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PDFs no longer render in Access Web Browser control after Jan 2026 update — only a gray screen

Hanthorn Jeff 105 Reputation points
2026-02-02T11:25:32.42+00:00

I’m having an issue with a form that uses the Web Browser control to display PDF files. The control itself appears to load normally, but when it tries to open a PDF, the page just shows as a blank gray screen.

This is happening for multiple users and across different databases, so it doesn’t seem to be related to file corruption. The PDFs open fine outside of Access.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | Other | Other
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Dora-T 13,745 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-02-02T12:53:40.28+00:00

Hi Hanthorn Jeff

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum and sharing your issue.

Based on my research, the classic WebBrowser control in Access relies on the legacy Internet Explorer (IE) engine, which Microsoft has deprecated and disabled through recent Windows and Microsoft 365 updates. When the underlying IE runtime is no longer available, PDFs may display only a blank or gray screen without a clear error message. For this reason, the legacy control is no longer a reliable option for viewing PDFs in Access.

Microsoft now recommends using the newer Microsoft Edge WebBrowser control (WebView2). However, it is not a direct drop-in replacement, and existing databases may need some adjustments for it to work properly.

If the Edge-based control also appears blank, this is often related to how the PDF file path is passed through VBA. When navigating to a local file, you must include the following prefix before the file path: https://msaccess/

For your reference: Use the Edge browser control on a form.

I also found a few related threads reporting the same behavior, which you may find helpful:

Unable to view PDF in form following January 2026 MS Access Update - Microsoft Q&A

webbrowser control access vba - Microsoft Q&A

I hope this helps.

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  1. George Hepworth 22,855 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-02-07T13:11:25.95+00:00

    There is growing consensus that this is a bug introduced in January, 2026. It impacts the legacy, IE based, web browser control, not the new Edge based web browser control.

    Several of us have reported being able to replicate the behavior. I don't know if a report has been forwarded to Microsoft yet, but that should happen soon once the details are gathered.

    See this ongoing discussion, for example.

    https://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/threads/pdfs-no-longer-open-in-the-legacy-ie-browser-control.335173/#post-1985642

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