The default applications in Windows are those which They work by default and are associated in response to opening any type of file or digital servicebe it the opening of a document, a web page, or any other launch, whether by the user, other applications, or the operating system itself.

Its management, Microsoft pointed out, is important because it can affect workflow and user experience. The company has begun to redesign the user interface where various app and task associations are displayed and managed. And we don’t think it will be for the better given the background.

Default applications in Windows and their management

Microsoft was using the Windows monopoly to sell its own applications and servicesbe it Office, OneDrive, Edge, Bing, Xbox… and very long etc. software that is part of an increasingly bloated system. Default applications in Windows are an important part of the strategy. Some of them are useful and some are indispensable, but all of them have their alternatives from third-party developers, in most cases with free solutions better than the installed ones.

Microsoft has gone to great lengths to limit the use of third-party software, advertising and influencing the user (not always with good art) to use the software installed by default. Earlier this year, Microsoft quietly added a “UCPD” driver that blocks Windows registry edits from changing default applications.

The strategies for the group that makes up the web browsers were particularly questionable, even going so far as to make it artificially difficult to choose browsers in Windows 11. For competitors and some users, it was a monopoly technique made it difficult to use alternatives and the free choice of the userwhich only tries to power its own Edge browser.

Another twist? Microsoft makes changes to the default user interface of applications in Windows that is part of System Configuration. It was seen in the new Windows 11 24H2 build 26120.2213 that was recently released under KB5045885.

Default application configuration is undergoing an overhaul. It’s currently a mess of placeholders and broken viewmodels, all very early. pic.twitter.com/C3Pg7Pm9MK

— Albacore ☁️ (@thebookisclosed) November 10, 2024

It is still unclear where the footage will go and what the final version of this review will look like. Knowing Microsoft, expect the worst. Windows 11 is becoming a monstrosity full of bloatware, advertising, and all sorts of “default” software that makes it difficult for users to choose freely.