How should I disable or stop Microsoft Edge from opening PDF files by default. Most of us know how to disable PDF viewer in Google Chrome but MS Edge with the latest Chromium browser and it does things differently. Follow below steps to avoid Edge opening PDF files.
We can achieve this in 2 methods as below:
Method 1:
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge.
Step 2: Click on 3 dots (...) from the right top corner.
Step 3: Goto Settings from the dropdown.
Step 4: Click on Site Permissions or Cookies and Site Permissions on the left side.
Step 5: Scroll down to PDF documents and Click on it.
Step 6: Toggle the switch to On for Always open PDF files externally.
Method 2: Change default settings for Apps.
Step 1: Open Settings app.
Step 2: Click on Apps and Select Default apps from the left pane.
Step 3: Scroll down and click on Choose default applications by file type.
Step 4: Scroll down and find for .pdf, .pdxml, & .pdx file types.
Step 5: Click on + Sign to change it to Adobe Reader or Acrobat Pro.
If this article helped you or if you have further suggestions, please feel free to comment below. 🙂
Step 6: Toggle the switch to On for Always open PDF files externally. – Is no longer available in the new Edge versions. Nor can you get the switch functional available by editing registry.
Hi Richard, Is this for Edge that comes with Windows 11? Can you try Method 2, and I will check the new Edge version from my end. Thanks.
I have set Adobe Acrobat 11 (which is officially obsolete by now) as the default PDF-handler, but after each reboot, MS decides to set MS Edge as the PDF-handler again. Over and over.
Set Adobe as default handler is working as long as the PC is running.
It can be caused by the fact that Acrobat is obsolete, but I doubt that, since other extension-handlers are set ok and stay ok.
Hi Rick, Can you please try the below method, it seems to have worked for some users. It has 2 options: either open PDF file externally settings on Edge or Disable it via registry:
https://websiteforstudents.com/how-to-open-pdf-files-in-adobe-reader-from-microsoft-edge/
Please let me know if this help 🙂 Thanks.
Thanks for the reply.
I have fixed it with a the Group Policy editor. Created an XML which overrides the app-to-file-link which MS wanted to put Edge on “.pdf” on every reboot.
For here, it’s solved now.
Awesome, thanks Rick for the update.
With new edge if you download a PDF then open downloads tab/sidebar. I there you can right click on any PDF document and toggle “Always open with system viewer”. This works for me.
Awesome, thanks mate for the update.
method 2 worked for me on windows 10, all mine said on the left side was “.pdf” thanks!
Awesome Tyler, Glad that worked for you 🙂
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