PDFs no longer open in the legacy IE browser control

[isladogs]

Hmm...
I agree with some of that but I don't believe its entirely true. Rather than speculate, I've tested most of your comments above.

Back in the day, it was certainly true that PDF wouldn't open within Access unless Acrobat Reader had been installed.
I've just confirmed that on an old A2010 / Win 10 VM and got the same Open / Save dialog without Reader installed..

However, I'm fairly sure that AcroPDF.dll hasn't been a requirement for many years with Edge and other browsers having PDF functionality.

My screenshot in post #1 was from a Win 11 laptop that had never had Acrobat Reader installed and has Edge as the default app for opening PDFs as stated. I've not rolled back Win 11 to before the Jan updates because I know that I could previously open PDFs in the legacy browser control (as well as the Edge browser control).

As many others have reported both here and on other forums, the legacy browser can no longer open PDFs in Win 11 (but is still OK in Win 10)
This change occurred after one of the Win 11 Jan 2026 updates.

As a test, I just installed first a 2022 version of Acrobat Reader then the latest version.
The legacy browser control no longer shows the Open or Save dialog from post #1 but it does show the blank grey box as others have reported - still no PDFs shown

And I tried making Acrobat the default - no effect whatsoever.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Hmm...

However, I'm fairly sure that AcroPDF.dll hasn't been a requirement for many years with Edge and other browsers having PDF functionality.
.

Above is correct, but still in ALL cases, the browser control in Access ALWAYS did require the Adobe plug in....


Did you try installing the older legacy Adobe reader?

And I tried making Acrobat the default - no effect whatsoever.

Has to be a older legacy version that includes AcroPDF......

I'm just going for coffee, and I have that win 11 vm. It has no pdf viewer, will try Access (have to use runtime) and see if the pdf shsows.
(I doubt it will).

From what I recall:
The original Edge (EdgeHTML engine), from some point to 2020 did have a built-in pdf viewer, but Access could NOT use it!!
(hence adobe AcroPDF.dll was required).

And that older edge never exposed a plug-in that Access could use....

And from what I recall, then Access could ONLY ever use the AcroPDF.dll. Edge chrome engine browser did not change nor fix this issue.

When Adobe removed that plug in, then Access could not render PDF's.....

So, even with legacy Edge, even when it did get/or have PDF ability? Access could NEVER use it....
And even with the new Edge, again, did not matter....

But, Adobe Reader DC still shipped the AcroPDF.dll.... (now it does not....)

Around win 10, then Edge Chromium appeared - and it again can display PDF's, but again, Access did not use that feature - it will still showing PDF's via the Adobe path/plug in.

The problem thus is Adobe does not include the AcroPDF.dll anymore -- and this occurred during the win 10 to 11 transition.

Hence, installing a legacy Adobe reader should fix this issue, using the newer version Adobe will NOT work
(so, any version of Adobe such as 2021.007.200099 or earlier should work).

so, say this one:

https://ardownload2.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/AcrobatDC/2200320310/AcroRdrDC2200320310_en_US.exe

I'll test this in a bit when I can remote into that vm of mine....

Confirmed!!!!!!!!

So, as I suspected:

Access web control NEVER at ANY point in time could show a PDF unless the AcroPDF.dll was installed correctly.
Access at no point in time could display a PDF, and the newer or older edge did not matter.

In above test, fresh win 11 vm, Access could not display the PDF, the behavour was exact as yours - you get a external prompt to open the PDF (makes sense at least to give that option, since Access can't display the pdf). This then would launch the web browser, since at this point in time I did NOT have Adobe reader intsalled.

Installing the legacy version of Adobe, it now works...... (and first time I did it, I got a prompt from Adobe -- EULA....).

Bottom line:
You need the AcroPDF.dll, and if I have time, I'll test to see if that one .dll can be just registered without installing the reader - but regardless, we have a working solution......


R
Albert

 

[isladogs]

Did you try installing the older legacy Adobe reader?
Has to be a older legacy version that includes AcroPDF......

Yes - I said I tried both older (2022) using your link & then the latest versions in turn.
You quoted my comments.

As a test, I just installed first a 2022 version of Acrobat Reader then the latest version.
The legacy browser control no longer shows the Open or Save dialog from post #1 but it does show the blank grey box as others have reported - still no PDFs shown

Neither worked

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

bump my post - see edit that first link was WRONG WRONG -- my bad.......
Must be 2021.x, or older -- 2022 Adobe will not work.....

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Neither worked

So, in summary:
Access web control NEVER could display a pdf - regardless of browser installed.
Access web control STILL requires the AcroPDF.dll, and you thus MUST install a version of Reader DC 2021.x, or previous.......

My sincere apologies for having provided the WRONG Adobe link to try.......

Try the current link, this one, it does work for me:

https://ardownload2.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/AcrobatDC/2200320310/AcroRdrDC2200320310_en_US.exe

R
Albert

 

[KitaYama]

So, in summary:
Access web control NEVER could display a pdf - regardless of browser installed.
Access web control STILL requires the AcroPDF.dll, and you thus MUST install a version of Reader DC 2021.x, or previous.......

My sincere apologies for having provided the WRONG Adobe link to try.......

Try the current link, this one, it does work for me:

https://ardownload2.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/AcrobatDC/2200320310/AcroRdrDC2200320310_en_US.exe

R
Albert

I need a confirmation before testing.
What will happen if someone has Adobe Acrobat pro installed? Does using this legacy reader interferes of break anything?
Thanks

 

[isladogs]

So, in summary:
Access web control NEVER could display a pdf - regardless of browser installed.
Access web control STILL requires the AcroPDF.dll, and you thus MUST install a version of Reader DC 2021.x, or previous.......

My sincere apologies for having provided the WRONG Adobe link to try.......

Try the current link, this one, it does work for me:

https://ardownload2.adobe.com/pub/adobe/reader/win/AcrobatDC/2200320310/AcroRdrDC2200320310_en_US.exe

R
Albert

The new link installs exactly the same version as I had already installed earlier (2022.003.20310)
Unsurprisingly, I get the same result as before:
a) With Edge still set as the default PDF viewer, the Open / Dave dialog appears and the legacy web browser remains empty.
b) With Acrobat reader set as default, the legacy web browser remains empty but the PDF opens externally in Acrobat Reader. Still no use.

So to repeat, this isn't a solution as far as I am concerned.
As stated in post #1 and again in #19, Win 11 users can still open PDFs in the Edge browser control but not in the legacy browser control.
In my tests, installing an old version of Acrobat Reader has absolutely no effect in this respect (other than stopping the open/save dialog).

 

[Jon]

I am not aware of any settings for automated logins.

 

[isladogs]

I am not aware of any settings for automated logins.

Thanks. Whatever the reason, I was unable to do an automated login to this site using an Access Edge browser control.

@CJ_London, @The_Doc_Man
Sorry to ask you personally....
I submitted a moderator request to split this thread a couple of days ago but that hasn't happened.
Hopefully its still logged as a moderator request.

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

The new link installs exactly the same version as I had already installed earlier (2022.003.20310)
Unsurprisingly, I get the same result as before:
a) With Edge still set as the default PDF viewer, the Open / Dave dialog appears and the legacy web browser remains empty.
b) With Acrobat reader set as default, the legacy web browser remains empty but the PDF opens externally in Acrobat Reader. Still no use.

So to repeat, this isn't a solution as far as I am concerned.
As stated in post #1 and again in #19, Win 11 users can still open PDFs in the Edge browser control but not in the legacy browser control.
In my tests, installing an old version of Acrobat Reader has absolutely no effect in this respect (other than stopping the open/save dialog).

Sorry - been very busy this week.

How old of a DC reader did you try installing?
VERY unfortunate that the link I provided? Well, even FileGozzilion and a few other sites providing "older" Adobe readers?
They been scrubbed, and NOW when you hit the Adobe site, they have removed those older versions - the ones we need!
(and those file sites - they ALSO now link to Adobe....).

If time permits, I'll provide a "older" DC link. However, just because this works for me, it's not a viable solution, since as of writing thiss, and INCLUDIG the link I provided to Adobe is not a viable link or solution. So, I'll try to provide a link to Adobe DC reader that DOES correctly install and register the AcroPDF.dll - right now even the link I provided does not correctly setup things as required.

But, if the link I provide (later today - time permitting) does work, then perhaps installing this older version of DC reader, and THEN installing a newer version will work.
And to be fair, it's possible that EVEN with the older DC reader link I will provide, I'm still open to this not working for you - but it does currently work for me right now.....

R
Albert

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Thanks. Whatever the reason, I was unable to do an automated login to this site using an Access Edge browser control.

@CJ_London, @The_Doc_Man
Sorry to ask you personally....
I submitted a moderator request to split this thread a couple of days ago but that hasn't happened.
Hopefully its still logged as a moderator request.

I don't know how to do that. I was hoping another moderator did, so I left the report alone.

 

[isladogs]

Thanks for responding.
I did that several times when I was a mod several years ago but can't recall the details now...
IIRC it is relatively straightforward! Create new thread then move selected posts into that.

 

[RonPaii]

Sorry - been very busy this week.

How old of a DC reader did you try installing?
VERY unfortunate that the link I provided? Well, even FileGozzilion and a few other sites providing "older" Adobe readers?
They been scrubbed, and NOW when you hit the Adobe site, they have removed those older versions - the ones we need!
(and those file sites - they ALSO now link to Adobe....).

If time permits, I'll provide a "older" DC link. However, just because this works for me, it's not a viable solution, since as of writing thiss, and INCLUDIG the link I provided to Adobe is not a viable link or solution. So, I'll try to provide a link to Adobe DC reader that DOES correctly install and register the AcroPDF.dll - right now even the link I provided does not correctly setup things as required.

But, if the link I provide (later today - time permitting) does work, then perhaps installing this older version of DC reader, and THEN installing a newer version will work.
And to be fair, it's possible that EVEN with the older DC reader link I will provide, I'm still open to this not working for you - but it does currently work for me right now.....

R
Albert

I have an old reader installer from 2012 but don't know if it would be legal to upload.

Would another reader like FoxIt work?

 

[theDBguy]

Thanks for responding.
I did that several times when I was a mod several years ago but can't recall the details now...
IIRC it is relatively straightforward! Create new thread then move selected posts into that.

All done. Please double check that I didn't miss a post to move or moved a post I wasn't supposed to.

Cannot run web page login code using the Edge browser control

These changes hurt so much. We could have a legacy web control and set it to a specific internet site. Then in form's Load event, run a vba code to set a value in username & password of the site and click a button to login. If necessary, users could tick a checkbox to show the local pdf of the...

www.access-programmers.co.uk

Cheers!

 

[isladogs]

Almost perfect. Can you also delete posts #20 & #26 from this thread to tidy things up. Thank you!

 

[theDBguy]

Almost perfect. Can you also delete posts #20 & #26 from this thread to tidy things up. Thank you!

Done!