Need a Script or Policy to Automatically Set Installed Adobe (Reader or Acrobat) as Default App for .PDF Files Based on Available ProgID

TechUST 581 Reputation points
2025-04-18T15:42:21.1+00:00

Hi,

Hi,

We have a mixed environment where both Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat are deployed across different user machines. The requirement is to implement a solution (via PowerShell script or policy) that automatically detects the installed Adobe application on a device and sets it as the default handler for .pdf files.

The solution should:

Query the system to detect the installed Adobe application (Reader or Acrobat)

Identify the correct ProgID.

Set the detected Adobe app as the default PDF handler for the current user or all users

This needs to work dynamically without hardcoding specific versions, to support future updates as well.

Please suggest solution or script or XML to automate this.

Microsoft Intune Security
Microsoft Intune Security
Microsoft Intune: A Microsoft cloud-based management solution that offers mobile device management, mobile application management, and PC management capabilities.Security: The precautions taken to guard against crime, attack, sabotage, espionage, or another threat.
488 questions
0 comments No comments
{count} votes

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Catherine Kyalo 1,075 Reputation points Microsoft Employee
    2025-04-24T06:04:10.83+00:00

    Hi

    Based on my research, Microsoft does not have step by step documentation on how to implement this. Additionally, It seems that ftype and assoc are not powerful on systems running Windows 8 or later. Also ftype is not available from PowerShell. Refer - ftype

    This is due to the fact that Microsoft decided in Windows 8 that users should be able to set default programs only via the built in GUI. This probably was due to security reasons and trouble with applications hijacking file type associations. Refer - https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2015/05/20/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-10122-for-pcs/

    0 comments No comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as Accepted Answers by the question author, which helps users to know the answer solved the author's problem.