Make Chrome default browser (Windows 10)

As an administrator, you may need to configure Chrome as the default browser on computers in your domain. You must complete these steps to set Chrome every bit the default browser on domain-joined computers running Microsoft Windows 10 and above.

On Windows 10 and above

Step ane: Create a default awarding association XML file (sampled provided)

The default awarding association file is an XML file that assembly a file type with an application. For example, if yous associate .html or .htm files with the Chrome application, then by default Chrome is launched each fourth dimension the user opens a html or htm file.

For domain-joined computers, yous create a single shared XML file that automatically sets Chrome as the default browser awarding. You must place this file in a shared binder, on your server, that all of the domain-joined computers can access.

Note: If Chrome is not installed on the target calculator, the file associations are non applied and users must cull an application when they open up a link (http or https) or file (html or htm).

Download the default awarding clan file

It is possible to accept various Chrome channels installed side-by-side in Windows. Below are case xml files showing how to set a specific Chrome channel as the default browser to open html, htm, http and https files or links.

Chrome Stable example (chromedefault.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
<Association Identifier=".htm" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
<Association Identifier=".html" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
<Association Identifier="http" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
<Association Identifier="https" ProgId="ChromeHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome" />
</DefaultAssociations>

Chrome Beta example ( chromedefault.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-viii"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
<Association Identifier=".htm" ProgId="ChromeBHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Beta" />
<Association Identifier=".html" ProgId="ChromeBHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Beta" />
<Association Identifier="http" ProgId="ChromeBHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Beta" />
<Association Identifier="https" ProgId="ChromeBHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Beta" />
</DefaultAssociations>

Chrome Dev example ( chromedefault.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-eight"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
<Association Identifier=".htm" ProgId="ChromeDHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Dev" />
<Association Identifier=".html" ProgId="ChromeDHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Dev" />
<Clan Identifier="http" ProgId="ChromeDHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Dev" />
<Association Identifier="https" ProgId="ChromeDHTML" ApplicationName="Google Chrome Dev" />
</DefaultAssociations>

Note:The default association policy is set at each login. The user can change an association after they login, simply the change applies to that login session but. The association volition be reset to the policy at the next login.

Pace ii: Create a Group Policy Object

The Group Policy Management console lets you create and manage Group Policy Objects (GPO) for your domain. These GPOs control the policies that are applied to all your domain-linked computers. After you create the GPO, you use security filtering to utilize it to the computers in your domain.

In the post-obit example, y'all create a GPO (Set Chrome as default browser) and apply it to computers in the chromeforwork.com domain.

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console. Go to Start > All programs > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management.
  2. In the navigation pane, become to Group Policy Management > Domains.
  3. In the navigation pane, right-click on the chromeforwork.com domain, and click Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it hither...
  4. Type the name of the new GPO (in our case, the proper noun is Set Chrome every bit default browser) and click OK.

  5. In the navigation pane, go to Group Policy Management > Domains > chromeforwork.com > Group Policy Objects and select Set Chrome as default browser.

  6. In the Security Filtering pane, click Add.
  7. In the Select User, Reckoner, or Group window, blazon the name of the object y'all desire to add, click Check Names (to verify the proper noun yous entered), and click OK.

    You lot can type Domain Computers to add all workstations and servers joined to this domain (as in the case below) or you tin specify a different group of computers.

  8. The GPO at present applies to all domain-linked computers.

Footstep 3: Fix a default associations configuration file

To fix the default associations configuration file for domain-linked computers, you edit the related GPO on your windows server.

  1. Open the Grouping Policy Management Console.

    Go to Start > All programs > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Direction.

  2. In the navigation pane, click Group Policy Management > Domains > chromeforwork.com.
  3. Click the Linked Group Policy Objects tab to view all GPOs for this domain.
  4. Right-click on the GPO you want to select, and click Edit to open up the Group Policy Management Editor.

    In this example, correct-click on Gear up Chrome equally default browser.

  5. In the Group Policy Management Editor, get to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Template > Windows Components > File Explorer, and double-click Set a default associations configuration file.

  6. In the Set a default associations configuration file window, select the Enabled option.

  7. In the Options box, enter the location of your default application association XML file.

    This is the XML file that assembly file types (such as .htm, .html, http, and https) with the Chrome application. This tin be the Google provided sample XML file or one you lot created yourself.

Note: The file tin't be a local file on the server. It must be at a location that is accessible to every computer in the domain.

Stride iv: Verify your configuration

On your target computers (that is, the Agile Directory domain-joined computers running Windows ten), you can verify that the GPO y'all created has been practical, and that the computer is using Chrome every bit the default browser.

The GPO is applied automatically when the policy is refreshed by the Windows Client, or you tin run the GPUpdate.exe /force control to force a transmission refresh at whatever fourth dimension.

Note: Later the policy is downloaded and applied, the figurer must be rebooted in order for the policy to take issue.

  1. On a Windows Client, get to Windows > System32. Right-click rsop.msc and select run as ambassador.
  2. Authenticate with administrator credentials and click Yep.
  3. Go to Figurer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer to confirm that Ready a default associations configuration file is available.

  4. Open the Fix a default associations configuration file to confirm that the setting is enabled and that the XML file location is correct.

  5. When Chrome is ready as the default browser, then all files with htm and html extensions use the Chrome icon.

Related topics

More details from Microsoft TechNet:

  • Generate default awarding associations files
  • Employ a group policy to ready the default browser

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