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How to Get Pdf Preview in Windows 10

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Hello,

We just recently upgrade our marketing team to windows 10 and now we have an issues with pdf not displaying in the windows explorer preview pane. The only message we get is that document cannot be displayed. Does anybody have any suggestions or have come across a fix for it?

Additional info:

Windows 10 pro 64 bit, Lenovo Laptop, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Users are local admin.


Big Green Man
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Jul 11, 2016 at 19:53 UTC

Michael Vincenty wrote:

Tried the suggestion of the edge and this did not work.

These were in place upgrades. Researched any known issues prior to the upgrade with the adobe suite and we found that that a windows update needed to be installed or else the apps would not open. We did that and we have not run into any issues with the applications crashing or anything.

But now the preview pane does not work for pdf files. However he is able to preview them with adobe bridge. It seems to be an issue with windows 10 so far as anyone who is on 10 is experiencing the issue including myself.

Might be an unreported bug with upgrading, then. Try reinstalling CC. If that doesn't help, a fresh OS install may be in order.

But first, under the default apps page, click the 'reset' button. This will set everything to default. May or may not work.

Eoto wrote:

The only issue we see is when it is in preview, it locks the file.

That's because the file is still counted as 'open'. That's not a Windows 10 thing, it's a preview pane thing.
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18 Replies

Big Green Man
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Jul 11, 2016 at 18:42 UTC

Is Acrobat set as the default PDF viewer? Settings -> System -> Default Apps -> Choose default apps by file type

Michael Vincenty

Big Green Man wrote:

Is Acrobat set as the default PDF viewer? Settings -> System -> Default Apps -> Choose default apps by file type

I don't think the preview pane works for PDFs if Edge is the default.

Yes. Also in Adobe the Program is set to be the default PDF handler.

Big Green Man
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Jul 11, 2016 at 18:45 UTC

Michael Vincenty wrote:

Big Green Man wrote:

Is Acrobat set as the default PDF viewer? Settings -> System -> Default Apps -> Choose default apps by file type

I don't think the preview pane works for PDFs if Edge is the default.

Yes. Also in Adobe the Program is set to be the default PDF handler.

Change it to Edge and try, then change it back to Acrobat and try again.

Also, I removed the part in my first post about it not working with Edge. I thought that was the case, but I just tested, and it worked.

Big Green Man
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Jul 11, 2016 at 18:47 UTC

Also, were these in-place upgrades or wipe and reinstall upgrades? Does it work for any of them?

Big Green Man
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Jul 11, 2016 at 18:50 UTC

And if in-place upgrade, was the CC suite installed prior to upgrading? That might need to be reinstalled.

Michael Vincenty

Tried the suggestion of the edge and this did not work.

These were in place upgrades. Researched any known issues prior to the upgrade with the adobe suite and we found that that a windows update needed to be installed or else the apps would not open. We did that and we have not run into any issues with the applications crashing or anything.

But now the preview pane does not work for pdf files. However he is able to preview them with adobe bridge. It seems to be an issue with windows 10 so far as anyone who is on 10 is experiencing the issue including myself.

Eoto

We use reader DC on windows 10 and the windows explorer preview works for us. The only issue we see is when it is in preview, it locks the file.

Big Green Man
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Jul 11, 2016 at 19:53 UTC

Michael Vincenty wrote:

Tried the suggestion of the edge and this did not work.

These were in place upgrades. Researched any known issues prior to the upgrade with the adobe suite and we found that that a windows update needed to be installed or else the apps would not open. We did that and we have not run into any issues with the applications crashing or anything.

But now the preview pane does not work for pdf files. However he is able to preview them with adobe bridge. It seems to be an issue with windows 10 so far as anyone who is on 10 is experiencing the issue including myself.

Might be an unreported bug with upgrading, then. Try reinstalling CC. If that doesn't help, a fresh OS install may be in order.

But first, under the default apps page, click the 'reset' button. This will set everything to default. May or may not work.

Eoto wrote:

The only issue we see is when it is in preview, it locks the file.

That's because the file is still counted as 'open'. That's not a Windows 10 thing, it's a preview pane thing.
Pedro3332

Have you REMOVED all PDF software from your system first and then only install the FREE adobe PDF from adobe direct?

That should then allow your system to not get criss/crossed up and fall to only one PDF to work.  After that is done successfully, then try adding your version of PDF back and see if that solves the issue.

Which in your case is the CC version, right?

Michael Vincenty

Pedro3332 wrote:

Have you REMOVED all PDF software from your system first and then only install the FREE adobe PDF from adobe direct?

That should then allow your system to not get criss/crossed up and fall to only one PDF to work.  After that is done successfully, then try adding your version of PDF back and see if that solves the issue.

Which in your case is the CC version, right?

Yes Adobe Acrobat DC from CC is the one he is currently using.

If you have Reader DC installed then the preview works fine as long as reader DC is the default. But that would honestly be an inconvenience to the users since they work mostly in Acrobat to build PDF not reader.

Michael Vincenty

Big Green Man wrote:

Might be an unreported bug with upgrading, then. Try reinstalling CC. If that doesn't help, a fresh OS install may be in order. But first, under the default apps page, click the 'reset' button. This will set everything to default. May or may not work.
If time allows I will try your suggestion of reinstalling both os and CC. The reset did not seem to help.
Pedro3332

Michael Vincenty wrote:

Pedro3332 wrote:

Have you REMOVED all PDF software from your system first and then only install the FREE adobe PDF from adobe direct?

That should then allow your system to not get criss/crossed up and fall to only one PDF to work.  After that is done successfully, then try adding your version of PDF back and see if that solves the issue.

Which in your case is the CC version, right?

Yes Adobe Acrobat DC from CC is the one he is currently using.

If you have Reader DC installed then the preview works fine as long as reader DC is the default. But that would honestly be an inconvenience to the users since they work mostly in Acrobat to build PDF not reader.

Are you actually saying a "FIX" would be an inconvenience to the users, yet an OS and CC re-install wouldn't??
Michael Vincenty

While the preview will be fixed they will always have to right click-> open with-> adobe acrobat on all the documents that they will want to work on rather than open directly with acrobat. It's not exactly a "fix" more of a workaround that will cause additional steps(and mistakes if they are not careful).

Pedro3332

NO... once you remove all PDF software from the system, there will be nothing left to open up the PDF, say maybe edge browser (and that is just awful).  It forces the system to reset.  Try just the CC version if you want, so they can only use that version.

Seems that the UP-grade to W10, things just get lost in translation, and you need to re-point the routes at times

Big Green Man
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Jul 12, 2016 at 17:30 UTC

Pedro3332 wrote:

NO... once you remove all PDF software from the system, there will be nothing left to open up the PDF, say maybe edge browser (and that is just awful).  It forces the system to reset.  Try just the CC version if you want, so they can only use that version.

So reinstall CC?
Pedro3332

Adobe is weird how they always fight with each other of their products for domination.  Things can get messed up quickly with them, if you're not careful.  And when you upgrade to 10, software routes at times gets a tad messed up. Not just with Adobe, but other default software as well.

You can be using CC now and then you get an update for DC and suddenly DC may now be the default, even after it's fixed.  I have found that doing a removal of all of them and fresh re-install of the main one, one would want, then forces that to be written correctly into windows 10, and allows the flexibility for changes, say via right clicking and selecting, to actually take hold and work. And then do the DC one if need be and same thing.  *Seems that Adobe likens itself to be default with the latest installed. Which is why, if DC is needed, I alluded to re-installing that one first and the main one last before.

You're now not dependent just on the old windows hold-overs upgraded.

Edited Jul 12, 2016 at 17:56 UTC
Michael Vincenty

Pedro3332

You are on the correct track as to why the preview will not work. In the end what fixed the issue is reinstalling the whole adobe creative cloud suite. I did not install reader as that program is not needed.

Thank you both for all your help.

Pedro3332

Excellent!

I wasn't certain if you were needing the adobe dc reader or not.  Some clients utilize it still even though they have the full program. So thought I would mention that as a knock it all out with one stone, sorta thing.

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How to Get Pdf Preview in Windows 10

Source: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/1710507-preview-pdf-in-windows-10