This may not be ideal for you if you have different preferences. You might prefer one UI over another and may not like to use Edge as a PDF viewer. Stopping PDF files from opening on Microsoft Edge is pretty simple; this article will show you how you can do it.
Why Are PDF Files Opening on Microsoft Edge?
How to Stop PDF From Opening on Microsoft Edge?
The easiest way to stop a PDF file from opening on Edge is to change the default PDF viewer. But that is not always the case, so you can also try the other methods. Some of them are given below.
Incorrect settings for default file type associationEdge not set to open PDF files with system viewerEdge set to automatically open files after download“Always Open PDF files Externally” option disabledOutdated app
Change the Default PDF Viewer
You can easily change the default PDF viewer through Windows settings. To do so, follow these steps. In addition to this, you should change the default apps for .pdxml and .pdx files. You can also change the default app from file explorer. Follow these steps to do so.
Turn On Always Open With System Viewer
Even if the default PDF viewer is your preferred one, the PDF files downloaded through Edge may still open in Edge. So, you can toggle a feature on Microsoft Edge that makes the PDF open in the system’s default PDF viewer. To do so, follow these steps.
Turn Off Always Open PDF Files Externally
On Edge Chromium, there is an option to always open PDF files externally.
Clear File Types Which Are Opened Automatically After Downloading (on Mac)
If you’re using Microsoft Edge on a mac, you can disable automatically opening pdf files. By default, PDF files are opened automatically as soon as you download them from Edge. To turn this off, follow these steps.
Update Your PDF Viewer
Sometimes, if your preferred PDF viewer is outdated or obsolete, Windows will change the default PDF Viewer to Microsoft Edge after each reboot. This happens if you’re using old PDF viewers like Adobe Acrobat 11 or 12. Softwares from 10 years ago won’t be efficient either, so it’s best to make sure that you’re using the latest version of the app.
Edit the Registry
You can edit the registry to disable the PDF viewer in Microsoft Edge. This is just another way to stop PDF files from opening in Edge. Follow these steps to edit the registry.
