Photoshop Beta v24.1 takes over as the default app for psd files

[jeasolar]

Photoshop Beta v24.1 takes over as the default app for psd files. I want that to remain as the released Photoshop v24.0 and I can't seem to change it back. In Windows 10 settings to choose a default app for psd there is no choice for the released v24, it's stuck on the beta. I just want to try some beta features occasionaly, not use it all the time. One example is when I "Edit With" Photoshop in Capture One Pro it now opens in the Beta because that is the default app for psd. So how do I keep the beta installed but have the release as the default. 

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

Reinstall the version you want as default. The last version installed will take over. I have the same issues sometimes, as I also have the beta. So I normally open the version I want to use, rather than clicking on a file and seeing what opens.

[mikem60178444]

But what happens to the preferences and settings that did not get transferred to the beta version? If I uninstall regular Photoshop and reinstall it, how can it find those settings anymore?

Reinstall the version you want as default. The last version installed will take over. I have the same issues sometimes, as I also have the beta. So I normally open the version I want to use, rather than clicking on a file and seeing what opens.

By @Chuck Uebele

[D Fosse]

When you uninstall, there is an option to keep preferences. It's precisely for when you plan to reinstall later. Preferences are stored in your user account, separate from program files.

[tasagraf]

Your way worked for me but last 2-3 days. Now Beta opens everything again!

[Chuck Uebele]

If you want different versions of PS to open different files, you need to go into Bridge and change the file handling in preferences. There you can assign different files to different apps.

[Andrez Ko]

what a mess.. ''just re-install'' - its not just reinstall! it's our time and I am always solving some adobe's issues here on PC instead of working and by the way paying money for that! the sollution should be only one - to push some botton and set the app you want as default, but never "just reinstall an 5Gb application" right??!.. tired of that

[Andrez Ko]

& finally after all, after re-installation it still opens by default in another version! [Removed by moderator]! i'm done.

[SKAudette]

I'm on Mac and beta version of PS & Ill default, SO frustrating!

[ThioJoe]

I believe I've found the solution. In the Windows registry there is apparently a couple entries that define which executable to actually use when "Photoshop.exe" is called. And after installing the Beta, it defines the beta version as 'photoshop.exe', which we want to change back. Of course the usual advice applies to back up the registry before messing with it.

Just to be safe, I'd make a backup of both the whole thing (File > Export > Export Range 'All') and just the 'Photoshop.exe' folder you'll see in a second (File > Export > Export Range 'Selected Branch').

The keys can be found in the registry here (you can just copy this into the top address bar in regedit):

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\Photoshop.exe

Then the two folders we want to look for in there are:

...\Photoshop.exe\shell\edit\command

and

...\Photoshop.exe\shell\open\command

For both, you'll see an entry on the right named (Default) and the 'Data' column is most likely set to:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop (Beta)\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Simply edit the path of both to change the path from "Adobe Photoshop (Beta)" to "Adobe Photoshop 2023" or whatever is the version you want.

So in the end for me both look like:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2023\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Then, restart the computer. Now, right click a .PSD file and select "Open With" > "Choose Default Program". You should now see an entry for "Adobe Photoshop 2023" that has the normal version's icon, so select that one then hit 'Always'.

Before, trying to change the default program wouldn't work (I didn't even see Photoshop 2023 as an option, and even after manually selecting the 2023 exe it still kept saying beta). But now after changing the registry, it should.

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

There is no reason to fiddle with the registry, just reinstall the one you want to have set as default. As Chuck says, the last installed will take file associations, regardless of version numbering or beta/production.

Editing the registry is only called for if file associations are permanently stuck on an uninstalled version. That can happen if you uninstall old versions with newer versions still in place. To avoid that, always uninstall the one holding file associations first, before uninstalling older versions. Then reinstall as needed. Normally this means following strict version order both ways, but having a beta installed disrupts the sequence a bit.

[Regina 7]

This did not work for me.  I uninstalled Photoshop (not beta version) then reinstalled.  I open my files through Bridge.  Opeing files is still defaulting to the Photoshop beta despite the reinstall of Photoshop AFTER beta version.  thoughts?  thanks.

[JWiedrich]

Did not work for me, either

[SK321]

Didn't work for me, either. I even went into Default apps in Windows 11 and browsed to Photoshop v25.0, picked it, and it still defaults to the Beta version. I like having the Beta to try out new features, but it's annoying to have to open up v25.0 every time I want to edit an image rather than just double-clicking on the image to open Photoshop. Guess I'll just have to uninstall the Beta.

[EMD-Batimo]

No longer works.

[Javier246359686xtf]

Thank you so much! This worked for me

[j.fuller@sensusmi.com]

This is a ridiculous problem for any well-established piece of software to have. File associations were broken (as usual) after the last version update. In fact, whenever Photoshop updates from one year version to the next, it typically breaks the shortcuts and associations every time. Updating from 2023 to 2024, one would think that Adobe could figure out by now how to automatically remove links and references to 2023 and replace them with 2024 in Windows. Changing the associations in Bridge or Windows did not work. Editing the registry worked for now. Thank you to ThioJoe for the correct solution. It makes no sense to have to reinstall the program to correct the issue.. or for installing Beta to take everything over by default without asking the user.

[chancel44495203]

So this continues to be a problem, my final solution, uninstall Ps Beta completely.  When time is money and having to go into 'open with' to every set of photos is a waste of time.  Today the wrinkle was that for some reason I can no longer in the change preferences to only use PS 24(like I've done every other time), it auto backs to beta when you hit continue. I'm just done.