Unable to preview documents in Explorer preview pane using Adobe reader

Hello Talmaggies,

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the issue with previewing documents in the Explorer preview pane using Adobe Reader on your new Server 2022.

I understand that you have already tried several troubleshooting steps, including uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Reader, repairing it, and toggling the Preview pane in Explorer on and off. I appreciate your efforts in attempting to resolve this issue.

Here are a few additional steps you can try to address this problem:

1. Ensure Adobe Reader is set as the default PDF viewer:

• Open Adobe Reader.
• Go to Edit > Preferences.
• Select General.
• Click on the Select as Default PDF Handler button and follow the prompts.

2. Check Windows File Explorer settings:

• Open File Explorer.
• Go to View > Options > Change folder and search options.
• In the Folder Options window, select the View tab.
• Make sure Always show icons, never thumbnails is unchecked.

3. Verify Preview Handlers in the Registry:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PreviewHandlers

• Ensure there is an entry for PDF files. It should look something like: {DC6EFB56-9CFA-464D-8880-44885D7DC193} = PDF-XChange PDF Preview Handler

4. Restart Windows Explorer:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Find and select Windows Explorer in the list of processes.
• Click on Restart.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, please let us know, and we will continue to investigate further. We are here to help ensure you have a smooth and efficient experience.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best regards,

Rosy

Hi Rosy Yuan

I have followed your steps and it still does not work. I have contacted Adobe support and they could not resolve it as well.

Hello Talmaggies,

Thank you for following the steps I provided earlier and for letting me know that the issue persists. I'm sorry to hear that the problem with previewing documents in the Explorer preview pane using Adobe Reader on your new Server 2022 still hasn't been resolved, even after reaching out to Adobe support.

Since the usual troubleshooting steps have not resolved the issue, let's try a few more advanced steps to address this problem:

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

1. Update Adobe Reader and Windows:
   • Ensure that both Adobe Reader and Windows Server 2022 are fully updated to the latest versions.
   • Open Adobe Reader and go to Help > Check for Updates.
   • For Windows, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and check for any available updates.
2. Re-register Preview Handlers:
   • Sometimes, re-registering the preview handlers can resolve issues. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:
   cmd regsvr32 /i shdocvw.dll regsvr32 /i shell32.dll regsvr32 /i prevhost.dll

• Restart your computer after running these commands.

3. Verify Adobe Reader Integration:
   • Ensure that Adobe Reader integration with Windows Explorer is enabled:
     • Open Adobe Reader.
     • Go to Edit > Preferences > General.
     • Check the option that says Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer.
4. Check Group Policy Settings:
   • If this is a corporate environment, there might be Group Policy settings affecting the preview functionality.
   • Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
   • Ensure that the policy Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons is either Not Configured or Disabled.
5. Repair Windows System Files:
   • Corrupted system files can sometimes cause issues. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands: cmd sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

6. Use a Different PDF Preview Handler:

• If Adobe Reader's preview handler is not working, consider using an alternative PDF preview handler such as PDF-XChange Editor or SumatraPDF.
• Download and install the alternative PDF viewer, then set it as the default PDF handler and check if the preview pane works.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best regards,

Rosy

Forum Support Team