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
    2020-10-29T22:35:35+00:00

    Asking the user to set it as the default does not work.  I, The User, have set Adobe as the default pdf editor.  Windows fails to honor that assignment.  It does not matter if I set an older version of Acrobat as the default program, or the latest version of Acrobat Reader as the default, program, Edge still steals the extension.  Sometimes Edge steals back the extension 5 minutes after I set it, and sometimes I get 3 or 4 days of uninterrupted use of Acrobat before Edge steals back the extension.

    To force my company to buy 100 copies of the latest Acrobat at $400/seat because Windows wants to steal extensions and redirect them to their own programs, is unacceptable.  Why should my company spend $40,000 to work around Windows bugs, when 1, I see no indication that it will work, since it does not work for the latest version of Acrobat Reader, and 2, Microsoft should be able to fix their own bugs.

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  2. 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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  3. Anonymous
    2020-10-29T19:06:58+00:00

    I will try this, but it seems that the policy is enforced upon login.  If the OS changes the association during a session, as is the case with Windows 10, you will need to log out and then back in to re-enforce the associations.  Since on some days Edge can reset the default association every 20 to 30 minutes, it seems that you can end up doing a lot of login in and login out.  I don't use Edge, and never have.  I use Chrome.  I always open my pdf's from the file manager, and use Acrobat Pro to edit and view them, but Edge still steals my PDF's.

    I tried to uninstall Edge, but the uninstall routine for Edge is just a fake uninstall routine that only removes edge from your list of programs.  It is still there and still takes control of your PDF's.  Is there any way of actually removing Edge, or crippling it in some way so that it cant run and screw with users?

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