Top 5 Ways to Fix PDF Attachments Not Opening in Outlook

Why Cannot Open PDF Attachments in Outlook

Outlook is a practical tool used for communicating in both work and personal life. It allows you to preview attachments before opening or saving them on your computer. However, many users complain that they cannot open PDF attachments in Outlook.

Why? The main reason for Outlook not opening PDF attachments is related to the disabled attachments preview option. Besides, an outdated version, a corrupt PDF viewer, and antivirus interference are also responsible for the problem.

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How to Fix PDF Attachments Not Opening in Outlook

If you are unable to open PDF attachments in Outlook, try the following 5 ways one by one until the problem gets solved.

Way 1. Turn on PDF Attachments Preview

First of all, you should make sure the PDF attachments preview is enabled. If not, you can’t open PDF attachments in Outlook. Here’s how to enable the option.

Step 1. Open Outlook and navigate to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.

Step 2. Select Attachment Handling from the left panel and click on Attachment and Document Previewers.

Step 3. In the pop-up window, tick the box of PDF Preview Handler and click on OK to save the change.

Step 4. Click on OK in the Trust Center window. Then restart the tool and see if the “PDF attachments not opening in Outlook” issue persists.

Way 2. Use an Expert PDF Viewer

If you can’t open PDF attachments in Outlook, try using a professional PDF viewer. MiniTool PDF Editor allows you to add attachments to a PDF and open it easily. Moreover, it can be used to add text to PDF, change the background, replace images, remove watermarks, add stamps, and so on.

Here’s how to attach a PDF using MiniTool PDF Editor.

Step 1. Open the PDF you want to add attachments to and navigate to the Annotate tab.

Step 2. Select Attachment, move your cursor to the location where you want to add the attachment, and click it. Then select the file you want to add and click on Open to embed it.

Step 3. After adding to the PDF, you can drag and drop it anywhere to change its place. Besides, you can right-click it and change its Status or delete it. If you want to open the attachment, double-click it, select the Open the attachment option, and click OK to open it.

Way 3. Update Outlook

Sometimes, the Outlook not opening PDF attachments issue can be caused by a known bug in the software. In this case, you can try updating Outlook to the latest version. To do that, open the utility, select File > Office Account, go to Update Options, and select Update now. Then it will automatically check for updates and download available updates.

Way 4. Change the Default PDF Viewer

If the default app you used to open PDF get corrupted, you may encounter the “unable to open PDF attachments in Outlook” issue. Here, you change the default app used by PDF.

Step 1. Press the Win + I keys to open the Settings window and select Apps.

Step 2. Click Default apps from the right panel and go to the Set a default for a file type or link type section.

Step 3. Type pdf in the search box and select your desired PDF reader as the default app. Here, I take MiniTool PDF Editor for example.

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Way 5. Check the Windows Firewall or Antivirus Interference

If your antivirus or Windows Firewall is blocking Outlook from accessing the attachment, you may encounter the “PDF attachments not opening in Outlook” issue. To avoid the problem, you can try disabling your Windows security and antivirus software temporarily.

The End

Simply put, this post shows you how to fix PDF attachments not opening in Outlook. If you can’t add attachments or open them in PDF, you can try using MiniTool PDF Editor or try other methods in the post.