SharePoint default PDF viewer

Question

For just one of our users the default PDF viewer in SharePoint Online has changed and looks different. The background is black and the icons are in a different location. If I open the same PDF document I get the normal PDF viewer.

The user has the same problem regardless of what browser is used.

Answer 1

Dear AgriMike

Good day!!

Apologies for the inconvenience caused and please don’t worry, let’s work together on your concern and move towards a resolution path.

Based on the details and screenshot provided we notice you are using Edge browser, and you mentioned a specific user has this issue, can you provide the information below in order to get a better understanding about the issue.

• May I know how did you open the PDF file? please provide the screenshot of the method you used to open the PDF file.
• Also, you mentioned (The background is black and the icons are in a different location) can you provide the initial screenshot of the view of the icons and the PDF view?
• Also, try to open the PDF file by right-clicking on the PDF file>> hovering over the open button will show up extra options >> click on open in the browser. See you still see the same view as you mentioned in your post if so please provide a screenshot of the issue.

• Also, may I know what is the default view setup in your SharePoint library
• Open the library where you stored the PDF, and click on Settings > Library settings > Advanced settings, please provide a screenshot here

• Also we notice you have dark view in your PDF may I know what is your system team set up to ?

Go to settings >> personalization please provide an screenshot here

Thank you for your understanding and wish you have a lovely day.

Have a nice day!

Best regards,

Sophia

Answer 2

The files are opened in SharePoint from a document library by clicking the filename.

For the user all the other apps have a light background

Answer 3

Dear AgriMike

Good day!!

Apologies for the inconvenience caused and please don’t worry, let’s work together on your concern and move towards a resolution path.

First of all, thank you for the screenshot you provided. We did multiple tests on our end we were not able to reproduce the view as your user described.

This is the view we are able to reproduce.

To test if this issue is related to the user's computer please use a different computer and login to the user's account and try to open the PDF and see if you get the same use as the user describes. If you get the same error Please share a full screenshot.

Thank you for your understanding and wish you have a lovely day.

Have a nice day!

Best regards,

Sophia

Answer 4

When the user with the issue logs on to another laptop they still have the same problem. It works OK for the owner of the that laptop.

1. Owner of the laptop opens a PDF in SharePoint and it is OK
2. Switch to private session and the user with the issue logs into SharePoint and opens the same PDF, The issue occurs.

The problem has started to effect more users but very gradually.

Answer 5

I spent some time going down this rabbit hole and haven't found anything conclusive.

When I click on documents in a document library, PDFs open and render in the SharePoint Document Viewer, but my office is divided on who opens PDFs in the White-screen SharePoint Viewer and the opaque-black screened Edge document viewer. Enabling/Disabling Adobe browser plugin made no difference--for Edge and Chrome--and so I thought it was possibly related to Microsoft Edge-WebView2 Runtime being pushed in recent Windows updates (because the issue began to arise after a recent update push in my org and my office had different WebView2 versions at the time).

I currently have Microsoft Edge-WebView2 Runtime version 125 as of today and still get the SharePoint Document Viewer and I found a user using version 114 from early 2023 that still opens in the SharePoint viewer, so now I'm back to not knowing where to start. I can't find documentation on how to force the SharePoint Document Viewer to be used. The black-screen Edge PDF Viewer ignores document library sort/filters so clicking on the next document arrow goes to the beginning of the library.