Windows since Windows Vista and Microsoft Outlook since Outlook 2007 has great feature where users can preview the content of a file without actually opening the file. The direct preview is especially useful for file attachments sent by emails to your inbox, where you can has a glimpse of what’s in the file or documents immediately within the reading pane of Outlook.

Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t provide preview handler (engine to render and display the preview of files) for one of the common file type, Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Microsoft does provide a sample previewer for Acrobat PDF file. But now you can also use Foxit Preview Handler to view PDF attachments without opening it. Foxit Reader is an alternative PDF viewer and reader to Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Download Foxit PDF Preview Handler for Windows Vista and Windows 7: FoxitPdfPreviewHandlerSetup_1_1.msi
Download Foxit PDF Preview Handler for Windows XP: FoxPDFPSrv_1_1.msi

Foxit PDF Preview Handler

Foxit PDF Preview Handler is created by Tim Hueur.

No Adobe Reader or crobat Reader or Foxit Reader is required in order for the PDF previewer for Windows and Outlook to work. However, currently, the PDF preview handler requires Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or later, or Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010 or later installed on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or later.

You can use Preview Handler Association Editor to expand the types and extensions of files that a preview handler can support.