How to Set Your Default PDF Viewer/Reader
Having more than one PDF viewer installed can sometimes result in your PDF files opening in your non-preferred PDF viewer. Under the hood of Microsoft Windows the PDF file type becomes associated with a default PDF viewer, so that when you choose to open a file it automatically loads the default PDF viewer.
If your PDF files are opening in a different PDF viewer and you would like them to open in Nitro PDF Professional, please read on. It’s easy to make Nitro Pro the default and tell when another PDF viewer has taken over the default status.
- Open Nitro PDF Professional
- In the top-left, click the Nitro PDF Professional Button
, and then click Nitro PDF Preferences. - In the General settings, turn the top-two checkboxes on:
- Click OK.
That’s it. From now on when you double-click on a PDF file, it will open in Nitro Pro and you’ll also get notified if another PDF viewer takes over the default viewer position.
There’s another very easy way to tell if Nitro PDF Professional is the default viewer: the PDF file type icon. Our Nitro Pro version (see below) is different to the one used by other viewers. When the PDF files on your computer use our icon, it means our viewer is the default.
Thanks for the tip! Sometimes I don’t even realize what application is running when I double click (too busy to notice!)
April 24, 2008I frequently scan old photos and documents into my computer. Somehow my adobe reader has got set as the default veiwer which is great if I am trying to read a pdf file.
The change most likely was made when a download and update occurred because I don’t recall chaning it.
Frequenlty I click *.jpg or a *.bmp file and
adobe open and give me an error.
I could adobe if would display *.jpg or *bmp files, but unfortenately it does not.
How can change it to like iexplorer, or the default veiwer? I’ve done several searches at microsofts website
July 6, 2008Brad, try the following:
1. Right-click on a BMP file
July 6, 20082. Under ‘Open With’, click ‘Choose Program’
3. Select the Microsoft ‘Paint’ application
4. Click the ‘Always use the selected program to open this kind of file’ check box
5. Click OK.
What if I want to keep Adobe as the default viewer for my web based pdf files. Some of the sites I need to use need Adobe.
December 9, 2011Hi Nick,
That’s still very possible. What Browser are you using? There’s a blog post that explains how to enable Nitro’s browser plugin here: http://blog.nitropdf.com/2011/07/04/nitro-reader-browser-plugin/.
Although we’d rather have you continue to use Nitro’s plugin, you can follow the directions in the post to disable the plugin and make Adobe your default viewer. Thanks for reaching out Nick!
Cheers,
December 14, 2011Spencer
Marketing Coordinator