Information Technology Services

Changing Your Default PDF Program On Your Windows XP Desktop

Use this procedure when you want to have a certain application open all PDF files downloaded to your desktop; it will not determine the application that opens PDFs in your browser window. To determine your default PDF program (e.g. Acrobat Pro or Adobe Reader): 1. 2. Open any folder on your system. The My Documents folder will be used in this example. On the folders Tools menu, select Folder Options.

3.

In the Folder Options window, select the File Types tab.

4.

A search of the file types defined on your system will begin. When you see a list appear, type the first letter of the file type you are searching for. In this case it is a P.

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Changing Your Default PDF Program On Your Windows XP Desktop

5. Move the scroll bar on the Registered file types window down until PDF appears in the window.

6.

When you click PDF to select it, the application used to open PDF files displays in the lower half of the Folder Options window under Details for PDF extension. In this example, Adobe Reader 8.1 opens PDF files on your desktop. If you want a different application than the one listed, continue with the remaining steps to change it.

To change your default PDF program (from Adobe Reader to Adobe Acrobat): 7. On the Folder Options window, click the Change button.

Changing Your Default PDF Program On Your Windows XP Desktop

8.

On the Open With window that appears, click Browse.

9.

You should now be in the Program Files directory. You will now be double-clicking on a series of folders until you find the folder that contains the .exe file for Adobe Acrobat. Double-click on the Adobe folder to open it.

Changing Your Default PDF Program On Your Windows XP Desktop

10. Open the Acrobat 8.0 folder. Your version number may vary.

11. Open the Acrobat folder.

Changing Your Default PDF Program On Your Windows XP Desktop

12. Look for the Acrobat.exe file in this folder. When you find it, click on it to select it and click the Open button.

13. On the Open With window, click the box Always use the selected program to open this kind of file.

Changing Your Default PDF Program On Your Windows XP Desktop

14. Then click OK to complete the process.

15. You should now see Adobe Acrobat listed as the program that opens PDF files on your desktop.

NOTE: Any installation of Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat will automatically modify this setting.
rev. 10/9//2007