Default programs

I am unable to get Windows 8 to accept some of my preferred programs as default. I have tried several things and have now discovered the following anomaly:
My preferred programs (ArcSoft PhotoStudio and Corel Paint Shop, in particular) are not listed in the 'Set Your default programs' screen. They are, however, listed as programs available to 'Uninstall' so I presume they have been correctly installed in the first place.
What is going on here? And, incidentally, why does Windows 8 make it so hard to do even the simplest things???
Any direction or help would be appreciated.
bevaau

Hello bevaau, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You should be able to use "Open with" to browse to and select the .exe file of the program you want to set as the default program of a file type. The tutorial below can help show you more on this.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/7811-open-change-default-program-windows-8-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks Shawn but that DID NOT work!
I followed the sequence - several times - including once pretending that I could not see my preferred program and selected "search for another app on this computer" to locate the .exe file but the photos still stubbornly open with Windows Photo Viewer - no matter what I do to change it. I did notice that when I asked it to search, it opened the Program Files folder, not the Program Files (x86) folder. Is that significant? I changed to the latter folder and selected the appropriate .exe file, clicked Open and nothing happened - it still opened with Photo Viewer next time.
Any more suggestions? Any idea of where else I can go??
I have an HP computer, Windows 8 64 bit, 8G RAM and almost limitless hard drive space (at least for now) - is any of that significant. I also had, but quickly removed, Norton Security.
Bevaau

Did you check the Use this app for all (extension) files box?

Yes - I even checked each time that I did that.

I tested this with Arc Soft Photo Studio, and it's working for me.

Did you navigate to and select to "Open with" this file below?

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcSoft\PhotoStudio 6\PhotoStudio.exe"

Thanks so much for your patience! Yes, I did that. PhotoStudio opens normally when I open the program first and then File-Open the picture I want - so I CAN work around it. (The same thing happens with Corel Photo Shop.) I just somehow believe that the OS should work the way it is supposed to!! The only other thing I have done - which may or may not have something to do with this - is to remove Norton from the computer within a couple of days or purchase! Other than that I have not made any significant changes (I don't think) - I have just been moving files from an old computer to the new one.

Not sure why you can't set those program's .exe file as the default program using "Open with" since it works for me with them.

You might see if uninstalling and reinstalling the programs may help.

I might try that - or I might just learn to live with it! But I would never recommend Windows 8 to anyone!!

Not sure what may have happened on your end, but this is not an issue with Windows 8 since it works fine for me doing this with these exact programs. Hopefully reinstalling the programs may help.

Windows 8 came pre-installed on a new computer. I am not aware of having done anything that would affect its 'workings' - I have spent most of my time in recent days transferring files from the old computer to the new. The installation of both PhotoShop and PhotoStudio was from a CD, not 'transferred'.

I made this comment in my first post:

"My preferred programs (ArcSoft PhotoStudio and Corel Paint Shop, in particular) are not listed in the 'Set Your default programs' screen. They are, however, listed as programs available to 'Uninstall' so I presume they have been correctly installed in the first place."

Should they be visible in the 'Set your default programs screen'? As you have these programs installed, are they visible as a choice on your list?

Perhaps re-installing will help - I will try that when I feel in a better mood. Thank you for all your help,

Bevaau

Bevaau,

Nope, PhotoStudio 6 is not listed Default Programs.

Only when I right clicked on an image file, and used Open with to select the "C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcSoft\PhotoStudio 6\PhotoStudio.exe" did it work.

Thanks for that - I was starting to think I was a bit mad! So it is not possible to select it as the default for .jpg files, for example?

Yes, doing the second part of what I posted above using "Open with".

Trying again!

OK - I'm very trying! I have upgraded to Windows 8.1 and still am unable to select the default programs I wish to use. I have not checked all the possibles but .txt and .jpg files are the ones giving me grief.
has there been any progress on this I see there are others with the same problem!