What’s causing the PDF Preview Handler error?
Disable Internet Auto-Detect
As it turns out, one of the most common culprits that might end up causing the PDF Preview Handler error is an Adobe Reader setting called Internet Auto Detect. Several users that were totally unable to use the default previewer in Outlook have reported that the issue was finally resolved after they accessed the LAN settings of Adobe Reader and disabled the Automatically detect settings option. This potential fix is typically reported to work for users that are encountering this issue on Windows 10. Here’s what you need to do: If you’re still encountering the PDF Preview Handler error when trying to open an attachment in Microsoft Outlook, move down to the next method below.
Accept Adobe Reader’s EULA
Another possible cause that will cause the PDF Preview Handler to stay disabled in Outlook is an instance where Adobe Reader is installed but the program was not started so the EULA never got accepted. As it turns out, you need to agree to Adobe Reader’s EULA first before you can use the preview feature externally. If this scenario is applicable, you can resolve the issue easily by opening Adobe Reader for the first time and accepting the Adobe Software License Agreement by clicking the Accept button. After you do this, you can safely close the application and restart your computer. At the next startup, you should be able to use the previewer feature in Outlook without encountering the same PDF Preview Handler error. If the same problem is still appearing, move down to the next potential fix below.
Run Adobe Reader in Compatibility Mode
As it turns out, several programs from Office 2016 (including Outlook) will not run properly when they are forced to run normally on an OS like Windows Server 2016. Several different affected users finding themselves in this scenario have reported that they encountered the PDF Preview Handler error after every attempt to preview a file directly in Outlook. Note: If you’re struggling, here’s a quick guide on running older programs on Windows 10 using Compatibility mode. If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the issue by forcing Adobe Reader to run in Compatibility Mode with Windows 8. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this: If the same problem is still happening, move down to the next method below.
Make Adobe Reader the Default PDF Handler
As it turns out, one particular scenario that might trigger this problem is an instance where Adobe Reader is installed but it’s not configured to be the default PDF Handler and the PDF thumbnail previews aren’t permitted from within the application’s settings menu. In this case, you can fix the issue by accessing the Preferences menu and adjusting the settings so that Adobe Reader is configured to be the default choice. Here are the step-by-step instructions to making Adobe Reader the default PDF Handler: If you’re still encountering the same DF Preview Handler error, move down to the final potential fix below.
Fix the Registry Problem (Old Adobe Reader versions ONLY)
If you’re encountering this issue with an outdated version of Adobe Reader, it’s most likely because of an old Registry problem the Adobe has since patched with more recent versions. This problem will manifest itself when trying to open previews in Microsoft Outlook and Windows Explorer on 64-bit versions of Windows. In case you want to fix the issue without upgrading to a newer version of Adobe reader, you have two ways forward – you either go the manual route and changing one particular APPID manually, or you can use a 3rd party Fix to enforce the change automatically.
Using the PDF Preview Fixer
Fixing the Registry Problem Manually
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