How to get Outlook to open attachments DIRECTLY in default software (not preview)

Question

How to get Outlook to open attachments DIRECTLY in default software (not preview)

Thomas Richards 15

All versions of outlook now appear to open attachments first, or only, in some sort of "preview" window within the email, which is obviously extremely unhelpful and inefficient for any type of user.

For a specific example, an email has a .pdf attachment. When I click the icon for the file, I want it to open directly in (for example Adobe Acrobat). I am essentially asking how we can remove or disable the "preview" feature which is useful for no one and extremely annoying for everyone.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Stefan Blom 357.2K MVP Volunteer Moderator

In the new Outlook, what you can do is double-click an attachment. While that won't open the file directly, you will see the file download dialog box from which you can open the file. No preview will be shown. See the screen shot below. Maybe this is what you are doing already.

Note that it isn't possible to bypass the preview window for attachments in the web version of Outlook, though.

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Young, Peter 10 Reputation points

2026-11-03T04:09:59.2866667+00:00

So I tried this out (again), and found through experimentation that every other time I double click the attachment, it presents the file download dialog vs opening in preview mode. At first I thought it was the speed of my double click, but no, it's literally toggles between preview and the open dialog.
Stefan Blom 357.2K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-11-04T07:13:51+00:00

So I tried this out (again), and found through experimentation that every other time I double click the attachment, it presents the file download dialog vs opening in preview mode. At first I thought it was the speed of my double click, but no, it's literally toggles between preview and the open dialog.

I can't explain why that happens on your system. For me, double-clicking works consistently.

Answer 2

Chloe-V 15,075 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Thomas Richards

I understand that you would like PDF attachments in new Outlook to open directly in Adobe Acrobat instead of first opening in Outlook’s built-in preview.

Unfortunately, new Outlook does not currently provide an end-user setting to completely disable attachment preview. As a workaround, select the drop-down arrow next to the attachment and choose Open or Open in Adobe Acrobat, depending on the available option.

You can also make sure Adobe Acrobat is set as the default PDF application in Windows Settings > Apps > Default apps. Please note that this determines which application opens the PDF after you choose Open, but it does not change the initial preview behavior in new Outlook.

If you need attachment previews to be disabled entirely, this option is currently available only in classic Outlook under:

File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Attachment Handling > Turn off Attachment Preview

I understand that the additional selection is less efficient, especially when you regularly work with attachments.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Yes". If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Campbell Godfrey 5 Reputation points

2026-10-29T02:58:08.16+00:00

I do not have the optiuon to open or open in a 3rd party program, just Preview/save to Onedrive/copy/save as....
Chloe-V 15,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T23:39:50.4666667+00:00

Hi @Thomas Richards

May I know if you have got any chance to check my answer? I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Chloe-V 15,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-29T23:40:30.8666667+00:00

Hi @Campbell Godfrey

Thank you for clarifying. If you only see Preview, Save to OneDrive, Copy, and Save as, then the direct Open option is not available for that attachment in new Outlook.

The current workaround is to select Save as, download the attachment, and open the downloaded file in the default desktop application. Unfortunately, new Outlook does not currently include a setting to disable the built-in attachment preview completely.

If you need attachments to bypass the preview, classic Outlook remains the available option, where you can disable attachment preview under:

File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Attachment Handling > Turn off Attachment Preview
Young, Peter 10 Reputation points

2026-10-30T02:13:33.5333333+00:00

I appreciate that you've provided facts, but I had to mark it as unhelpful because it doesn't provide an actual solution the the fact that Microsoft made Outlook worse with this version. I'm finding that as time goes on, Microsoft is making all of their software harder to use, adding layers and layers to get to things under the guise of making their software easier for novice users. Unfortunately, there are integrations with 3rd party products like Hubspot that are not compatible with classic outlook, so downgrading is not an option.
Chloe-V 15,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-01T23:42:07.9866667+00:00

Hi Young, Peter

Thank you for sharing the additional context. I understand that switching to classic Outlook is not a practical option because the third-party integrations you rely on, such as HubSpot, are not compatible with it.

I also understand your frustration that the available workarounds add extra steps rather than providing the direct attachment-opening behavior you need. Unfortunately, there is currently no further setting or workaround in new Outlook that can bypass the built-in preview.

Since this would require a change to how new Outlook currently handles attachments, I recommend submitting your feedback directly through Help > Feedback in new Outlook. This allows your request, including the impact on workflows that depend on third-party integrations, to be shared with the product team for consideration.

Thank you again for taking the time to explain how this affects your workflow.
Thomas Richards 15 Reputation points

2026-11-02T15:09:20.6433333+00:00

Hi Chloe, I have checked your answer but unfortunately due to the problems and reasoning highlighted by @Campbell Godfrey and @Young, Peter , it was not helpful for me.

I did switch back to Outlook Classic and immediately discovered that I had other problems (in my case specifically syncing a gmail calandar).

Peter is correct in highlighting that Windows continues to deteriorate and become less fit for purpose and harder to use in each iteration.

Hopefully going forwards new features can improve the functionality not reduce it, and the "preview" window nobody asked for can be removed.
Campbell Godfrey 5 Reputation points

2026-11-02T22:08:31.2366667+00:00

Not sure what happened over the weekend, however, my .pdf attachements now open in default viewer rather than preview only and the 'open' option is back....
Joel Fiddler 0 Reputation points

2026-11-02T22:55:53.8033333+00:00

I agree with the other users on the frustration that microsoft have caused.
As professionals we need to be able to open attachments directly to review/read/amend etc. while having outlook free to most likely prepare a response without having 80% of the screen taken up by a preview.

Also, do they really expect us to download every single attachment that we want to review as a standalone (not preview), how ridiculous.

I hope more people raise this issue and microsoft revert back to what is available in the classic view.
Chloe-V 15,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-02T23:41:03.1333333+00:00

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the updates.

As Campbell mentioned that the Open option is now available again, could you please check whether this option has also returned in your new Outlook?

If the option is still missing, please make sure new Outlook is fully updated and restart the application before checking again. If the issue continues, please let me know which attachment types are affected.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Joel Fiddler 0 Reputation points

2026-11-03T00:30:55.4066667+00:00

Thanks @Chloe-V

After a few restarts I can see the 'open' option is available.
Chloe-V 15,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-04T01:40:21.6733333+00:00

Hi

Glad to hear that the Open option is now available after restarting.

Thank you for the update, and please feel free to reach out again if you need any further assistance.
Thomas Richards 15 Reputation points

2026-11-05T13:01:17.7933333+00:00

Yes both "open" and "double click" appear to open directly in default software now. Thank you.