How to Stop Edge Browser from Opening PDF Files

When you open a PDF file on Windows 10 & 11, it automatically opens in the Edge browser. While the Edge browser has a lot of tools that can help you read, understand, and annotate PDF files, it’s not the right tool for many. If you don’t like to use the Edge browser to read PDF files and rather Chrome or dedicated PDF readers like Sumatra, all you have to do is change the default application that opens PDF files. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to stop the Edge browser from opening PDF files by changing the default PDF reader on Windows 10 & 11. Let’s get started.

Stop Microsoft Edge from opening the PDF files

To ensure the Edge browser doesn’t open PDF files, you have to change the default PDF viewer. It’s a pretty simple process. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the File Explorer by pressing Windows key + I.
2. Find the PDF file to open.
3. Right-click on the PDF file.
4. Select the Open with option.
5. Click on Choose another app.
6. Select the PDF app of your choice from the list.
7. Click the Always button.
8. That’s it. From now on, PDF files will not open in Edge and will open in the select PDF app.

Detailed steps:

First, open the File Explorer window by pressing the Windows key + I shortcut. Find a PDF file in the File Explorer window, right-click on it, and select the “Open with -> Choose another app” option. This is the option that allows you to choose an app to open the selected file.

In the Open With window, find and select the app you want to use to open PDF files.

On Windows 10, select the “Always use this app to open .pdf files” checkbox and click the “OK” button.

On Windows 11, Click on the Always button.

That is it. The PDF file will be instantly opened in the new app. From now on, whenever you open a PDF file, it will be opened in the app you chose earlier.

Note: If you cannot find the app in the list, scroll down, click on the “Look for another app on this PC” or “Choose another app on your PC” link, select the application’s exe file, and click “Open.” This action should add the app to the “Open with” list.

And there you have it! From now on, your PDF files won’t open in the Edge browser. They will be opened in the application you choose.

I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.