help with opening windat files and removing WORDPAD as the default

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

Hoping someone might have some computer expertise to help me. I tried to open an attachment sent in windat format. I had choices. I tried to use WORDPAD. Nothing would open it. BUT THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. Now every windat file I get defaults to WORDPAD to try to open it. I cannot seem to restore the many other options I had before. WORDPAD pops up and no other choices. I don't know how to remove the default.

I have windows 8.

glb613 · ‎03-09-2010

@bonnielu wrote:
Hoping someone might have some computer expertise to help me. I tried to open an attachment sent in windat format. I had choices. I tried to use WORDPAD. Nothing would open it. BUT THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. Now every windat file I get defaults to WORDPAD to try to open it. I cannot seem to restore the many other options I had before. WORDPAD pops up and no other choices. I don't know how to remove the default.
I have windows 8.

What you need to do is change the default program. Find the document, right click on it, select open with and choose a program. If what you want isn't listed, there should be an option to view more choices. You may also have the option to always use this option/program. I don't have a Windows 10 computer and the way to change a default program may have changed.

There are free Office compatible programs for the download. Open Office and Libre Office are 2 I've used.

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

hthttp://www.slipstick.com/problems/outlook-is-sending-winmail-dat-attachments/tp://www.slipstick.co...

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

Here is what initially happened. The attachment did not open but I was able to use OPEN With. I selected wordpad... and then I attempted to open the attachment.

It did not work. But something got corrupted. Everytime I get a windat it automatically opens with notepad... no choice and no OPEN WITH. IT IS LOCKED TO ONLY ONE WAY AND I CANNOT GET IT TO GIVE ME OTHER OPTIONS. CRAZY I KNOW BUT I CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT. I don't know beans about registry so I cannot get inside to fix it. If I would try it would be all over. Trust me.

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

In any case thanks for trying to help me. Short of killing the sender I think I am stuck. It is only effecting windat which I cannot open anyway and the main problem is that I CANNOT LET A PROBLEM GO. I HAVE TO FIX IT. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE COMPUTER IN, BE CHARGED BIG FEES JUST TO MAKE NOTEPAD GIVE UP AND ALLOW OTHER PROGRAMS TO GIVE IT A TRY.... NOT THAT THEY WOULD WORK ANYWAY. NOTEPAD IS STUCK, ASSIGNED AND I CANNOT UNASSIGN IT. TRIED.

glb613 · ‎03-09-2010

Don't double click on the file. Find where it is stored, right click on it and select open with. Another option, do a system restore to a time before this started.