We have already seen how to set your favorite browser as default on your system. There are some times where you will need to quickly change what browser the links open in. Having to open the desired browser and setting it as your default can be an inconvenience. The folks at the aptly named site, ChangeDefaultBrowser.com made a simple application to solve the problem.
Some companies need to use a specific browser for their web app to work properly or you may want to switch to another browser to test your website or application. Instead of changing the default each time you need to do some work, or suffering through the day using a browser you dislike, you can use this helpful little free application.
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Using the application
Believe it or not, there really isn’t any setup required. If you have more than one browser installed on your Windows computer, you are halfway there. After you download the Change Default Browser application, you simply run the .exe file.
When you get through the setup wizard, you will see all of the browsers installed on your computer listed. It will show the path to the .exe file to start the browser. You are limited to 4 of the most popular browsers. Chrome, Firefox, IE and Opera.
Click the box next to the browser you’d like to be your default. If you have any browsers open, you will need to close them. If you don’t you will see a popup asking you to close them before the changes can be saved.
That’s it.
You can follow the process detailed above to switch to another browser by running the program again.
Why this is useful
There are a many reasons you may need to change your default browser with some regularity. A good example is having a preferred browser for work and a different one for personal use. Many people who are work on the web use applications like Rescue Time to keep an eye on how productive they are. If you are using the same browser to play games on Facebook after you are done working, the results will be skewed.
Another reason is with Windows 8, there are still some applications who like to use IE as the default browser. Adding this simple little application helped aid in making the change 100%. You may get a popup window like this, but you can just choose the browser you’d like from the window.
Final thoughts
The simplest things can make a big difference in how you use your computer. An application as simple as Change Default Browser takes the headaches out of changing your browser and opening the door to easily use different browsers for different purposes.
Download Change Default Browser and let us know what you think of it.
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