Update that restricts preview of PDF

I agree completely with Andrea B. I routinely view many documents at one time on 3 screens for work and I use to be able to "preview" them without having to open each one. The new update has made this process for me more laborious from a time perspective. It's astonishing to me that Microsoft couldn't figure a way around this in all their infinite wisdom. I have to now unblock each and every item I download from trusted sources.

Hi @Andrea B, 

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. I truly appreciate your feedback and understand how frustrating and time-consuming this issue can be for your workflow. Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused by the recent changes affecting PDF previews in Microsoft Word. 

The recent update introduced enhanced security measures that block certain files such as PDFs received from external sources from being previewed directly in Word. While this helps protect users from potential risks, we understand that in environments where you handle a large number of external PDFs, having to manually “Unblock” each file can significantly slow down your processes and impact efficiency. 

As a forum moderator, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Word · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements. 

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.  

Additionally, since many other users have expressed similar concerns but may not know where to submit feedback, if my response has helped you better understand the situation and guided you toward a possible next step, please mark it as the “Accepted Answer.” Your action will help pin this post to the top, making it easier for others in the community who are experiencing the same issue to find your feedback and support it.   

Thank you again for sharing your concerns and for being part of our community. 

If the answer is helpful, click "Accept Answer" and vote positively. If you have more questions about this answer, click "Comment".   

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