Downloads

The download holds these scripts in plain text (open the .ps1 files in Notepad), with the two buttons that run them, a check that changes nothing (“PDF check.cmd”), the icon and a short read-me.

set-pdf-preview.ps1

# PDF and Photo: PDF previews in Outlook and File Explorer on Windows (26 October 2026).
#
# Why this is needed: Outlook's reading pane and File Explorer's preview pane draw a PDF with a Windows
# "preview handler" registered for PDF files. A website, an installed web app (like PDF and Photo) or a
# Chrome extension can't add one. When a PDF program that had set its own previewer is removed (Adobe
# Acrobat, for example), PDF files are often left with no previewer at all, and Outlook says "This file
# cannot be previewed because there is no previewer installed for it".
#
# What this does, for your Windows account only (no administrator needed):
#   1. checks that the "Microsoft PDF Previewer" that Microsoft Edge installs (and keeps up to date) is on
#      this computer, and that its file is really there;
#   2. if PDF files already have a working previewer (from Adobe, Foxit, Edge or another program), changes
#      nothing and says which one;
#   3. otherwise sets that previewer for PDF files under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.pdf, and
#      notes under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PDFandPhoto that it did, so the undo removes only its own change.
# Nothing else is changed. It doesn't change which program opens PDF files.
# To undo: run this with -Undo ("Undo PDF and Photo set-up.cmd" does): it removes the setting again, only if it is
# still the one this set.

param([switch]$Undo)
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

$previewKey = 'ShellEx\{8895b1c6-b41f-4c1c-a562-0d564250836f}'   # Windows' fixed name for "preview handler"
$edgePreviewer = '{3A84F9C2-6164-485C-A7D9-4B27F8AC009E}'         # "Microsoft PDF Previewer", installed by Edge
$userKey = "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.pdf\$previewKey"
$markKey = 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PDFandPhoto'
$markName = 'PdfPreviewSet'

function Read-Default([string]$path) {
  try { return (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath "Registry::$path" -ErrorAction Stop).'(default)' } catch { return $null }
}
function Handler-File([string]$clsid) {
  # The file a preview handler runs from, or $null when it isn't registered or the file is gone.
  if (-not $clsid) { return $null }
  $dll = Read-Default "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\$clsid\InProcServer32"
  if (-not $dll) { return $null }
  $dll = [Environment]::ExpandEnvironmentVariables($dll.Trim('"'))
  if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $dll) { return $dll } else { return $null }
}
function Handler-Name([string]$clsid) {
  $n = Read-Default "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\$clsid"
  if ($n) { return $n } else { return $clsid }
}
function Tell-Windows {
  # "File types changed": Explorer reads the PDF settings again. Outlook reads them when it starts.
  try {
    Add-Type -Namespace PdfAndPhoto -Name Shell2 -MemberDefinition '[System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("shell32.dll")] public static extern void SHChangeNotify(int wEventId, uint uFlags, System.IntPtr dwItem1, System.IntPtr dwItem2);'
    [PdfAndPhoto.Shell2]::SHChangeNotify(0x08000000, 0x1000, [System.IntPtr]::Zero, [System.IntPtr]::Zero)
  } catch { }
}

$mark = $null
try { $mark = (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $markKey -ErrorAction Stop).$markName } catch { }

if ($Undo) {
  $now = $null
  try { $now = (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $userKey -ErrorAction Stop).'(default)' } catch { }
  if ($mark -and $now -eq $mark) {
    Remove-Item -LiteralPath $userKey -Force
    Write-Host 'Done: the PDF previewer setting made by PDF and Photo was removed.'
  } elseif ($now) {
    Write-Host "PDF files have a previewer setting that PDF and Photo didn't make ($(Handler-Name $now)), so it was left as it is."
  } else {
    Write-Host 'There was nothing to undo.'
  }
  if ($mark) { Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $markKey -Name $markName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }
  if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $markKey) {
    $left = (Get-Item -LiteralPath $markKey).GetValueNames().Count + @(Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $markKey).Count
    if ($left -eq 0) { Remove-Item -LiteralPath $markKey -Force }
  }
  Tell-Windows
  Write-Host 'Close Outlook and open it again for the change to show there.'
  exit 0
}

# 1. The previewer we would use.
$edgeFile = Handler-File $edgePreviewer
if (-not $edgeFile) {
  Write-Host "The Microsoft PDF Previewer that Microsoft Edge installs isn't on this computer, so nothing was changed."
  Write-Host 'Updating Microsoft Edge (open Edge, then Settings, About Microsoft Edge) usually installs it. Then run this again.'
  exit 1
}

# 2. Does PDF already have a working previewer? Windows looks at the program that opens PDF files first,
#    then at .pdf itself.
$choice = $null
foreach ($sub in 'UserChoiceLatest\ProgId', 'UserChoiceLatest', 'UserChoice') {
  if ($choice) { break }
  try { $choice = (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf\$sub" -ErrorAction Stop).ProgId } catch { }
}
$fromProgram = if ($choice) { Read-Default "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\$choice\$previewKey" } else { $null }
$fromPdf = Read-Default "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pdf\$previewKey"

if ($fromProgram -and (Handler-File $fromProgram)) {
  Write-Host "PDF files already have a working previewer: $(Handler-Name $fromProgram) (set by the program that opens PDF files). Nothing was changed."
  exit 0
}
if ($fromPdf -and ($fromPdf -ne $mark) -and (Handler-File $fromPdf)) {
  Write-Host "PDF files already have a working previewer: $(Handler-Name $fromPdf). Nothing was changed."
  exit 0
}
if ($fromProgram -and -not (Handler-File $fromProgram)) {
  Write-Host "Note: the program that opens PDF files ($choice) names a previewer that isn't on this computer any more."
  Write-Host 'Windows may try that one first. If previews still don''t show after this, choose PDF and Photo as your PDF app.'
}

# 3. Set the Microsoft PDF Previewer for PDF files, for this Windows account.
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $userKey)) { New-Item -Path $userKey -Force | Out-Null }
Set-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $userKey -Name '(default)' -Value $edgePreviewer
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $markKey)) { New-Item -Path $markKey -Force | Out-Null }
Set-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $markKey -Name $markName -Value $edgePreviewer
Tell-Windows

Write-Host 'Done. PDF files now use the Microsoft PDF Previewer for previews.'
Write-Host 'Close Outlook and open it again, then click a PDF attachment once: it shows in the reading pane.'
Write-Host 'In File Explorer, press Alt+P to show the preview pane, then click a PDF once.'

set-pdf-icon.ps1

# PDF and Photo: puts the PDF and Photo icon on PDF files in File Explorer (25 October 2026).
#
# Why this is needed: Chrome registers the installed PDF and Photo app as a program for PDF files, but it
# gives Windows no icon for the files themselves (its registry entry has no "DefaultIcon"), so File Explorer
# shows a blank page on every PDF. Nothing on the website can change that.
#
# What this does, for your Windows account only:
#   1. copies the icon to AppData\Local\PDFandPhoto\pdf-file.ico in your user folder;
#   2. adds that icon ("DefaultIcon") to PDF and Photo's own entry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes;
#   3. tells File Explorer to redraw its icons.
# Nothing else is changed. If the app is ever reinstalled, Chrome rewrites its entry: run this again.
# To undo: run this with -Undo ("Undo PDF and Photo set-up.cmd" does): it removes the icon entry and the icon file.

param([switch]$Undo)
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

$here = Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
$destDir = Join-Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA 'PDFandPhoto'
$ico = Join-Path $destDir 'pdf-file.ico'
$classes = 'Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes'

function Update-Icons {
  # Tells File Explorer to read the icons again. If Windows refuses, the change is still made: it shows after
  # pressing F5 in a folder, or after a restart.
  $told = $false
  try {
    Add-Type -Namespace PdfAndPhoto -Name Shell -MemberDefinition '[System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("shell32.dll")] public static extern void SHChangeNotify(int wEventId, uint uFlags, System.IntPtr dwItem1, System.IntPtr dwItem2);'
    # SHCNE_ASSOCCHANGED, SHCNF_FLUSH: "file types changed", so Explorer reads the icons again.
    [PdfAndPhoto.Shell]::SHChangeNotify(0x08000000, 0x1000, [System.IntPtr]::Zero, [System.IntPtr]::Zero)
    $told = $true
  } catch { }
  $ie4 = Join-Path $env:SystemRoot 'System32\ie4uinit.exe'
  if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $ie4) { try { & $ie4 -show; $told = $true } catch { } }
  if (-not $told) { Write-Host "File Explorer couldn't be told to redraw its icons. Press F5 in a folder, or restart the PC once." }
}

# 1. Find PDF and Photo's entries. Chrome gives each one an "Application" key whose ApplicationName is the
#    app's name (Chrome adds the profile's name when the app is installed in more than one profile).
$progIds = New-Object System.Collections.Generic.List[string]
foreach ($k in Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $classes -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
  $name = $k.PSChildName
  if ($name.StartsWith('.')) { continue }
  $appKey = "$classes\$name\Application"
  if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $appKey) {
    $appName = $null
    try { $appName = (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $appKey -ErrorAction Stop).ApplicationName } catch { }
    if ($appName -like 'PDF and Photo*') { $progIds.Add($name) }
  }
}

# The program Windows opens PDF files with now (newer Windows 11 versions keep it in "UserChoiceLatest").
$choice = $null
foreach ($sub in 'UserChoiceLatest\ProgId', 'UserChoiceLatest', 'UserChoice') {
  if ($choice) { break }
  try { $choice = (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath "Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.pdf\$sub" -ErrorAction Stop).ProgId } catch { }
}

if ($Undo) {
  # Removes the icon entry from PDF and Photo's entries (if the app is still installed) and the icon file.
  foreach ($p in $progIds) { Remove-Item -LiteralPath "$classes\$p\DefaultIcon" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }
  if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $ico) { Remove-Item -LiteralPath $ico -Force }
  if ((Test-Path -LiteralPath $destDir) -and -not (Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $destDir -Force)) { Remove-Item -LiteralPath $destDir -Force }
  Update-Icons
  Write-Host "Done: the PDF and Photo file icon was removed again ($($progIds.Count) entry or entries, and the icon file)."
  exit 0
}

if ($progIds.Count -eq 0) {
  Write-Host "PDF and Photo isn't installed as an app for PDF files on this computer, so there is nothing to change."
  if ($choice) { Write-Host "Windows opens PDF files with: $choice" }
  Write-Host "How to install it and make it your PDF app: https://pdfandphoto.com/downloads/#app . Then run this again."
  exit 1
}

# 2. The icon file, in a folder of your own that stays put.
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $destDir | Out-Null
Copy-Item -LiteralPath (Join-Path $here 'pdf-and-photo-file.ico') -Destination $ico -Force

# 3. The icon entry on each PDF and Photo entry.
foreach ($p in $progIds) {
  $key = "$classes\$p\DefaultIcon"
  if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $key)) { New-Item -Path "$classes\$p" -Name 'DefaultIcon' | Out-Null }
  Set-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $key -Name '(default)' -Value "$ico,0"
  Write-Host "Icon set on PDF and Photo's entry: $p"
}

Update-Icons

Write-Host ''
if ($choice -and -not $progIds.Contains($choice)) {
  Write-Host "Note: Windows doesn't open PDF files with PDF and Photo at the moment (it uses: $choice)."
  Write-Host "Right-click a PDF, Open with, Choose another app, pick PDF and Photo and click Always. The new icon then shows."
} else {
  Write-Host 'Done. Look at your PDF files in File Explorer: they now show the PDF and Photo icon.'
  Write-Host 'If a folder still shows the old icon, click in it and press F5. If it is still old, restart the PC once.'
}