Microsoft Edge Keeps Hijacking My .pdfs

[MWilcox]

Has anyone else had trouble with their Windows 10 machine resetting their default program for .pdfs to Microsoft Edge no matter how many times you tell it Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?  If so, have you found a fix or do I just have to "deal with it".  It's getting to be very frustrating -- some days I change it back a dozen times or more.  If anyone has any suggestions, I will be very grateful.  Thank you.

[ls_rbls]

Hi,

Try the following work around through registry editing:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

and paste the following string value DisablePDFHandlerSwitching   then add 1 in the value field

idea taken from this link : https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/AdminGuide/pdfviewer.html

If the method above doesn't work try these other steps:

https://appuals.com/how-to-disable-edge-pdf-viewer-in-windows-10/

[catherinek73334226]

Thank you for posting this. I am having the same issue. I followed all of the steps above, and it worked, but ultimately did not fix the problem.

My application settings no longer reset to Edge as the default application, but the files themselves still do . I will go in to the settings and choose adobe acrobat as the default application for .pdf's, but then a few minutes later Windows will reset and no default application will be listed. Therefore, the files will still default to Edge. 

I've been trying to fix this problem for over a year and it is driving me crazy. I'm sure it is intentional on Windows part, but there has to be a solution by now!

[ls_rbls · Accepted solution]

 But to be sure you can try the same guidance as mentioned above with a new user profile account in the same computer.

If it works in the new user account but not in the current user account, then we can assume something is wrong in a temporary cache folder or similar of the current user account that may need to be cleaned or deleted for good (but I may be wrong).

However, I am more inclined to think that you may be missing a step.

When you right-click on a PDF file, select from the context menu "Open with"  and then from the next context menu select "Choose another app".

The slide below shows the following options:

Left-click once on "Adobe Acrobat DC" to select the desired PDF handler from the list of programs, and then tick the checkbox below (lower left corner of that context menu) then click OK.

[Doug2919674570t1]

This is not the answer.  Obviously that is how you set the file type association.  The problem is, it will work for a random period of time, and then all of the sudden, out of nowhere, the file type association will switch back to Edge with no user input causing it.  Double clicking on a pdf will open the pdf in Acrobat for sometimes hours, days, maybe a week, but then, for no reason, out of the blue, double clicking on a pdf will open the pdf in Edge.  Then, you can go back and reset the file type association to Acrobat, and it will work for a while before mysteriously switching back to Edge for no apparent reason.  Many many people are having this problem.  It definitely is not being caused by people not knowing how to set the file type association in Windows.

[ls_rbls]

Hi @Doug2919674570t1 ,

You are reacting to an answer that I posted to help the OP about 3 years ago.

It seems that that answer was marked as correct because it worked for that particular user.

But I don't work for Adobe nor Microsoft, and I don't know what is the correct answer to each and every user that can't figure out how to fix particular issue with whatever versions of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Edge web browser, and Adobe Acrobat they own.

My rude answer to you would obviously be to go and complain directly to Microsoft.

And since you yourself said: "It definitely is not being caused by people not knowing how to set the file type association in Windows"

I would add that a lot of people really don't know how to do anything ( in both Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS... ), but I am here helping other users (both newbies and advanced power users) on a daily basis (without charging money) and covering down for the gaps that companies like Microsoft itself don't seem to care to address and document appropriately for  their own user base, for example.

Yet, my more empathetic and imperfect answer would be more like: In my personal case, I've been using Acrobat Pro since 2019 on Microsoft Windows 7 and later, and never had this issue that other users are reporting.

If I am not in front of those computers, I can't tell what users are doing and why none of the available guidance doesn't seem to work for such users.

[Doug2919674570t1]

Fair enough.  Apologies if I took my frustration with this bug out on you.

[ls_rbls]

No worries, is all good.

[StreamFlow]

That is not the answer.  We have over 20 computers in our company and we all use Adobe Acrobat Pro for report design.  Every single one of those users have the same problem.  We have had this problem for at least 5 years, under multiple operating systems and multiple versions of Acrobat Pro.  We have tried resetting the default app, reinstalling the programs, creating new user profiles, and finally completly reinstalling everything from a clean reformatted hard drive.  The problem always comes back on EVERY computer.  We dont use Edge, we are not interested in opening on-line PDF's, we only want to be able to open the PDF's that we create with Acrobat on our own hard drives.  The problem has existed since the first version of Edge came out.  Adobe support claims that the problem only exists with old versions of Acrobat.  After spending thousands of dollars upgrading all of our versions of Acrobat to the latest version, the problem still exists.  Microsoft support claims that the problem does not exist at all.  Now I understand how people can go postal!

[Bill5C62 · Accepted solution]

None of the various registry hacks or Edge file renaming/removal tricks worked for me. What did work was:

Launch Edge

Ellipsis (…) in upper right

Settings

Cookies and site permissions

PDF documents

Set Always open PDF files externally to ON

[ls_rbls]

Thank you for sharing that feedback.

I think that is actually the correct answer.

[JESSE5C09]

I have a GPO pushing that, and I still see Edge taking over.

[StreamFlow]

No it is NOT the answer.

[Derek5CFC]

That's nice. Unforetunately, that setting no longer exists. This is what you see now:

[StreamFlow]

That only works if you are trying to open on-line PDF files through Edge and you want to open them with an outside app.  It does not work if you are trying to open a PDF on your own computer from the File Manage and are not using Edge.

[The Accessible Dezinah]

The problem is that when MS updates Windows, it is wiping out the user preferences and, consequently, hijacking PDFs to MS Edge rather than Acrobat (or any other brand of PDF reading program). Your preferred program for reading PDFs is ignored by the new version of Windows.

MS's action could be interpreted as "anticompetitive conduct" by the US government's FTC Technology Enforcement Division.

If you are a US citizen, file a complaint with the FTC! See this webpage for information about how to do this. Just takes a simple email to the address listed: https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition/inside-bureau-competition/technolog...

Personally, I'm sick of this s*** from Microsoft. It's been happening for 2-3 years. Let's get it stopped.

[JESSE5C09]

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/articles/top-feedback-summary-for-july-27/m-p/259253

[E. Lassanyi]

Thanks for posting that.

Planned

Edge should respect the default PDF viewer

49 weeks

Wow, that's nearly a year away...  <sigh>

[JESSE5C09]

That's how long it's been on the list, not an expected change date.

[us331242]

I've been fighting this issue for 8 years with Acrobat Pro and Edge hijacking the Open Action and the Run action.  You can go and reset file associations until you are ready to throw your computer out the window but I promise the association will be re aligned back to Microsoft Edge in a week.  I don't know the root cause of what is triggering the rebuild of the associations nor do I know what the source is that it is rebuilding from.  But it is certainly a PITA when you are working on a portable document design and all the sudden Microsoft has hijacked it and all your features for design are gone.  

Registering this with the federal government is a joke, as it is just a free place to allow people to vent, but nothing is ever done.  It's basically like adding your phone number to the federal do not call list.  there's no purpose and nothing is ever done.  Adobe is the ONLY one that can fix the issue and pursue it with Microsoft as they are the owners!  Maybe Adobe should change the extension APF Adobe Portable File and give us a utility that will go change all files to APF.

After 8 years someone needs a solution!!!

[StreamFlow]

It is not being caused by Microsoft updates.  I can sometimes have my default app for PDF's changed back to Edge 5 times a day.  And thats been going on for years.  I know Microsoft is not pushing updates 5 times a day.

[Peter3554711970t3]

Hi all,

I am also strugeling with the same issue and stumbled upon this post. Someone suggested reporting this as anticompetitive behavior with the US government. This is a great idea, so I checked if this is also possible within the EU, and it is!

https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/antitrust-and-cartels/procedures/complaints_en#:~:text=You%2....

Also a note to Adobe: could you please add the keys to disable this switching in the Adobe installers? I am using a managed PC so have no rights to edit the registry myself, plus it would be a good way to fight back!

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

...I checked if this is also possible within the EU, and it is!

https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/antitrust-and-cartels/procedures/complaints_en#:~:text=You%2....

By @Peter3554711970t3

Thanks for adding the EU's URL to this thread, @Peter3554711970t3.

[Amo01]

I had the same issue but found the solution in the following link:

https://allthings.how/how-to-change-default-pdf-viewer-on-windows-11/

[Lester98A7]

Whilst this does allow you to set your default apps, it doesn't fix the problem as Microsoft still decides, at seemingly random points in time, to reset the default back to Edge.  Even after I managed to get rid of Edge off my PC Microsoft still changed the default (but to nothing).