Microsoft Edge keeps taking over PDF file open/association

Solution 1:

This is a list of methods to stop Edge from taking over PDF. Hopefully one of them will work for you.

Method 1: Using Settings

• Go to Start > Default Programs > Choose default apps
• Scroll down to .pdf
• If "Microsoft Edge" is listed on the right, click it and change to Adobe or else

Method 2: Using Context Menu

• Right-click any .pdf
• Select Open with > Choose another
• Select the desired app, e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader. If it is not listed, you will need to browse to its .exe file.
• Click OK

Method 3: Using the Control Panel

• Go to Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program
• Locate and click .pdf
• Click on Change Program at the top right corner
• Select your desired program, e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader or .exe
• Click OK

Method 4: Using Registry Editor

• Start regedit

• Navigate to

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_44.18362.267.0_neutral__8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\Capabilities\FileAssociations
  

  (the key might change with future Edge versions)

• Double-click the .pdf key and copy its value, probably AppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723

• Go to the following location
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\AppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723

• In the right-pane, create two string values (REG_SZ) named NoOpenWith and NoStaticDefaultVerb with empty values

• Exit the Registry Editor

• Use "Default Programs" to re-associate the file type with your preferred program.

Method 5: Renaming Edge Launcher Files

• Navigate to the following directory:
  C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
  It should contain the file MicrosoftPdfReader.exe.

• Take ownership of the folder

• Rename the files MicrosoftEdge.exe and MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe (if the latter exists) to some other name.

• Reboot.

Solution 2:

According to this Microsoft Community question -> How to disable Microsoft Edge as default pdf program, this was/is a common problem. Some people have found relief doing the following:

Go to 'Settings'

Select 'Apps & Features'

Select 'Programs and Features' (Under 'Related Settings')

Select 'Control Panel Home'

Select 'Make a file type always open in a specific program'

Scroll down and highlight .pdf file type

Select 'Change program'

Select desired program