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I'm going nuts here... MS Edge keeps hijacking my file associations for PDF files - there are others too, but PDF is the one about to send me over the cliff.

Windows 10 Pro, Build 1909; Adobe Acrobat DC, latest version installed this week.

Things I've tried:

  • Using Open With, Choose Another App, selecting Acrobat DC and checking "Always use..."
  • Using the Default Apps control panel
  • Exporting file associations using dism.exe and then setting up a local GPO using the resulting changed & updated XML
  • Using "Stop Resetting My Apps" as described in this thread.
  • Changing association by bringing up a PDF file properties dialog and changing the "Opens With" option
  • Using Acrobat's preferences to set file associations.

Windows changes the file association back to Edge pretty randomly. A reboot is not necessary. Sometimes it changes after a few minutes, sometimes after a few hours. But a reboot is definitely not required.

Has anyone successfully fixed this issue?

Matt
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  • Works fine here on my 3 machines. Go to Start, Settings, Apps, Default Apps, right side, click on Default apps by File Type, make sure .PDF and .PDX are associated with Adobe. – John Sep 12 '20 at 21:48
  • I've done that multiple times - it doesn't stick. Resets on it's ownafter just a few minutes. – Matt Sep 12 '20 at 21:52
  • Maybe try DISM and then restart when done. Open cmd.exe with Run as Administrator and run dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth . Then SFC /SCANNOW . Then restart and test. – John Sep 12 '20 at 21:55
  • Try changing it from Acrobat Reader, Edit -> Preferences -> General -> Select as default pdf handler. – Reddy Lutonadio Sep 12 '20 at 22:14
  • You have told us WHEN Edge is "hijacking" your default PDF handler. Does it change each time you run a major update (from 1909 to 2004), or every time you boot, or what? Adding information in comments does not count, either. All information must be added in the question itself. This is why there's an Edit button right there. Use it please. – music2myear Sep 13 '20 at 00:09
  • @music2myear I was directly answering a question posted by another user, even I didn't happen to tag him. Maybe you can quit being so condescending and try contributing something useful to the conversation. – Matt Sep 13 '20 at 00:26
  • The information you gave is important to understanding your issue, it belongs in the question. Please add it. – music2myear Sep 13 '20 at 03:22

3 Answers3

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None of the various registry hacks or Edge file renaming/removal tricks worked for me. What did work was: Launch Edge Ellipsis (…) in upper right Settings Cookies and site permissions PDF documents Set Always open PDF files externally to ON

Bill A
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this little app works;link

Description:

As you may have already experienced, Windows 10 may periodically reset the default apps. The reset action my take place after a Windows update or an update of one of the Windows built-in apps such as Microsoft Edge, Photos or Groove Music. It may also be caused by a third party application.

Default apps are the programs that are executed by default when you open a file or protocol. Resetting them without your consent can be extremely unconvenient, because it can take a lot of work to set them up again.

Stop Resetting My Apps helps you to work around this issue by preventing some of those built-in apps from being set as the default apps. This does not affect the functionality of those apps.

Larryc
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this is the solution:

Remove permission for %username% and System from HCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf

I did it with subinacl in user start script of GPO:

subinacl.exe /subkeyreg "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf" /revoke=domain\%username%

subinacl.exe /subkeyreg "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf" /revoke=SYSTEM

After that no one can reassign .pdf assotiation. Will only be used GPO assotiation at computer level. All changes are made at your own risk.

Михаил Григорьев
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    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers [in the help center](/help/how-to-answer). – Community Apr 12 '22 at 09:14