How to enable new ‘Open With’ dialog on Windows 11

Windows 11 updates the design of the Open With dialog, and here's how to try it out.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
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Windows 11 Open With UI
Windows 11 Open With UI

Microsoft brings back the redesigned “Open With” dialog on Windows 11 build 25151, but it’s only available as a hidden feature. The new interface replaces the old design when right-clicking a file and selecting the “Choose another app” option from the “Open with” dialog. The updated interface follows the same style as the rest of Windows 11 with rounded corners and semi-transparent material.

In the new interface, you can choose the app to open the file, or you can use the option to search the computer for another app. You also get the option to open the file with the app only once or set the app to the new system default for the file extension.

If you want to get hands-on with the new dialog interface, you can use a third-party tool known as “ViVeTool” created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub to enable the new experience on your computer.

This guide will teach you the steps to enable the redesigned interface to choose the app to open an application on Windows 11.

Enable new ‘Open With’ dialog on Windows 11

To enable the new Open With dialog on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open GitHub website.

  2. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the new Open With dialog.

  3. Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

  4. Click the Extract all button.

    Extract ViveTool files

  5. Click the Extract button.

  6. Copy the path to the folder.

  7. Open Start.

  8. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

  9. Type the following command to navigate to the Vivetool folder and press Enter:

    Cd C:\FOLDER\PATH\ViveTool-v0.3.1

    In the command, change the path to the folder with your path.

  10. Type the following command to enable the new “Open With” dialog interface on Windows 11 and press Enter:

    Vivetool /enable /id:36302090

  11. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, when you right-click a file and select the “Open with” option, you will now see the modern dialog interface with rounded corners, mica material, and acrylic style.

If you don’t have the Windows 11 build 25151, you need to enroll in the Dev Channel using the “Windows Insider Program” settings from the “Windows Update” section. Once you enroll the device in the program, you can download build 25151 from the “Windows Update” settings by clicking the Check for Updates button, and then you can follow the steps outlined above.

If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step No. 10, make sure to use the vivetool /disable /id:36302090 command and then restart the device.

This feature is expected to be available with the release of Windows 11 23H2, but it can also drop on a cumulative update at any time when Microsoft considers that it’s ready for everyone.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].