If you don’t like the Edge PDF viewer, you can stop Microsoft Edge from opening PDF files automatically. Here are the steps you should follow to do so.
When you open a PDF file in Windows 10, it automatically opens it in the Microsoft Edge browser. It doesn’t matter where or how the PDF file is downloaded, it always opens with the Edge browser. For example, if you have downloaded a PDF file in the Google Chrome browser and tried it open it from the Downloads bar, the PDF file will be opened in the Microsoft Edge browser.
Now, Microsoft Edge’s PDF reader is pretty good in terms of features and really fast too. However, if you want to use Google Chrome or some other dedicated PDF reader to open the PDF files, then the Edge browser is not helping in this matter. Thankfully, you can easily change the PDF viewer in Windows 10. This means that you can stop the Microsoft Edge browser from opening the PDF files so that you can use the application of your choice.
In this quick and simple Windows 10 guide, let me take you through the steps to stop the Edge browser from opening the PDF files in Windows 10.
Stop Microsoft Edge from opening the PDF files
To stop the Edge browser from opening PDF files automatically, you have to manually set or change the default PDF viewer in Windows 10. Here’s how.
- Open the File Explorer.
- Find the PDF file to open.
- Right-click on the PDF file.
- Select the “Open with” option.
- Click on “Choose another app.”
- Select the PDF app from the list.
- Select the “Always use this app to open .pdf files” checkbox.
- Click the “Ok” button.
- The PDF files will now open in the selected app.
You can use the “Open with” option to stop Edge from opening the PDF files. So, as the first thing, find a PDF file. To do that, open the File Explorer and go to the folder where the PDF file is located. Now, right-click on the PDF file 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.
Now, find and select the app from the list. Next, select the “Always use this app to open .pdf files” checkbox and click the “Ok” button. That is it. The PDF file will be instantly opened in the new app. From now on, whenever you try to 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 all the way down, click on for “Look for another app on this PC” link, select the application’s exe file and click “Open.” This action should all the app to the “Open with” list.
That is all. It is that simple to stop Microsoft Edge browser from opening PDF files in Windows 10.
I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.
