How do I stop Edge from opening PDF files?

Anonymous
2020-04-16T12:40:17+00:00

How do I stop Microsoft edge from opening? everytime I do the system performance check from dell it sets up Microsoft edge to open PDF files and I have my own program I use, however I cant set it as my default program.... 

* Original title: Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge | Read PDFs | Windows 10

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2020-04-17T08:41:58+00:00

Hi,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

We understand your concern as you would like to change the default app for PDF file from Edge to Adobe.

In this scenario, we would suggest you to perform these methods and check.

Method 1: Change the setting for Apps

  1. Press Windows + I key to launch Windows Settings.
  2. Click on Apps and select Default apps from the left pane.
  3. Now scroll down and click on Choose default apps by file type.
  4. Scroll and look for .pdf, .pdxml, and .pdx file type, then click on the + sign to change it to Adobe Reader.

Method 2: Stop opening PDF file if you are using New Edge Chromium.

  1. Open Microsoft Edge
  2. Click on the three dots (…) from the right top corner.
  3. Select Settings from the drop down and click on Site permissions from the left pane.
  4. Scroll down and click on PDF documents, Toggle the switch to On for Always open PDF files externally.

Notes: If the Always open PDF files externally is on then if you try to open any online PDF document, it will prompt you to download and later you can use Adobe Reader to view.

Regards,

Aditya Roy

Microsoft Community – Moderator

Was this answer helpful?

700+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2020-08-14T08:06:25+00:00

Adobe Acrobat professional is not changing the default app.  

It was in 2018 that Windows tightened up the file association protection measures that you seem to be running into. I can't find documentation for this, but versions newer than Acrobat Pro DC 18 shouldn't be doing this. It's likely that Acrobat Pro 2017 writes to registry keys that only users are allowed to change (by using the default apps settings available).

Could it be that you're using an older version of Acrobat?

Was this answer helpful?

30+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

161 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2021-11-06T01:27:02+00:00

    Hi

    There is an easier way.

    First of all download Acrobat DC

    Now when you look at a PDF file you will noticeit opens up with Edge

    click Properties

    Change from open with edge to Open with Acrobat

    That works ok here with my Windows 10

    Regards

    Don Henry

    Believe me thousands of us have tried that over the years. And it will work for an hour or longer, sometimes up to a week or two. But eventually MS will take back the app association and make it open with Edge again. Sometimes I have to change the association from Edge back to Acrobat 5 or 6 times a day. Sometimes I have seen the association change from Acrobat back to Edge within 30 seconds after I changed the association to open with Acrobat.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2020-07-28T22:37:03+00:00

    Oh, ok thanks.  I didn't know that.  I don't use Edge.  The only time Edge comes up is when I try to open a PDF from the file manager.  My Windows 10 has all the available updates, so I assumed that the latest version of Edge was installed with all the other Windows updates.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2020-07-27T21:28:14+00:00

    ***That was it!***It was the only file type set to open automatically. Apparently that's the default setting.

    > Settings > Downloads, you're sure that pdf isn't in the list of File types which are opened automatically after downloading?

    It has nothing to do with "default app" like the first guy said.

    Thank You.

    PS Thanks for the info on the old keys, I removed them.

    I want Edge to "stop trying to open them" ... I "ONLY" want edge to "download" them.

    Just to be certain, at ⋯ (Settings and more) > Settings > Downloads, you're sure that pdf isn't in the list of File types which are opened automatically after downloading?

     

      

    I've even gone as far as creating the strings "NoOpenWith" and "NoSStaticDefaultVerb" in "Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\AppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723".

    I don't know where you got the idea, but that registry key applies to the old Edge Legacy.  New Edge's settings are in a different part of the registry. 

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments