Make Chrome your default browser to protect yourself from security issues with the Edge browser. Windows 10 automatically makes Edge as the default browser. Windows 10 also makes the Edge browser the default viewer for PDF’s. This can cause security issues, like this recent exploit.
It is far safer to create separation between the Windows 10 operating system and your browser and PDF viewer by making Chrome your default browser and Adobe Reader your default PDF viewer.
How To Change Your Default Browser
Making Chrome your default browser in Windows 10 is actually quite easy.
- Install Chrome
- Go to Settings -> System -> Default Apps
- Scroll down to Browser, click and set it to Chrome
How to Change your Default PDF Viewer
Installing and setting Adobe Acrobat Reader as your default PDF viewer is also quite easy
- Install Adobe Acrobat Reader
- From your Default apps window; Scroll to the bottom and select Choose default apps by file type
- Scroll down to “.pdf” and click on the right and choose Adobe Acrobat Reader
Enjoy Safer Browsing
Now that Chrome is your default browser, and Adobe Reader is your default PDF reader you will circumvent the possibility of security issues from the Edge browser associations to the Windows 10 operating system.
It is always a good idea to keep your browsing program separate from the operating system.
Microsoft had the same close association in previous operating systems when they tied Internet Explorer closely to Windows XP, 7 and Vista. Edge, as the replacement for Internet Explorer has much the same associations.