How do I change the default app for opening a file;

Question

If I right click on a file in finder, it tells me what the default app for opening the file is.  it also gives me a short list of other apps.
I would like to change the defaults for several file types, and also delete one app from the short list and add a different one.
How do I do this?
thanks

Answer 1

You could try this:
- right-click (tap with 2 fingers on the apple trackpad) on a file you want to open in openoffice
- move the cursor over "open with". You should see the default app, then some suggestions, then app store, then at the end, "other...".  Select "other..."
- find openoffice in your applications folder and select it  (if it is dimmed, change "enable: " from "recommended applications" to "all applications", then you can select "openoffice")
- check "always open with"
- then, click "open".  The file will open in openoffice and from now on, openoffice will be the default application to open the type of file you just opened.  You should also see the icon of all files of the same type change to the openoffice file icon.
This is supposed to work, but that's not always the case, especially when the default app happens to be an Apple app.  If you don't want to use that Apple app, delete it (or move it elsewhere if you want a backup). That can help.
Good luck!