In Windows 10 build 1703 (as well as some previous builds), the full upgrade or Windows Servicing upgrade, the Edge browser breaks the PDF file association (meaning, you are forced to use Edge by default), and there is no automated method to fix it for current users. This is the research I have done, along with developing a couple solutions myself.
Adobe’s Solution (not great)
VBScript Method—run while user is logged in (meh)
Download, Installation, & Activation. ★ Activation Problems on Windows 10 PATCH All the files I open with PDF Pro 10 have a black background, why is this happening? How do I change the default program to open the PDF file extension? How do I create a shortcut icon on my desktop? Where do I find my license key? How do I install PDF. Pdf Reader 10 Registration Key, Pinnacle Studio 23 Ultimate Review, ISkysoft DVD Creator 3 Crack Download, Vmware Workstation 9 Free Download For Windows 8 64 Bit.
GP Method
If you can use GP, I recommend using it—either local or domain.
Start by setting the default PDF app(s) and then exporting the defaultassociations.xml file
Dism /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations:c:defaultassociations.xml
Defaultassociations.xml
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<DefaultAssociations>
<Association Identifier=”.acrobatsecuritysettings” ProgId=”AcroExch.acrobatsecuritysettings” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.fdf” ProgId=”AcroExch.FDFDoc” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.htm” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.HTM” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.html” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.HTM” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.mht” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.MHT” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.mhtml” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.MHT” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.partial” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.PARTIAL” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.pdf” ProgId=”AcroExch.Document.11″ ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.pdfxml” ProgId=”AcroExch.pdfxml” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.pdx” ProgId=”PDXFileType” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.svg” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.SVG” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.url” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.URL” ApplicationName=”Internet Browser” />
<Association Identifier=”.website” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.WEBSITE” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.xdp” ProgId=”AcroExch.XDPDoc” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.xfdf” ProgId=”AcroExch.XFDFDoc” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”.xht” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.XHT” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”.xhtml” ProgId=”IE.AssocFile.XHT” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”acrobat” ProgId=”acrobat” ApplicationName=”Adobe Reader” />
<Association Identifier=”ftp” ProgId=”IE.FTP” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”http” ProgId=”IE.HTTP” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”https” ProgId=”IE.HTTPS” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”mk” ProgId=”IE.HTTP” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
<Association Identifier=”res” ProgId=”IE.HTTP” ApplicationName=”Internet Explorer” />
</DefaultAssociations>
You can apply the GP via a reg key
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystem]
“DefaultAssociationsConfiguration”=”c:defaultassociations.xml”
This could also be handled in an offline manner
Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:C:mountimagesinstall.wim /Name:”Windows” /MountDir:C:mountoffline
Dism.exe /Image:C:mountoffline /Import-DefaultAppAssociations:c:defaultassociations.xml
This, if you change your mind and would like to remove…
Dism.exe /Image:C:mountoffline /Remove-DefaultAppAssociations
Notes
Don’t forget about ‘New Users’ or the default user profile
copy /y defaultassociations.xml %computername%c$
reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystem” /v DefaultAssociationsConfiguration /t REG_SZ /d “c:defaultassociations.xml”
:: ADOBE ACROBAT READER 11
if exist “c:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0Reader” (
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesApplicationsAcroRd32.exeshellopencommand /ve /d “”C:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe” ”%%1”” /f >nul
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREClassesAcroRd32.pdfshellopencommand /ve /d “”C:Program Files (x86)AdobeReader 11.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe” ”%%1”” /f >nul
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARERegisteredApplications /d “AcroRd32″=”SoftwareAcroRd32Capabilities” /f >nul
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREAcroRd32Capabilities /v “ApplicationDescription” /d “AcroRd32 reads PDF files.” /f >nul
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREAcroRd32Capabilities /v “ApplicationName” /d “AcroRd32” /f >nul
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREAcroRd32CapabilitiesFileAssociations /v “.pdf” /d “AcroRd32.pdf” /f >nul
reg add “HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREAdobeCommonFilesUsageReader 11” /v OptIn /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
)
PAUSE
Filetype handler enforcement via a GPO policy
To set Acrobat Reader or Acrobat as default PDF file type handler:
Download the sample file association files. These files include all the file types supported by Acrobat and Reader with their DC. To create your own XML files:
- Run an elevated command prompt on a machine that has your default application set correctly.
- Type Dism/Online/Export-DefaultAppAssociations:<XMLpath>AppAssoc.xml. This creates an XML file that has all your file types and their current associations.
- Edit the XML file to include only the file associations that you wish to enforce.
You can create different files for different groups in your organization. For example, you can have one group that has Adobe Reader set as default and another that uses Adobe Acrobat.
Place this XML on a shared network location or push this XML to all your machine-specific locations via a script. For example, C:WindowsSystem32 (do not use a user-specific location).
Set the XML configured with your preferences in a Windows 8 Group Policy setting, and enable the setting as follows:
- Open up the Group Policy MMC (open a command prompt and type gpedit.msc) on your Server instance.
- Locate the policy under ComputerConfigurationAdministrativeTemplatesWindowsComponentsFileExplorerSetadefaultassociationsconfigurationfile. This policy specifies the path for the XML file that can be either stored locally or on a network location.
- Enable the policy, and specify the location where you have stored the XML file. The corresponding registry entry is HKLMSoftwarePoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSystemDefaultAssociationsConfiguration.
Prevent Edge from hijacking file associations
GPO – User Preferences
DisallowDefaultBrowserPrompt
HKCUSOFTWAREClassesLocal SettingsSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionAppContainerStoragemicrosoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbweMicrosoftEdgeMain
REG_DWORD
DisallowDefaultBrowserPrompt = 1
NoStaticDefaultVerb
HKCUSoftwareClassesAppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723
REG_SZ
NoStaticDefaultVerb = (Blank)
NoOpenWith
HKCUSoftwareClassesAppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723
REG_SZ
NoOpenWith = (Blank)
NoOpenWith
HKCUSoftwareClassesAppX4hxtad77fbk3jkkeerkrm0ze94wjf3s9
REG_SZ
NoOpenWith = (Blank)
Reg Keys (apply during login)
REG ADD “HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesAppX4hxtad77fbk3jkkeerkrm0ze94wjf3s9” /v NoStaticDefaultVerb /t REG_SZ /f
REG ADD “HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesAppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723” /v NoStaticDefaultVerb /t REG_SZ /f
REG ADD “HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesAppXd4nrz8ff68srnhf9t5a8sbjyar1cr723” /v NoOpenWith /t REG_SZ /f
REG ADD “HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesAppX4hxtad77fbk3jkkeerkrm0ze94wjf3s9” /v NoOpenWith /t REG_SZ /f
Other
Best Free Pdf Reader For Windows 10
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExts.pdf]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExts.pdf]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExts.pdfOpenWithList]
“a”=”Acrobat.exe”
“MRUList”=”a”
[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExts.pdfOpenWithProgids]
“Acrobat.Document.2015″=hex(0):
User Choice
Pdf Reader 10 License Key
The contents of the UserChoice subkey dictate the default application for opening the file type:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExts
Microsoft fails to detect the user’s original PDF reader (intentionally, I’m guessing), thus preventing the generation of a new UserChoice hash. If the hash is not correct, Edge becomes the default reader. This is why the Edge browser is becoming the default PDF reader—MS just didn’t put the correct logic in to detect every possible version of Reader, Pro, Standard.
SUPER SECRET USERCHOICE HASH
extension = “.pdf”
SID = “S-1-5-21-5237425623-0426251624-7215293041-1001”
UserProgID = “AcroReader.DC”
RegDate = “01d2449a35746500”
Experience = “Secret String”
PROGRAMMING LOGIC
#1 Return timestamp of UserChoice reg key (yes, reg keys have timestamps):
HKEY_USERSS-1-5-21-5237425623-0426251624-7215293041-1001SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerFileExts.pdfUserChoice
#2 Fill Buffer with Values:
extension, SID, ProgId, timestamp, static string
#3 Hash and Encode Buffer:
Base64(MicrosoftHash(MD5(toLower(Extension, SID, ProgId, RegDate, Experience))))
Bask in the glory of success…
tags: Microsoft User Choice hashes, MrNetTek