box. It will show the name and icon of the current program that you use by default. In most cases for an image, you will see the word “Preview” written there. If you want to use Photoshop, and you have it installed, all you have to do is choose that from the drop down menu.
Changing All The Files
Lets say you want to change all of the file associations. Well, all that you have to do is follow all of the same steps as above, but after you change the drop down box, click on the button that says “Change all”. This will change the association for every file of this type.
That’s it.
Many people have multiple email accounts but tend to use them for different purposes. If you have multiple email accounts, you'll want to set the one you use most often as your default.
Set up your default mail account
On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
Tip: A list of your accounts is in the left pane of the Accounts box, and the default account is at the top of the list.
Select the account that you want to make the default account.
In the bottom, left pane of the Accounts box, click Set as Default .
Notes
Change Default Programs On Mac
To send an email message from an account other than your default account, under Inbox, select the account in the list. You can now send email from your non-default email account. When you're finished, under Inbox, click your default account.
When you forward or reply to a message, Outlook uses the account that the original message was sent to. To change this preference, on the Outlook menu, click Preferences, and then under Email, click Composing . Under Format and account, clear the Reply and forward using the default e-mail account check box.
Set up your default email reader
Your default mail reader is what's used when you're browsing a web page and share it via email with a friend or colleague, or mail it to yourself for further reading. The Mac default is to use the Mail app, but you can change the default to Outlook.
Open Finder > Applications.
Select Mail.
Select Mail > Preferences.
On the General tab, in Default email reader, select Microsoft Outlook.
See also
Set up your default mail account
How To Change Default Program
On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
A list of your accounts is in the left pane of the Accounts dialog box, and the default account is first in the list.
Select the account that you want to make the default account.
On the Action pop-up menu , click Set as Default.
Notes:
If you have configured multiple POP accounts, messages will be sent from the account that is currently selected, or the default account. To change the account from which a message is sent, select an account on the From pop-up menu in the email message. If you have added only one account to Outlook, the From pop-up menu is not available.
When you forward or reply to a message, Outlook uses the account to which the original message was sent. To change this preference, on the Outlook menu, click Preferences, and then under E-mail, click Composing. Under Format and account, clear the Reply and forward using the default e-mail account check box.