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
    2021-04-30T17:47:47+00:00

    But you don't realize, its NOT the program that is trying to change the user-configured defaults, I, the user, am changing the program defaults.  It is Windows or Edge that is changing the default assignment that I have made in in Windows Settings, back to Edge.  Adobe Acrobat is not trying to change the default assignment.  As identified by "the pc doc' in a previous post, the windows file that is continuously changing the default assignment back to Edge is OEMDefaultAssociations DLL and XML.

    From "the pc doc''s post:

    Here's the section that forces Windows to use MS Edge to open PDF files:

    <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="AppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723" ApplicationName="Microsoft E ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" ApplyOnUpgrade="true" OverwriteIfProgIdIs="AppXk660crfh0gw7gd9swc1nws708mn7qjr1;AppX86746z2101ayy2ygv3g96e4eqdf8r99j" />

    And this is the section that forces Windows to use MS Photo or Paint to open JPG files:

    <Association Identifier=".jpg" ProgId="AppX43hnxtbyyps62jhe9sqpdzxn1790zetc" ApplicationName="Photos" ApplyOnUpgrade="true" OverwriteIfProgIdIs="AppX9vdwcvrwnbettpahnt26jswq0n8hgyah;Paint.Paint;Microsoft.PhotoManager.imagetype;jpegfile" />

    This is clearly a Microsoft attempt to make everybody use their programs, which is in violation of the anti-trust consent decree with the US Justice Department that was mandated in 2002.  Unfortunately, the consent decree stipulated that they only had to obey the antitrust laws for 5 years, then they are free to do whatever they want.  It was later extended to 2011, but then the Justice Department let it expire.

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-04-30T13:38:11+00:00

    This problem has nothing to do with an end user's choice of default program to open PDF's or Images, and everything to do with prior Windows update. The file(s) that is continuously changing the end user default for handling PDF's (and Photos) is: OEMDefaultAssociations DLL and XML.

    This is the file that will continually override the end user's choice for default PDF program. Microsoft is doing all it can to show how handy MS Edge is - and part of that 'doing' is adding code to Windows that automagically changes the default programs to Microsoft-selected defaults.

    This has nothing to do with protecting Windows, and everything to do with promoting Edge over your choice of default PDF and Image programs. Just look at the code that is inside the OEMDefaultAssociations files.

    Here's the section that forces Windows to use MS Edge to open PDF files:

    <Association Identifier=".pdf" ProgId="AppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723" ApplicationName="Microsoft E ApplicationName="Microsoft Edge" ApplyOnUpgrade="true" OverwriteIfProgIdIs="AppXk660crfh0gw7gd9swc1nws708mn7qjr1;AppX86746z2101ayy2ygv3g96e4eqdf8r99j" />

    And this is the section that forces Windows to use MS Photo or Paint to open JPG files:

    <Association Identifier=".jpg" ProgId="AppX43hnxtbyyps62jhe9sqpdzxn1790zetc" ApplicationName="Photos" ApplyOnUpgrade="true" OverwriteIfProgIdIs="AppX9vdwcvrwnbettpahnt26jswq0n8hgyah;Paint.Paint;Microsoft.PhotoManager.imagetype;jpegfile" />

    Every time you change the default back to your desired program(s), within minutes or hours, this Windows XML (and DLL) will change the defaults..without your permission. This can occur multiple times each day.

    And note:  None of the info you provided is valid any more. Once Microsoft allowed this malicious DLL and XML file onto our computers, the Windows standard process of changing the default programs was completely ruined.

    When Microsoft changes these files and removes the forced override of our choices, the problem will end.

    Is there any possibility of you running this past the Windows group?

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-04-30T08:02:22+00:00

    Edge has stolen the default for PDF's. 

    Again, I'll emphasize that Edge has no say in this. It's Windows that won't allow programs to change user-configured defaults. If the default is changing, it's because a program* has tried to alter the user choice. There is a fundamental conflict between the Adobe approach (give admins the ability to force users to use the Adobe application) and that of Windows (give users alone the power to apply defaults).

    I haven't been able to find a resolution for this conflict. If it exists, it may lie buried deep within the Adobe preferences, and it may involve using specific commands when installing the Adobe product. 

    * It's worth checking that the culprit isn't a non-Adobe application. At least one user found that an image editor was trying to assume the PDF handler default.

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