PDF Preview not working on Windows file explorer with Adobe

Report · Feb 21, 2023

Hi,

The Adobe PDF preview handler in File Explorer is not working anymore and randomly on multiple devices, we tested many options with NO success but when we change the handler to edge it works !!!

Options tested ==>

- install/Uninstal/Repair

- Install Latest version

- Uninstall all third PDF tools/viewer

- disable protection mode on Adobe reader

- unregister/register PDFPrevHndlr.dll , also get the DLL from another working computer and register it

- compar registry Keys :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{DC6EFB56-9CFA-464D-8880-44885D7DC193}]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PreviewHandlers]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pdf]

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Version : 2022.003.20314

Windowd Version : 20H2 & 22H2

We need to make it work with the Adobe Preview Handler.

Anyone can help ? thank you

Report · Feb 22, 2023

I ran into a similar issue back in November and discovered that the following registry pointed to an invalid path. This was due to the 32 bit version being installed on the system but this registry pointed to the 64 bit which no longer existed.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{DC6EFB56-9CFA-464D-8880-44885D7DC193}\InprocServer32

Name: (Default)
Type: REG_SZ
Data: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat\pdfprevhndlr.dll

Are you running the 32bit or 64bit version of Adobe?

Report · Feb 24, 2023

We use 32bit version of Adobe, and i have checked this value and the path is correct, also installed the 64bit on the same computer but with no success 😞

and if we continue selecting other PDF files, after 4 or 5 files we got the message attached. the preview handler stopped working