How to Change Your Default Internet Browser

If you're like most users, you probably have at least two Internet browsers installed on your system. Many computers come pre-installed with Internet Explorer. However, some users prefer to use Mozilla's Firefox or Google's new Chrome browser. Each browser has it own benefits. Based upon the sites you visit, you may need to use a different browser for different sites. You can change your default Internet browser at any time to suit your needs.

Set Program Defaults

This method is probably the easiest. If you have Windows, you can change which programs open by default for different tasks, such as web browsing. Go to "Start" and select either "Set Program Access and Defaults" or "Default Programs." These are located to the right of the start menu. In Windows XP, you can also access the default program list by going to "Control Panel," choosing "Add/Remove Programs" and selecting "Set Program Access and Defaults" from the bottom left of the screen.

In Windows XP, select the "Custom" radio button. Press the small arrow button beside custom to view options. Under "Choose a default web browser," select the browser you want to use. Press "OK" to save your changes.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, select your desired default Internet browser from the program list to the left of the screen. Once selected, choose "Set this program as default." Press "OK" to save your changes.

Change Browser Settings

If you can't use the above methods for any reason, there are alternative methods to changing your default Internet browser. Each browser allows you to set it as the default within the individual browser settings.

When you first install a new browser, you can set it as your default browser the first time you use it. Open the newly installed browser and when prompted, choose to set the new browser as your default browser.

Change to Internet Explorer

Open an Internet Explorer browser window. Select the "Tools" menu. Choose "Internet Options." Select the "Programs" tab. Check the "Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser" box. Close the options window and Internet Explorer. Restart Internet Explorer and choose to use Internet Explorer as your default Internet browser when prompted.

Change to Firefox

Open a Firefox browser window. Select the "Tools" menu and select "Options." Select the "General" tab. Check the "Firefox should check to see if it is the default browser when starting" box. Restart Firefox and choose to use it as your default Internet browser.

Change to Google Chrome

Open a Google Chrome browser window. Select the wrench button from the right side of the screen. Select "Options." Choose the "Basics" tab. Press the "Make Google Chrome my default browser" and press "Close." Google Chrome should open as your default browser the next time you use it.

Every browser has a way to set it as the default. Whether you set the browser to check to see if it's the default or select as the default program for Internet use, you can easily switch between which browser is your default Internet browser.