.hta not associated with notepad as the default, how do I change it?

Question

Like this. How to change default app open .hta file from MSHTA to notepad?

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Answer 1

Hello dinh duc duy,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

The .hta file type is associated with Microsoft (R) HTML Application Host (MSHTA) by default. Windows does not allow changing its association directly because .hta is considered an executable script type and doing so can harm your PC. However, if you still persist:

1 - Try Open With option:

• Right-click any .hta file > Open with > Choose another app
• Pick Notepad and Check Always use this app to open .hta files
• If you can't find the app, directly search for Notepad.exe directory

Note: If there's no option at all, Windows is blocking the change for security reasons.

2 - Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

• Enter: assoc .hta=txtfile
• Enter: ftype txtfile="%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE" "%1"
• This forces .hta files to use the txtfile association and open in Notepad.

3 - Set up via Registry Editor:

• Press Win + R > type regedit > Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.hta
• Double-click Default and change its value to txtfile
• Navigate to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\open\command
• Make it points to: "%SystemRoot%\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE" "%1"
• Restart your PC and test the .hta file

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, first check out How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support 

Changing .hta files' association prevents them from running, which can harm the system if any application or service is associated with it. If your goal is to edit the file, setting Notepad as the default is fine. If you want to run the program, you should keep the current default.

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