Microsoft Edge comes with many features you won't find on other browsers, like Collections, Vertical Tabs, Game Bar integration, and more. However, some of its quirks also make it more annoying to use at times. For instance, you may want to download Office files from the internet, but the browser might just keep opening them directly instead. This is because the Edge browser is very closely integrated with other Microsoft products, such as the Windows OS. Thankfully, if you do not want Edge to open Office documents directly, there are a few methods by which you can disable this feature.

Method 1: Disable Office Viewer from Edge browser settings

You can directly turn off the Office Viewer in Edge from the browser settings.

  1. Open the Edge browser and click on the three dots on the top right.
  1. Click on 'Settings' in the dropdown menu.
  1. When the Settings page opens, click on 'Downloads' on the left.
  1. On the right side, click on the 'Open Office files in the browser' toggle and turn it off.
  1. If you want more control over your downloads, consider turning on the 'Ask me what to do with each download' option. This will let you choose whether to save or open a file each time you start a download.

Method 2: Turn off Office Viewer as Admin for all users

If you're using a computer with multiple accounts, the Edge browser settings for each user will be set to default. This means that Edge will open Office files in the browser instead of downloading them. In this case, each user will have to use the above method to disable Office Viewer, which can be quite cumbersome. An alternative solution is to use the Registry Editor as an admin to turn the feature off for all users.

  1. Make sure you are signed in to your PC using an administrator account.
  2. Open the Start menu, type regedit, and click on 'Run as administrator'.
  1. When the Registry Editor opens, click on 'File' at the top before clicking on 'Export'.
  1. Enter a name such as 'Backup', and save it by clicking on the 'Save' button. This backup file will help you out in case something goes wrong.
  1. After saving the file, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge or Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Edge, depending on which key is present on your PC.
  1. Right-click on the right side and go to 'New', then 'Key' before selecting 'DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  1. Name the newly created DWORD QuickViewOfficeFilesEnabled.
  1. Double-click on the 'QuickViewOfficeFilesEnabled' entry and set its value to 00000000 in the 'Value data' field.
  1. Close the Registry Editor and restart the Edge browser. Now, Edge should no longer open Office files directly in the browser.

Things to know

  • You can also stop Microsoft Edge from opening PDF files just like Office files from the browser settings. Just go to the 'Site permissions' setting and enable the 'Always download PDF files' toggle to do so.
  • To restore the default behavior and allow Edge to open Office files from the browser settings, just delete the registry key you created. Individual users can turn on the Office File viewer from the Edge browser settings.
  • Registry scripts are also available online, which you can download and use to prevent Edge from opening Office files in the browser. However, it is a good idea to check those files for malware before downloading them to ensure your system remains safe.