PDF preview controller “Can't preview this file

PDF preview driver error usually appears when Windows users try to preview a file in Outlook. The error description indicates that the file cannot be previewed due to a preview error. As usual, This problem starts to occur after the user upgrades to a newer version of Outlook when the user uses Acrobat Reader as the default PDF reader.

PDF preview driver error in Outlook

What is causing the PDF preview driver error?

• Automatic Internet detection is enabled: It turns out that a potential cause that can lead to the PDF preview driver error is a setting called Internet Auto Detect. Some users facing this issue have managed to fix it by accessing LAN Settings and disabling Auto Detect Settings option.

• EULA for Adobe Reader was not accepted: Another scenario where this error will occur is a fresh installation of Adobe Reader that has never been opened before. It turns out that you need to accept Adobe's EULA before the application can preview files externally. Therefore, if this scenario is applicable, you can fix the problem by opening Adobe Reader and accepting the EULA.

• Adobe Reader runs on Windows Server: This error is very common in cases where the user tries to use the preview capabilities of Adobe Reader on a version of Windows Server (most commonly Windows Server 2016). In this case, You can fix the problem by forcing Adobe Reader to run in Windows compatibility mode 8.

• Adobe Reader is not set as the default PDF driver: if your default PDF viewer is not set to be the default PDF driver and the PDF thumbnail preview feature is not enabled, expect to see this error when you try to preview PDF files in Panorama. To solve the problem, you will need to access Adobe Reader preferences and force it to become your global PDF controller.

• Registration problem: this was mitigated in the recent version of Adobe Reader, but if you are using older versions, you may need to make some corrections to the registry (either manually or by relying on a third-party solution to replace the bad record value automatically).

1. Disabling Automatic Internet Detection

It turns out that one of the most common culprits that could end up causing the PDF Preview Manager error is an Adobe Reader setting called Automatic Internet Detection.. Several users who were unable to use the default Outlook preview have reported that the issue was finally resolved after accessing the LAN settings of Adobe Reader and disabling the auto-detect settings option.

This possible solution has been reported to work for users encountering this issue on Windows 10. This is what to do:

1. Open your Adobe Acrobat Reader application. Once the utility is fully open, go to edit (from the ribbon bar at the top) and click Preferences at the bottom of the context menu that just appeared.

2. Once you are in the preferences screen, use the Categories menu on the left side to select Internet.

3. With the Internet tab selected, move to the right section and click on Internet Settings (in Internet Options).

4. After entering the Internet Properties screen, select the Connections tab and then click the LAN Settings button (in Local Area Network Settings).

5. Within the Local Area Network configuration menu (LAN), uncheck the box associated with Automatically detect settings, then click OK to save the changes.

6. Now that you are back in the Internet Properties menu, click Apply to save changes.

7. Close Adobe Reader and restart your computer. Later, at the next start of the computer, see if the problem is already solved.

Disable automatic internet detection through the internet settings menu

If you still encounter PDF preview driver error when trying to open an attachment in Microsoft Outlook, go to next method.

2. Acceptance of the Adobe Reader EULA

Another possible cause that will cause the PDF preview driver to remain disabled in Outlook is an instance where Adobe Reader is installed but the program did not start, so the EULA was never accepted. Turns out, you have to accept the EULA from Adobe Reader before you can use the preview feature externally.

If this scenario is applicable, you can easily solve the problem by opening Adobe Reader for the first time and accepting the Adobe Software License Agreement by clicking the Accept button.

Acceptance of the Adobe Reader EULA

After doing this, you can safely close the application and restart your computer. In the next start, you should be able to use Outlook's preview feature without encountering the same PDF preview driver error.

If the same problem keeps appearing, go to next potential solution below.

3. Running Adobe Reader in Compatibility Mode

It turns out that several Office programs 2016 (incluido Outlook) they will not run correctly when forced to function normally on an operating system such as Windows Server 2016. Several different affected users who are in this scenario have reported that they have encountered the PDF preview driver error after every attempt to preview a file directly in Outlook.

Note: If you have problems, here is a quick guide to running older programs on Windows 10 using compatibility mode.

If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the problem by forcing Adobe Reader to run in Windows compatibility mode 8. Here is a quick guide on how to do it:

PROFESSIONAL SUGGESTION: If the problem is with your computer or laptop, you should try using Reimage Plus, which can scan repositories and replace damaged and lost files. This works in most cases when the problem originates due to system damage. You can download Reimage for By clicking here

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the location of your Adobe Reader installation. If you didn't install the PDF reader in a custom location, you can find it in:

   C:Program files (x86)N-AdobeAcrobat Reader DC

2. Once you get to the right location, double click on the Reader folder.

3. Then, scroll down the file list and find AcroRd32.exe. When I see it, right click on it and choose Properties from the context menu. Accessing the Properties menu

4. Once you are inside the AcroRd32.exe Properties, select the Compatibility tab.

5. Then, in Compatibility Plus, check the box associated with Run this program in compatibility mode to, then select Windows 8 in the drop-down menu directly below. Force Adobe Reader to run in compatibility mode

6. Click Apply to save the changes, then restart your computer and repeat the action that previously caused the PDF Preview Driver error.

If the same problem persists, continue with next method.

4. Make Adobe Reader the default PDF driver

It turns out that a particular scenario that could trigger this problem is a case where Adobe Reader is installed but not configured to be the default PDF driver and PDF thumbnail previews are not allowed from the application settings menu..

In this case, you can fix the problem by accessing the Preferences menu and adjusting the settings so that Adobe Reader is the default option.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make Adobe Reader the default PDF driver:

1. Open Acrobat Reader and go to Edit> Preferences from the ribbon bar at the top.

2. Inside the Preferences menu, go to General from the left section, then move to the right side and start by checking the checkbox associated with Enable PDF thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer.

3. Later, Scroll down to the Application Launch section and click Select as Default PDF Driver.

4. Follow the onscreen instructions to make Adobe Reader the global PDF manager.

5. Once the operation is complete, restart the computer and see if the problem is resolved on the next system startup.

Make Adobe Reader the default PDF driver

If you still encounter the same error from the DF Forecast Manager, scroll down to possible final solution below.

5. Fix the registry problem (ONLY old versions of Adobe Reader)

If you run into this problem with an outdated version of Adobe Reader, it is most likely due to an old registry problem that, since then, Adobe has patched with newer versions. This problem will manifest itself when you try to open previews in Microsoft Outlook and Windows Explorer in Windows versions of 64 bits.

In case you want to fix the problem without updating to a newer version of Adobe Reader, has two ways of moving on: or do manual tour and change a particular APPID manually, or you can use a third party fix to make the change automatically.

Using the PDF preview checker

1. Visit this link (here) and wait for the fixes file to download. Once the download is complete, extract the file and go to the folder Fix for x64 Adobe Reader Preview Handler. Adobe Reader Preview

2. Once you get to the correct folder, right-click the executable and click Open as administrator in the context menu that just appeared.

3. In the next window, start by checking the box associated with any additional changes required for the old Office bet 2010.

4. Then click Apply correction and wait for the operation to complete. Apply fix for Adobe Reader preview driver error automatically

5. Restart the computer and see if the problem is resolved on the next computer startup.

Fix the registry problem manually

1. Press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog. Then write $ 0027regedit $ 0027 and hit Enter to open Registry Editor. When prompted UAC (User account control), click Yes to grant administrative privileges. Open the registry editor

   Note: If you get an error when trying to open Registry Editor, here is how to repair regedit.exe.

2. Once inside the Registry Editor, use the section on the left to navigate to the next location:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeNClasesNCLSIDN{DC6EFB56-9CFA-464D-8880-44885D7DC193}

   Note: You can get there instantly by pasting the location directly into the navigation bar and hitting Enter.

3. After reaching the right place, double click the AppID text value and change the value data to {534A1E02-D58F-44f0-B58B-36CBED287C7C}.

   Set the value of the AppId text to the correct value

4. Click OK to save the changes, then restart the computer and see if the problem is resolved on the next computer startup.

SUGGESTION: If none of the methods have solved your problem, we recommend that you use the Reimage repair tool, which can scan repositories to replace damaged and lost files. This works in most cases, when the problem originates due to a system corruption. Reimage will also optimize your system for maximum performance. You can download Reimage for By clicking here