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I noticed following procedure with several applications (e.g. MS Office), on different OS versions.

I have a file in Finder. I double-click it, but it opens in an application A that I do not want to use as default application. So I close the default application A, go back to Finder, right-click on the file and indicate the application B I want to use, while ticking the box to use it as the default application.

However, the next time I want to open a file with the same extension by double-clicking, it is again opened in application A, as if this application automatically sets itself to be the default application, no matter how often you manually change it in Finder.

Is this indeed the case, and how to prevent it from happening; or did I do something wrong in Finder?

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  • 1
    Apologies for deleting my answer. It seems I misread a key portion of your problem. Do you notice things staying until reboot](apple.stackexchange.com/questions/39648) or do they break immediately after you express a preference? It seems odd this happens on multiple of your Macs on multiple OS versions. Is there one specific version you are running today with this issue?
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Sep 29, 2023 at 13:01
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    We might benefit from some specific examples, rather than "A" and "B". Can you give actual file extensions, and the A and B apps involved?
    – benwiggy
    Commented Sep 29, 2023 at 13:46
  • @bmike No reboot is needed. The preference is already forgotten after closing the new default application B.
    – Karlo
    Commented Jan 9 at 0:03
  • @benwiggy One example is a .bib file (BibTeX) that is automatically opened in the default LaTeX editor (Texmaker). The wanted default application is JabRef, but it keeps opening in Texmaker once I have closed JabRef.
    – Karlo
    Commented Jan 9 at 0:05
  • @benwiggy A second example is a .xlsx file. I want to set LibreOffice/OpenOffice as default application, but it keeps opening in MS Excel.
    – Karlo
    Commented Jul 6 at 20:12

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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If you do "Change All" in File > Get Info, I would expect that to stick, and not be reset. By which I mean that's my experience -- I've never seen a file association 'reset automatically' to an existing app, unless you've installed a new app that takes precedence.

It's possible that your LaunchService database is corrupt, and needs rebuilding, with the following command:

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -v -apps u

See the article Launch Services database problems: correcting and rebuilding for more details and background.

However, for this to happen on multiple Macs and OS versions smacks of something beyond coincidence, and possibly something you've installed is actively changing things; though I wouldn't expect that to be the case for MS Office.

(Though, perhaps, if you've changed the default app for .docx to something other than Word, and the Office auto-updater installs an update, this might reset the association...?)

Alternatively, you could try the following System Preference (Settings) panel, which provides a GUI way of setting file association defaults.

GitHub: SwiftDefaultApps

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  • Very good steps. Do you ever use RCDefaultsApp instead of or in addition to the command line reset you mention?
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Sep 29, 2023 at 12:59
  • @bmike RCDefaults no longer works and hasn't been updated in years. There is a newer project, which works, but still needs updating for the Ventura UI. I'll add details.
    – benwiggy
    Commented Sep 29, 2023 at 13:02
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    I so appreciate your deep knowledge here - I'm way out of date and this is superb sharing of current knowledge. Thanks so much
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Sep 29, 2023 at 13:05
  • I'm surprised at the idea (which I take "I wouldn't expect that to be the case for MS Office" to be expressing) that MS Office is a good macOS citizen. It and Adobe's products seem to me to be two of the worst offenders in ostentatiously avoiding macOS user-interface conventions.
    – LSpice
    Commented Sep 30, 2023 at 2:26
  • @LSpice I'm not saying that Office follows every rule: I'm saying that I would be surprised if it actually forced you to make Word the default app for .docx files with some kind of re-occurring Launch Agent. I wait to proven otherwise!
    – benwiggy
    Commented Sep 30, 2023 at 8:25

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