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

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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

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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?

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-10-29T22:14:58+00:00

    ... Edge can reset the default association every 20 to 30 minutes, 

    Edge has no control over file associations. Windows gives control over file associations to the user and records the user's choice in some cases in a registry key named ... UserChoice*. If a program - like a three-year-old version of Adobe Acrobat - comes along and tries to reassert itself as the default PDF handler by writing to the UserChoice key, Windows will intervene and revert the association to its own default, which is Edge. This is a security measure designed to prevent malicious programs from hijacking file associations.

    The solution is to install a modern PDF reader and ask the user to set it as the default. 

    ______________________________________________

    * HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts.pdf\UserChoice

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-08-14T19:15:21+00:00

    OK. Just to underline the fundamental cause of what you're seeing: Acrobat (released 2018 or earlier) writes to a protected registry key that only users have permission to change. Windows detects this and discards the change, reverting to the Windows default for the PDF file association, which is Edge. 

    I'm not in a position to test any of this, but a bit of study indicates that system administrators have the ability to change this Windows default through Group Policy. If I read this correctly, if Acrobat persists in writing to the registry, the reversion will be to the default imposed by GP - which could be Acrobat again, so no change. The user will, I think, be able to override this by exercising user choice through the Default apps control panel or Always use this app in a PDF file's properties dialogue. This choice should however be reset at each log-on.

    So it may be worth trying the GP route to prevent the annoyance you're being subjected to. There's a good write-up at the Adobe site; see Solution 2 on this page:

    https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/pdfviewer.html

    Sorry if you've already tried this unsuccessfully.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-08-14T10:17:35+00:00

    I don't think that is the problem.  

    If you're saying that you have a version of Adobe Acrobat Pro released after 2018, but the problem with the PDF file associations still occurs, Adobe need to know about it. Their code was allegedly updated expressly to prevent this from happening and they should be told so they can investigate or explain.

    May I ask which version you are running (e.g. 20.001.30005)?

    [ETA: do you perhaps have an older version of WinZip installed? I've seen reports that this can also cause problems with file associations like those you're seeing.]

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