Windows 10: Unable to change Default Apps by File Type

That is really odd. Something on your machine is remembering the newer version of Reader. Do you have any other Adobe products installed that may include another copy of the Reader? The full version of Acrobat, perhaps?

On my test machine installing Reader XI let me change the IE behaviour in...





...and installing Reader X 10.1.4 from the ftp link I gave you has the tick-box in...

 

I don't have any other Adobe products and as I said I ensure that I had complete removal of one version, then rebooted and then installed the next one in every case. I'm sure nothing is left over.

I'm running Windows 10 Prox64 and up on version 1709 OS build 1629.64.

 

Well, you've got me stumped.

My test machine runs Windows 10 Pro x86 version 1709 OS build 16299.64. To remove other versions of Reader I used Adobe's own uninstaller, uninstalling from Settings - Apps & features.

The only thing I haven't tried (yet) is installing Reader DC then trying to go back to an earlier version...

...it's getting late here. That's one for another day (I'll keep you posted).

 

The only difference I can see is that I'm on a x64 machine and you are on a x32 machine but since we are both installing the 32-bit version of Adobe I don't see where that can make a difference.

I've done a couple of more uninstalls/reinstalls this morning using different combinations and still really haven't accomplished anything except getting myself very frustrated.

 

A shot in the dark...

Try the Adobe Reader Touch App from the Store:

Adobe Reader Touch

 

EDIT:

Don't use the Adobe App! Rendering is still terrible! Sorry,

try Xodo instead:

Xodo PDF Reader & Editor

 

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

 

No, neither do I.

I have now tried Reader DC and still cannot reproduce your problem.

With Reader DC installed it is listed under 'All add-ons' and 'Run without permission' in IE's 'manage add-ons' and can be disabled in either. Disabling 'Adobe PDF Reader' gives me the option to save or open in Reader DC when clicking on a pdf hyperlink in IE.





My test PC has a system image of Windows 10 Pro that I restore before each test. This image is about as standard as I can make it, so its IE is in the initial 'unused' state before I begin testing. On first use IE opens to the 'Set up Internet Explorer 11' dialog and then opens the 'Internet Explorer Welcome' page, so it is in its 'as first installed' state before I start testing.

You may want to try resetting your IE to its default settings. I hesitate to suggest this, because you'll loose all your personalisations, add-ons and custom settings - consider this only as a last resort. If you are prepared to set up your IE from scratch. then the 'Reset...' button is in Internet options on the Advanced tab.

 

Yes, I was thinking of using the nuclear option and hitting the reset button I guess that's what I'm going to try this afternoon. Nothing else has made any difference at all so hopefully that will. I really don't have that much personalization set up so it shouldn't be too big a job to get everything back to normal.

I certainly appreciate all your help and I'll let you know if hitting the reset button corrects the problem.

 

Well, you've certainly given my test system a thorough work-out - I've lost count of the number of times I've restored a system image this week *Smile

I certainly hope it does fix things for you. As I said, even the latest Reader DC should be able to be disabled in IE when installed on a 'virgin' 1709 system.

 

Okay, I think I have now officially given up! I reset everything in Internet Explorer to default conditions and I still get every PDF link I open opening in Internet Explorer instead of giving me a choice where to open it.

I was really debating doing a complete clean install but I have so many customizations for my AutoCAD and several other custom applications that I use that I really don't feel like reinstalling everything!

I certainly appreciate all the help you guys have given me, it's just got to be something stupid in my installation that causes this phenomenon.

 

See the post here:

How to restore the old Default Programs Menu? Solved - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums

Run this:

[WINKEY+R] then copy/ paste:

explorer shell:::{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966} -Microsoft.DefaultPrograms\pageDefaultProgram

Uncheck the pdf entry in your browser and remove pdf as default. In my case it's set to open in Edge.

 

Unfortunately, I'm already tried that and the default for PDF files is set to Adobe DC reader yet PDF files that are open from links in IE 11 still open in IE instead of in DC reader.

 

To be strictly accurate, it is still Reader DC that's opening the pdf, but the way it is set up is to display the pdf in an IE tab. Without a pdf reader installed that IE can use as a plugin it wouldn't be able to open pdfs. You can see in Task Manager that Reader is running while IE is displaying a pdf and that it stops running when you close the tab.





The problem is that you are supposed to be able to change the Reader and/or IE setting to choose between opening with Reader DC in IE, or to open in Reader DC outside IE - that's the bit that works in all my tests, but apparently can't be done on your system.

 

Can you post one of those links?