220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A user needs to change the default program for opening PDF files on a Windows 10 Pro workstation from Adobe Acrobat to Microsoft Edge. The user right-clicked a PDF file, selected 'Open with', chose 'Microsoft Edge', and checked 'Always use this app'. However, the change does not persist for all PDF files. Which built-in Windows settings should the technician use to set this default association for all PDF files?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the right-click 'Open with' method as a permanent system-wide change, when in fact it only modifies the per-user association and can be overridden by Group Policy or app defaults, leading them to overlook the dedicated 'Choose defaults by file type' settings page.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults by file type
The 'Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults by file type' interface is the built-in Windows 10 mechanism for setting file type associations system-wide. The user's attempt via right-click only sets the association for the current user profile, but may not persist due to Group Policy or app defaults being overridden. This settings page directly modifies the registry entries under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf, ensuring the change applies to all PDF files.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Program Access and Computer Defaults
Why it's wrong here
Set Program Access and Computer Defaults (SPAD) is a legacy Control Panel feature from the Windows XP/Vista era that primarily manages default software categories such as web browser, email client, and media player, not individual file extensions like .pdf. Microsoft has deprecated this interface, and it no longer reliably alters the modern per-user file association logic used by Windows 10. It also requires administrative privileges and only changes the system-wide defaults fallback, so it cannot set or change the specific .pdf association for a logged-in user.
- ✓
Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose defaults by file type
Why this is correct
This is the exact built-in location for modifying file type associations. In Settings > Apps > Default apps, clicking 'Choose defaults by file type' opens a searchable list of all registered extensions; scroll to .pdf, click the current app, and select a new application from the list to update the per-user association. Windows 10 then writes a validated ProgId and UserChoice hash to the registry under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf, which the shell honors for double-clicking and right-click 'Open with' operations. This is the intended, supported tool for an individual user.
- ✗
File Explorer > View > Options > Change folder and search options
Why it's wrong here
This path opens the Folder Options/File Explorer Options dialog, which controls settings like whether hidden files are displayed, how folders are browsed, and how search works in the shell. It contains no mechanism to map a file extension to an application; the 'File Types' tab that existed in older Windows versions was removed in Windows 8 and later. Thus, using it for PDF association is completely unrelated and will not affect which program launches when you open a PDF.
- ✗
Local Group Policy Editor > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings
Why it's wrong here
Local Group Policy Editor is a management console for domain-based or local computer policies. The path Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings is specifically for security policies such as account policies, user rights assignment, and Windows Defender Firewall rules. Default file associations in Windows 10 are normally set by the user via Settings or can be pre-staged by an administrator using the 'Set a default associations configuration file' policy under Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer — not under Security Settings. For a single user making a routine change, Group Policy is overly complex, and altering these security settings would not modify the PDF association.
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Windows Registry
Key term
Windows
Windows is a family of operating systems developed by Microsoft that manages computer hardware and software, providing a graphical user interface for users to interact with their devices.
Key term
Registry
The Windows Registry is a central hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options for the operating system, hardware, software, and user preferences.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user reports that double-clicking a .jpg file opens Notepad instead of the Photos app. The technician wants to restore the default file association for .jpg files. Which tool in Windows 10 should the technician use?
medium- A.File Explorer > Right-click file > Properties > Opens with
- ✓ B.Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose default apps by file type
- C.Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Associations
- D.DISM command to repair Windows image
Why B: The correct tool in Windows 10 to restore the default file association for .jpg files is Settings > Apps > Default apps > Choose default apps by file type. This interface allows the technician to search for the .jpg extension and reassign it to the Photos app, directly modifying the user's file association registry entries without requiring administrative elevation.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1102 exam.