How do I make Microsoft Word 2010 my main application to open documents with?

Kaycee: How do I make Microsoft Word 2010 my main application to open documents with?
Whenever I try to download something, it opens with an application called AbiWord that I loaded onto my computer before I purchased Microsoft. How can I change it so that downloaded documents open with Microsoft?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Amanda
Go to the Control Panel and find Internet Properties. Go to the Programs tab and then at the bottom where it says Internet Programs, press the button “Set Programs”. Then choose the option for “set default programs”.

I’m on Vista and XP might be different if that’s what you use.

Answer by R.F.
Find a Word Doc file on your computer.
Instead of double-clicking on it, right-click and select “Open With”.
It will pop up a window asking which program you want to open the file with. If you see Word listed as one of the common applications, select it. If you don’t click on Browse and find where you have Word installed and then select it.
Then make sure you check off the “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file” setting.
Now click OK.

It will open this file in Word. More importantly, it’s set the file association, so next time all you have to do is double-click on a .doc file and it will automatically open up in Word.

Answer by TiGeRLoVeR
If you are using a PC, right click onto a file you want to open, select ‘Open with’ make sure the box at the bottom that says ‘Always use the selected program to open this kind of file’ then select Microsoft Word 2010, then click ok