Stop Windows 10 changing your defaults
What you need: Stop Resetting My Apps; Windows 10 Time required: 10 mins
One of the main gripes about Windows 10 is how it constantly tries to force you to use its built-in apps rather than the programs and tools you actually prefer. Try manually changing the operating system’s settings so that it defaults
to programs of your choice, and Windows will tend to change them back again (usually after one of Microsoft’s enforced updates). Thankfully, Stop Resetting My Apps is a great free tool you can use to stop this from happening.
STEP 1
First, we’ll show you how to set your default programs. Click Start, Settings, System, then ‘Default apps’ 1 . On the right you’ll see entries for Email, Maps, ‘Music player’, ‘Photo viewer’, ‘Video player’ and ‘Web browser’. Click the icon below the setting you want to change, then select your new default program from the list. For example, if you want to use VLC instead of ‘Films & TV’, click the icon under ‘Video player’ 2 , then select VLC in the list 3 . Be aware that Windows will nag you to use Edge if you try to switch to your preferred browser – simply click ‘Switch anyway’.
STEP2
To download Stop Resetting My Apps go to www.snipca.com/22422, then click the ‘Download Stop resetting my apps’ button. Once it’s downloaded, double-click the Stopresettingmyapps.exe file (there’s no junk to worry about). It doesn’t need to be installed – it just runs when you launch it. At the bottom of the program window, you’ll see six icons for Microsoft’s main defaults, including Edge 1 and Mail 2 . Click the ones you don’t want to use, and a red ‘stop’ icon will appear over them 3 .
STEP3
This doesn’t uninstall the apps. It simply stops Windows 10 from setting them as your PC’S default, thus preserving the choices you made in Step 1. You don’t even need to leave Stop Resetting My Apps running in the background; simply close it by clicking the ‘X’ in the top-right corner. You can, however, undo your actions later if necessary. Run Stop Resetting My Apps again and click the icon for the relevant app to remove the red ‘stop’ icon and unblock it 1 .
In Consumeractive in Issue 488 (page 15) you published a query from John Storry who had a problem with third-party ink cartridges that wouldn’t work with his Epson XP-435 printer. I wonder if this was just Epson making him ‘jump through hoops’ before accepting the cartridges.
I have two Epson printers – an XP-760 and a Workforce WF-7610 – and I use third-party ink cartridges in both of them. The printers often ‘object’ to the insertion of a compatible cartridge and you have to scroll down to the bottom of the menu to click ‘continue’ before you can complete the replacement. With the XP-760 it raises the question again the first time you attempt to print anything, but accepting it makes it work fine.
Also, I find it useful to print this ink colour chart ( www.snipca.com/22522, see image below left), before starting a print session on expensive photo paper. It gives a better indication than a simple nozzle check of how my printer is performing.