How to Clear Open With History Using Regedit

Over time, the Windows “Open With” context menu accumulates suggestions from previously used or uninstalled applications, leading to a cluttered interface. This guide explains how to clear the “Open With” history for specific file types using the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit) to restore a clean, relevant list of programs.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to grant administrative permissions.

Step 2: Navigate to the FileExts Key

In the Registry Editor, use the left sidebar or paste the following path into the address bar at the top and press Enter:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts

Step 3: Locate the File Extension

  1. Expand the FileExts folder to see a list of all registered file extensions (e.g., .jpg, .mp4, .pdf, .txt).
  2. Scroll down and click to expand the specific file extension whose “Open With” menu you want to clean up.
  3. Select the OpenWithList subkey under that extension.

Step 4: Delete Unwanted Applications

  1. With OpenWithList selected, look at the right pane. You will see string values with names like a, b, c, along with a value named MRUList (Most Recently Used List).
  2. Identify the entries corresponding to the applications you want to remove.
  3. Right-click the unwanted string value (for example, b if it points to an old program) and select Delete.
  4. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Step 5: Update the MRUList (Optional)

  1. In the same right pane, double-click the MRUList value.
  2. Remove the letter corresponding to the entry you just deleted from the Value data field (e.g., if you deleted b, change abc to ac).
  3. Click OK.

Note: Alternatively, if you want to clear the entire history for that file extension, you can delete all lettered values and clear the MRUList data entirely, leaving only the (Default) value.

Step 6: Restart Windows Explorer

To apply the changes without restarting your computer:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
  2. Locate Windows Explorer under the Processes tab.
  3. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart.

The removed applications will no longer appear in the “Open With” context menu for that file type.