Participant

Question

Keep Adobe Acrobat Reader as default PDF program

Forum|Forum|10 years ago
January 4, 2016
5 replies
75639 views

Many times I have gone to settings / system / default apps / choose default apps by file type, under Windows 10 to set Adobe Acrobat Reader as the default for PDF files. This will work for a day or so and then gets automatically changed back to Microsoft Edge. How can I keep it to Acrobat Reader?

This topic has been closed for replies.

M

marjans66306784

Participant

You can do a batch file and run it every time you need. .-)

There is a code to make: (first you have to put AcroRd32.exe between default programs)

IE Default browser for WIN10
Adobe Reader default PDF viewer in win10

===AcroRd32_exe_Microsoft_DefaultPrograms.bat===

@echo off

cls

echo --==**## IE prizet brskalnik in Adobe Reader privzet za PDF datoteke ##**==--

REM Turn off Help Improve the Adobe Reader Experience nag screen *before* it first appears

Reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Adobe\CommonFiles\Usage\Reader 10" /v OptIn /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

REM AcroRd32 appear between default programs ##**==--

REM Copy Adobe icon...

if exist "c:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\" copy /Y "bin\Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24.png" "c:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\" 1> NUL

REM http://www.tenforums.com/software-apps/23509-how-add-my-own-program-list-default-programs.html

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\AcroRd32.exe\shell\open\command /ve /d "\"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe\" \"%%1\"" /f >nul

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AcroRd32.bmp\DefaultIcon /ve /d "\"c:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\Adobe_PDF_file_icon_24x24.png" /f

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\AcroRd32.pdf\shell\open\command /ve /d "\"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe\" \"%%1\"" /f >nul

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\RegisteredApplications /d "AcroRd32"="Software\AcroRd32\Capabilities" /f >nul

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AcroRd32\Capabilities /v "ApplicationDescription" /d "AcroRd32 je program za ogledovanje PDF datotek." /f >nul

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AcroRd32\Capabilities /v "ApplicationName" /d "AcroRd32" /f >nul

reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\AcroRd32\Capabilities\FileAssociations /v ".pdf" /d "AcroRd32.pdf" /f >nul

REM Run GUI

cscript //NoLogo IEdefault_PDFdefault.vbs

timeout /t 1 /nobreak > NUL

echo Done

==========

===IEdefault_PDFdefault.vbs===

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

' IE Default browser for WIN10

WshShell.Run "%windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms /page pageDefaultProgram\pageAdvancedSettings?pszAppName=Internet%20Explorer"

' Give Default Programs time to load

WScript.Sleep 2000

' WshShell.AppActivate "Set Program Associations"

WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"

WshShell.SendKeys " "

WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"

WScript.Sleep 500

WshShell.SendKeys " "

' Adobe Reader default PDF viewer in win10 - but first you have to put AcroRd32.exe between default programs.' You need to add some lines in registry before.... (see attached file WshShell.Run "%windir%\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms /page pageDefaultProgram\pageAdvancedSettings?pszAppName=AcroRd32"

WScript.Sleep 500

WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"

WshShell.SendKeys " "

WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"

WScript.Sleep 500

WshShell.SendKeys " "

Msgbox "Default browser is Internet Explorer." & vbcrlf & "Default viewer for PDF files is AdobeReader."

WScript.Quit

=========

C

camadyg39612906

Participant

Do I create 2 files to do this? A .bat and a .vbs file?

What do you mean by "(first you have to put AcroRd32.exe between default programs)"??

I created both files, modified the \Reader 10.0\ to \Acrobat Reader DC\ and ran the AcroRd32_exe_Microsoft_DefaultPrograms.bat file from an admin command prompt. I received the error,

the operation completed successfully

Input Error: Can not find script file "C:\windows\system32\IEdefault_PDFdefault.vbs"..

Done

What am I doing wrong?

barbarap87060898

Participating Frequently

Having the same problem and it is really starting to p**** me off!!!

I have tried everything to make Adobe Reader the default for pdf's but it just keeps going back to Edge!

AbhigyanModi

Participating Frequently

Hi Barbara -

when you tried the steps at:

Associate PDF files to always open in Acrobat or Reader on Windows 10 Threshold 2

did you remember to turn on the checkbox that says "Always use this app to open .pdf files" ?

There are other (more) painful ways to change the defaults on Windows 10 TH2. If this didn't work, we'll have someone write out those instructions as well.

-abhigyan

R

raja5773

Participant

Hi Abhigyan,

I have tried to capture the steps which is menioned by you in the above link.

and i found few registries are added and modified under "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExists","HKCU\...\Shell\MIMI Association"..

I exported the above registries and when import these registries into the new machine which is having Adobe Reader DC installed.

But it was not effected. The PDF files are still associated with the Edge.

Anyone help on this.

Thanks in advance.

W

WxGuesser52

Inspiring

Don't know why, but Windows has stopped this stupid behavior.

W

WxGuesser52

Inspiring

Do your have similar instructions for Acrobat DC? That is my preferred reader/editor.

S

sourabsharma

Participating Frequently

Yes WxGuesser , You can try this for Acrobat as well,but in case of Acrobat 'itookOwnershipAfterUpgrade' key will be under Acrobat Hive.

abhissha

Participating Frequently

Hi Kenneth,

Please try this hotfix: Reader/Acrobat is not the default PDF owner | Windows 10 Threshold 2

Thanks,

Abhishek

T

Thomas5FB7

Participant

Mr Abhishek:

Yoiu are not listening to his problem. It keeps changing back to Edge. YOUR SOULTION DOES NOTHING TO FIX THE RECURRING PROBLEM. PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS SAYING. I have the same problem. It will change to Edge and I get multiple notifications that it has been changed. It will keep on "churning" and telling me over and over that it has been changed to Edge. You show how to fix it, but not how to keep it fixed!

Dov Isaacs

Legend

@Thomas5FB7

You are adding an entry to a thread that described issues as they were 3 to 4 years ago with versions of Windows 10 from that timeframe. With current versions of Windows, the method for changing the association of PDF files to Acrobat is as follows:

Go to Windows Settings and click on Apps:

From there, click on Default Apps:

From there, scroll down and click on Choose default apps by file type:

Scroll down to the line that has .pdf and an application name. If the name is not correct (i.e., Adobe Acrobat DC or perhaps Adobe Acrobat Reader), click on the application name if that name doesn't match what you need (i.e., it says Edge or Chrome or whatever).

You will then see a dialog box which show applications that claim support for .pdf files. Choose the correct application there and work your way back to out of the Settings. This should solve the problem.

Every so often you may find that when clicking on a PDF file, you get a dialog box that tries to encourage you to change your preference. Politely decline that invitation.

To be very, very clear, this problem is not caused by nor can it be fixed by Adobe. If you don't like this (none of us do), directly contact Microsoft executives and complain vociferously to them. Maybe that will change things for the better!

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

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