Set Outlook Default PDF Previewer

Question

On my computer I have various PDF readers - I generally use Edge for PDF reading, but I also have Adobe Acrobat DC, and Foxit Phantom Editor.

I installed a trial of Adobe Acrobat first, and then Foxit Phantom, and decided to go with Phantom as my PDF editor. So I uninstalled Acrobat.

However, Acrobat was the set previewer for my PDF files in Outlook 2013 (because I installed it before Phantom). After uninstalling it, Outlook 2013 gives me

This file cannot be previewed because there is no previewer installed for it

but I know there is because Foxit Phantom includes one.

What can I do to set Phantom as the previewer?

Couple Of Minor Details

In Default Programs, Open With has been set as the following and the Acrobat Preview worked.

• Open With Edge
• Open With Acrobat
• Open With Phantom

It is currently set as Open With Phantom

Solution 1

• Within Microsoft Outlook, go to "File" menu and click "Options".
• Select the "Trust Center" link.
• Click on the "Trust Center Settings..." button.
• Select the "Attachment Handling" menu.
• Click on the "Attachment and Document Previewers..." button.
• Locate the "PDF PreviewHandler" option from the "File Previewing Options" list, related to the program that you have installed that Outlook is currently using to preview files.
• When you disable the checkbox, that viewer will no longer be in use:
• Reinstall the software that you want to be the actual viewer/previewer/handler and restart Outlook

Solution 2

In Windows 10, search for "Default apps"

From the Default apps screen, scroll all the way to the bottom

Click on Choose default apps by file type

Scroll down the file extension list to .pdf

Choose the app you want to open the .pdf file from Outlook

I am not sure how you pick an app that's not on the list though. Perhaps that's a different question. For me, I just needed to go from Microsoft Edge to Google Chrome.

Comments

[Daniel B]

The Preview Handler is not included by default. Did you install it?

[clhy]

@CalvT Do you see any PDF preview handler registered at HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\current version\preview handlers ?

[CalvT]

@The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like yes there's the Foxit PDF Preview Handler and the Foxit PDF Preview Provider (XP)

[CalvT]

@DanielB I'm not actually sure - the link is interesting thanks. Only I have Outlook 2013, and it never previewed PDF files until I installed Acrobat if I recall correctly

[clhy]

@CalvT 64bit Office or 64Bit OS ? check this key too HKLM\Software\wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\P‌​reviewHandlers How about you backup the preview handlers key and delete the PDF handlers registered there

[CalvT]

@The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like I'm running Office 32bit on Windows 10 64bit - I'll give deleting them a shot

[CalvT]

@The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like Hmm interesting - deleting the strings out of one key deletes them out of the other - but it hasn't made a difference.

[clhy]

@CalvT You tried restarting the computer right ?

[CalvT]

@The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like Yup I did - Just did again but still no go

[clhy]

@CalvT How about you check this and maybe turn OFF and then Turn it back ON the preview handler you want

[CalvT]

Hi Brendon, thanks for your answer - If you look at the end of my question I put the following: It is currently set as Open With Phantom - I'll update my question so that it's clearer.

[CalvT]

Hi, thanks for the answer! Unfortunately I've reinstalled windows (unrelated to this question) since I asked this, so no longer have the issue. However, I definitely had a default PDF program selected, and mentioned this in my question, so don't think this was the problem.

[Sun]

I'm including the wrong answer because "previewer" was not a strong keyword signal for Google when I searched for setting Default PDF viewer in Outlook. So, if anyone else has the issue, they may actually find this answer useful. I don't know why Microsoft is allowed to get away with writing such terrible software so often.

[yeOldeDataSmythe]

My suggested edit is to first install the Preferred PDF reader (e.g., Adobe Acrobat) and then set the PDF default as the PDF reader should show up in the list you show. My Outlook just recently started losing its mind and did not find a reader even though MS Edge had recently been set (likely by the system) as default. Changing to Chrome did work.