The most common way to open a file on a PC is simply to double left-click on it. Windows will then open the file in whichever program is set as the default for that type of file.
For example, a photo will open in the Photos app, and a Word document will open in Microsoft Word.
But that’s not the only way to open files — and double-clicking isn’t always what you need.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through all the main methods for opening files on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, including how to open a file from inside a running program, how to open a file with a different program, and what to do when a file refuses to open.
- The Main Ways to Open a File on Your PC
- How to Open a File by Double-Clicking
- How to Open a File by Right-Clicking
- How to Open a File From Within a Running Program
- How to Open a File With a Different Program (Open With)
- How to Open a File Using Windows Search
- Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Opening Files
- What to Do When a File Won’t Open
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Summary
- Data Storage Units Explained
The Main Ways to Open a File on Your PC
There are several ways to open a file in Windows. Here’s a quick summary before we look at each one in more detail.
| Method | How | Best used when… |
|---|---|---|
| Double left-click | Click the file twice quickly | Opening any file from File Explorer or the Desktop |
| Right-click → Open | Right-click, then choose Open | You want to be in control before anything opens |
| Select file, then press Enter | Click once to highlight, then press Enter | Using the keyboard |
| Ctrl + O shortcut | Press Ctrl and O together | Inside a program that’s already running |
| File menu → Open | Click File at the top of the program, then Open | Inside a program that’s already running |
| Windows Search | Type the file name into the Search bar | You know the name but can’t find the file |
How to Open a File by Double-Clicking
Double left-clicking a file is the quickest and most common way to open it on a PC. You’ll use this method most of the time when browsing files in File Explorer or on your Desktop.
To do it: find the file you want to open, then click the left mouse button twice quickly in a row. The file will open in the default program for that file type.
Struggling with the double-click speed?
If you find that a double-click isn’t registering — or you accidentally open the wrong thing because you clicked too fast — you can slow down the double-click speed in Windows. This is covered in the Computer Mouse and Keyboard Basics guide.
Quick Tip
A single left-click will select (highlight) a file but won’t open it. A double-click will open it.
How to Open a File by Right-Clicking
Right-clicking a file gives you a menu of options, including the option to open the file. This method is useful when you want a bit more control — for example, if you want to open the file with a specific program rather than the default one.
To open a file by right-clicking:
- Right-click on the file.
- On the menu that appears, click Open.
Windows will open the file using the default program for that file type, just as if you had double-clicked it.
If you right-click and don’t see an Open option — just an Open with option — it means Windows doesn’t have a default program set for that file type. In that case, you’ll need to choose a program from the list. More on this in the Open With section below.
File Types
Every file on your PC (regardless of whether it’s a picture, video or document etc) has a specific format. This is often known as the file type. To find out more about formats read this separate guide A Beginner’s Guide to File Formats and File Extensions
How to Open a File From Within a Running Program
Sometimes a program is already open on your screen and you want to load an existing file into it. Rather than closing the program and hunting for the file, you can open the file from inside the program itself.
There are two ways to do this:
- Click the File button at the top left of the program window, then click Open.
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + O (hold down the Ctrl key and press the letter O — not the number zero).
Both methods will bring up the Open File Dialogue Box — a window that lets you browse your computer to find the file you want.
Note: The Ctrl + O shortcut works in the vast majority of Windows programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Notepad, Paint, and most photo or PDF viewers. So if you can’t see a File button in the program you’re using, Ctrl + O usually works.
How to Use the Open File Dialogue Box
The Open File Dialogue Box is the window that pops up when you use File → Open or Ctrl + O inside a program. It can look a little daunting at first, but it’s actually just a version of Windows File Explorer — it works in exactly the same way.
Here are the four main parts of the Open File Dialogue Box:
- Address Bar (at the top) — shows which folder you’re currently looking inside.
- Navigation Pane (on the left) — a list of your main folders (Documents, Pictures, Desktop, etc.) that you can click to jump between them.
- File View (in the middle) — shows the contents of the folder you’re currently in.
- File Name Box (at the bottom) — shows the name of the file you’ve selected, or lets you type a file name directly.
To find and open a file:
- Use the Navigation Pane on the left to click on the main folder where your file is saved. For example, click Documents if the file is in your Documents folder, or click Pictures if it’s a photo.
- The File View in the middle will update to show the contents of that folder.
- If your file is inside a sub-folder, double left-click on that sub-folder to open it. You may need to open several sub-folders this way.
- Once you can see your file, either: Single left-click to select it, then click the Open button at the bottom of the window, or Double left-click on the file to open it immediately.
The file will then load inside the program you’re using.
Tip: If you know the full name of the file, you can type it directly into the File Name Box at the bottom and press Enter — Windows will search for it and open it without you having to browse to it manually.
How to Open a File With a Different Program (Open With)
When you double-click a file, Windows opens it in the default program for that file type. For example, clicking on a photo will usually open it in the Windows Photos app.
But sometimes you might want to open a file in a different program. For instance, you might want to open a photo in Paint so you can edit it, rather than just viewing it in Photos.
To open a file with a different program (just this once):
- Right-click on the file.
- Hover over (or click) Open with.
- A list of suitable programs will appear. Click the one you want to use.
On some versions of Windows 11, you may need to click Show more options first before you see the Open with option.
If the program you want isn’t on the list, click Choose another app and Windows will show you a longer list of installed programs.
To change the default program permanently:
If you always want a particular file type to open in a different program, you can change the default:
- Right-click on the file.
- Hover over Open with, then click Choose another app.
- Select the program you want.
- Click the Always button (or tick the box that says Always use this app to open [file type] files).
From now on, files of that type (format) will always open in the program you chose.
For a full step-by-step walkthrough, see the guide: How to Open a File in a Different Program.
How to Open a File Using Windows Search
If you can’t find a file by browsing through folders, you can use the Windows Search bar to locate it by name.
- Click the Start button.
- Start typing the name of the file. Windows will show matching results as you type.
- When you see your file in the results, click on it to open it.
Windows Search is especially useful when you know what a file is called but can’t remember which folder you saved it in.
Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for Opening Files
Keyboard shortcuts can save you a lot of time once you get used to them. Here are the most useful ones for opening files on a Windows PC:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Double-click | Opens the selected file in its default program |
| Enter | Opens the selected file (when a file is highlighted in File Explorer) |
| Ctrl + O (letter O) | Opens the Open File Dialogue Box inside a running program |
| Windows key + E | Opens File Explorer so you can browse your files |
| Windows key + S (or just click the Search bar) | Opens Windows Search — useful if you know the file name |
| Alt + Enter | Opens the Properties window for a selected file (useful for checking file type and size) |
What to Do When a File Won’t Open
Occasionally, double-clicking a file does nothing — or Windows shows an error message. Here are the most common reasons this happens and what to do about it.
Windows Doesn’t Know Which Program to Use
If you see a message like “How do you want to open this file?” or “Windows can’t open this file”, it means there’s no default program set for that file type.
To fix it: right-click the file, hover over Open with, and either choose a program from the list or click Choose another app to search for one. If you’d like Windows to remember your choice, tick the Always use this app box.
You Don’t Have the Right Program Installed
Some files require a specific program to open them. For example, a .psd file needs Adobe Photoshop, and a .pages file was created on a Mac and may not open on a Windows PC without extra software.
If you received the file from someone else, you could ask them to save it in a more common format — for example, saving a Word document as a PDF means almost any computer can open it.
The File Extension Is Hidden or Missing
Windows often hides file extensions (the letters at the end of a file name, like .docx or .jpg) by default. If a file has somehow lost its extension, Windows won’t know which program to use.
To show file extensions in Windows 11, open File Explorer, click View, hover over Show, and then tick File name extensions.
The File May Be Corrupted
If a file was not saved properly, was cut off during a download, or was moved while it was being written, it may be corrupted. A corrupted file often can’t be opened at all. If you downloaded the file, try downloading it again. If it was sent to you by email or message, ask the sender to resend it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
Opening files on a Windows PC is something you’ll do many times a day, so it’s worth knowing all the different ways to do it. Here’s a quick recap:
- Double left-click a file to open it in its default program — this is the method you’ll use most often.
- Use File → Open or the Ctrl + O shortcut to open a file from inside a running program.
- Use right-click → Open with to open a file in a different program.
- Use the Windows Search bar or File Explorer (Windows key + E) if you can’t find a file.
- If a file won’t open, it usually means Windows doesn’t have the right program, or the file is corrupted.
The more you use your computer, the more natural all of this becomes — and having your folders properly named and organised makes finding files much faster.
Lesson 11
Course Progress – 10 of 36
Part of the At Home Basic Computer Course — free computer guides for beginners.
Data Storage Units Explained
What are Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes, and Terabytes?
Have you ever wondered why your new 1TB hard drive only shows 931GB of space in Windows File Explorer? Or why your 50Mbps internet doesn’t download a 50MB file in one second?
Understanding data storage units like Kilobytes (KB), Megabytes (MB), Gigabytes (GB), and Terabytes (TB) will help you to manage your computer’s own storage capacity.
Find this and other related guides in – Computer Tech Guides
At Home Computer Step By Step Guides
Easy to follow tutorials for users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers.
Windows XP Virtual Machine.
Windows Sandbox
Windows File History.
Windows 11 Network Sharing Not Working.
Windows 11 Backup
How to create a Windows 11 backup for free. Make…
Windows 10 System Image Backup.
Why I Use Virtual Machines and You Should Too
When CHKDSK Won’t Run.
