New PDF Viewer in Edge, October 2025

Please see the following scheduled Information Technology Services (ITS) maintenance process:

Date: Between October 2025 and March 2026 (An exact implementation date is unavailable for WSU’s Microsoft environment.)

The following work is being completed: Microsoft is introducing the Adobe Acrobat PDF viewer as the default experience in Edge (Version 141) for enterprise users on Windows.

All affected groups: Users accessing Microsoft Edge via a WSU-managed Windows device

All affected processes:

  • The Adobe-powered PDF viewer will replace the legacy viewer as the default experience.
  • The user interface and controls will remain unchanged.

Duration of impact: This is a permanent, Microsoft-driven change.

Necessary follow-up steps: While no action is required, WSU Microsoft administrators can manage the PDF viewer experience in Edge using the following policies:

  • PDF Viewer Policies:
  • Policy Behavior:
    • Maintain Default Policy: Users will continue using the legacy viewer until Microsoft automatically transitions them to the new Adobe viewer.
    • Enable Policy: Enable the NewPDFReaderEnabled policy to transition users to the new Adobe viewer early.
    • Disable Policy: Disable the NewPDFReaderEnabled policy to keep the legacy viewer. Opt-out is supported until June 2026.

Questions? Please contact Crimson Service Desk at crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu or 509-335-4357.