1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Default Programs
4. Click Associate a file type or protocol with a program
5. Select .doc or .docx
6. Click Change program
7. Select Microsoft Word from Recommended Programs
8. Click OK
9. If Word is not listed in the Recommended Programs Click Browse
10. Manually enter, or browse to C:\Program Files\ and then go to the following location based on your version of Microsoft Office:

    Note: On a Windows 64-bit system with an Microsoft Office 32-bit installation, start by going to C:\Program Files (x86)\ and then going to the following locations:

    • Microsoft Office 2007: Microsoft Office\Office12\winword.exe
    • Microsoft Office 2010: Microsoft Office\Office14\winword.exe
    • Microsoft Office 2010 Click-to-Run: Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Virtualization Handler\cvh.exe
    • Microsoft Office 2013: Microsoft Office\Office15\WINWORD.EXE
11. Click Open
12. Select Microsoft Office Word
13. Check the box next to Always use the selected program to open this kind of file
14. Click OK

Microsoft Windows Alternate Method

1. Go to the location in which the document has been saved (EX: Desktop, Downloads, Documents, etc.)
2. Right-Click on the document
3. Select Properties from the menu
4. Click Change in the Opens With section on the General document properties
5. Locate and select Microsoft Word from the programs list
6. Click OK
7. Click OK

1. Click the file to highlight it
2. Click File
3. Select Get Info
4. Select Open With
5. Select Microsoft Word
6. Click Change All
7. Click Continue in the Alert window
8. Close the window