Windows 11 file defaults

[phill104]

Until today, when I clicked on a .cr3 file from explorer that had been imported via LrC it opened in LrC. Now, for some reason, it opens lin Lightroom. I do'nt use lightroom, just classic. How do I restore the defaults to LrC? I've tried open with>choose another app>choose an app on your PB and browsing to adobe>Lightroom classic>lightroom.exe but it still opens in the wrong version

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

You cannot [Open] a camera file with Lightroom-Classic!

Lightroom-Classic can only [Open] Catalog files (xxxxx.LRCAT).

Image files must be IMPORTED into a LrC Catalog to be of use in the LrC UI.

You can however drag an image file (from desktop eg.) onto the LrC Library Grid and have the image imported.

Windows should not allow you to [Open] or [Open With] Lightroom-Classic for an image file.

Lightroom (Cloud based) will also open the Import dialog if you [Open With- Lightroom ]

I suggest you go to Windows Settings > Apps > and set the 'Default' for CR3 files to be Photoshop. So [Opening] a CR3 file from File Explorer will open in Photoshop only.

Lightroon-Classic and Lightroom both require you to IMPORT image files to be able to view and edit.

[phill104]

I am aware it shouldn't. However, now when I click on an already imported .cr3 file it opens the lightroom import dialogue. Previously, if I clicked on a previously imported .cr3 file then my machine would open it in lightroom classic. If it was not already imported then yes, I had to import it.