PDF Preview experiment with Microsoft Edge PDF viewer as default

[Wheathead]

Microsoft Edge
Version 98.0.1108.62 (Official build) (64-bit)

In the past I've used the recommended PDF-XChange Editor as my add-in preview primarily because my Acrobat 9 installation can't accept the task for a zillion reasons if you look that up. After my recent Windows 10 21H2 crash (and subsequent Windows reset) I found that Microsoft Edge handles PDF viewing more eloquently than PDF-XChange, Adobe Reader, or any of the other myriad of preview capabilities from 3rd party sources.

I am experiencing occasional lapses in XYPlorer 22.90.0100 where the pdf preview stops, rendering a simple message "Cannot be previewed". A The only thing that works is to go to Configuration | Preview | Previewed Formats | Categories | Office Files and unclick PDF and re-check pdf, Microsoft Edge PDF Document. This problem occurred with a previous previewer application prior to my reset of Windows and reinstallation of XYPlorer.

A secondary issue that seems also to persist, not sure if it's related preview, is the ability to select a file in the Tab listing ceases to work until I close and reopen XYPlorer. When I do that the ability to select files is restored to normal, but preview of PDFs not so. Again, perhaps unrelated to PDF viewer, the select file function failure in the Tab list has also persisted over recent versions before and after I reset and reinstalled Windows 10 21H2.

Wheathead

[Wheathead]

I'm going to answer my own question or experiment, perhaps...

In retesting the XYPlorer pdf file preview, apparently the size of the pdf file is the issue. If I select a book with a huge size, the previewer quits to Cannot Preview. So I suspect the preview handler (in this case Edge PDF Preview) chokes on the huge files or perhaps (speculating here) XYPlorer can't allocate any more memory to the effort and shuts it down. Either way, it's not perfect for sure.

The previewer by Edge is quite useful as such, giving a lot of options including hyperlinks opening web pages, etc. But large pdfs not working in XYPlorer.

Note: only the PDF preview is affected, all other previews are working fine. And Edge is a 64bit program in case that has anything to do with the previewing.

As to the other problem, where XYPlorer can't select a file, not connected apparently to this issue.

Wheathead
Sat, Feb 26, 2022 4:05 PM

[RalphM]

Thanks for the tip, after your post I looked into Edge for PDF previews as well and quite like it and would love to get this to work as well.

Still don't like the small hover box preview that PDF XChange Editor presents since V8, though I want to keep it as my standard app in general.

NirSoft's ShellExView gave me a CLSID for the PDF Preview Handler (it doesn't state Edge though) and I set this up as an UDPH in XY but it still seemed to use the standard app = PDF XChange:

PicPick_651.jpg

However I couldn't get the hover preview or preview pane to use Edge (I had it ticked initially but when it didn't work I unticked it again).
Even though pdf is not in the list of extensions in "Preview as Thumbnail", with the above UDHP active, the preview pane says it is previewed as thumbnail. That's the only change I can see.

[admin]

Did you already try to define it as 64-bit preview handler? See here:

Code: Select all

v22.20.0201 - 2021-09-09 12:00
    + User-defined Preview Handlers: Now you can force the bitness (32 or 64) of 
      the process that attempts to employ the preview handler. This is useful if 
      you know that the handler only exists in a particular bitness, so trying the 
      other bitness would just be a waste of time and energy.
      Another advantage is that this setting overrides the global settings "Use 
      64-bit preview handlers for preview" and "Fall back to preview handlers of 
      the other bitness" so that you have finer control over the bitness now.
      Fictitious examples:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Pattern                                           Bitness
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
        pdf>{CF822AB4-6DB5-4FDA-BC28-E61DF36D2583}        depends on global settings
        pdf>{CF822AB4-6DB5-4FDA-BC28-E61DF36D2583}>32     32 only
        pdf>{CF822AB4-6DB5-4FDA-BC28-E61DF36D2583}>64     64 only
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Horst]

The definition as 64-bit preview handler doesn't help.
It works fine in the Mouse down preview but not at all in the preview pane.
Other software like Everything also has problems with this preview handler.
I don't see any benefit in using it as preview handler but its fine to edit PDFs.

[admin]

The definition as 64-bit preview handler doesn't help.
It works fine in the Mouse down preview but not at all in the preview pane.
...

It should be either both or nothing. Weird.
Nope, one is thumbnail handler, the other is preview handler.

[admin]

A secondary issue that seems also to persist, not sure if it's related preview, is the ability to select a file in the Tab listing ceases to work until I close and reopen XYPlorer. When I do that the ability to select files is restored to normal, but preview of PDFs not so. Again, perhaps unrelated to PDF viewer, the select file function failure in the Tab list has also persisted over recent versions before and after I reset and reinstalled Windows 10 21H2.

You mean it ceases to work after you tried to preview a PDF?

[Wheathead]

Sorry, I likely conflated two issues.

The occasions where I cannot select a file (for instance to move or copy to another folder) is unrelated to preview handler. I have not isolated any "cause" which would alert me to describe when the issue of cannot select a file happens. I'll return if I get more information as to what I'm doing when this happens.

Thanks.

Wheathead

[admin]

Okay.

Can't say why the preview handler does not work. It may be hard-wired with File Explorer.