Make it Default and provide a sample PDF file or link

[TekyTech]

Would be great to provide a tiny PDF sample file with the installation. Or on the screen with links right after installation to have a link to a PDF sample file or any PDF file.

Why?
Because when installing on new computers without any PDF files yet, it’s easier to make it default (and windows is so sneaky about it!) by “Open with” when there’s a PDF file to click on.

So on new computers without any PDF files users need to do search, download some PDF file, then click on “open as”.

Even better, after installation open a PDF file automatically like Adobe does or open Windows default settings to make Sumatra a default program, like Google Chrome does after installation.

[GitHubRulesOK]

hmm the problem I have with many apps is the lack of samples but up to now (demise of good windows versions apps like 10 is dead and write is already dead in this sandbox session and dying in others)

to generate a pdf from command line

echo Hello World > hello.txt &write  /pt hello.txt "Microsoft Print to PDF" "Microsoft Print to PDF" "hello.pdf" & timeout 3  & "C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\sumatrapdf" hello.pdf

[TekyTech]

I’m not very sure if messing with command line is any faster or more convenient than just download any random PDF file from the Internet. Also non sophisticated users are never going to bother following instructions on how to use command prompt. My point was about convenience. Less clicks to make Sumatra PDF a default PDF reader after the installation. If opening windows default settings requires some changes in the code, just providing a link on the after-installation page among other links, to a little sample PDF file or even including one without any the installation does not even require any changes to the code. Simple and adds convenience to users. Less clicks to make it default after the installation.

[GitHubRulesOK]

You set SumatraPDF as default during installation but MS and Adobe don't like that so may at first opportunity claw back control.
HOWEVER
Here SumatraPDF is the default installed PDF reader and Acrobat provides the previews and Edge powered by Acrobat is the Web PDF viewer

[TekyTech]

I’m sorry in my experience it’s inaccurate. Sumatra never becomes a default after the installation. That’s why you need a sample PDF file (just faster and easier that way). Then the user needs to do “Open With”.
Adobe doesn’t claw anything back immediately after the installation. It doesn’t even know that Sumatra is installed and doesn’t care.
Windows doesn’t “claw anything back” either, because Sumatra does not do anything during the installation to become a default PDF reader to begin with.
Your pictures only prove the point. Sumatra is added to the list of programs capable of opening PDF files, but it doesn’t become the default and doesn’t do anything to become default and the user needs to do the action just like you show to “Open With”. And for that you need a PDF file somewhere. Which is exactly my original point.

[GitHubRulesOK]

OK I forgot it was deemed in 2022 that since Edge repeatedly clawed-back the default setting it was was not worth continuing with bypassing that. (Acrobat took a while to use several workarounds so they could dominate and others had to use large teams at the time to also develop similar methods)

"remove obsolete code for setting up as a default .pdf handler (no longer works on win10+"

I had suggested a dirty hack that rightly was considered a poor response to the issue.

Any you may well be right the first run could link to the help file though it is html file:///C:/Users/K/AppData/Local/SumatraPDF-data/crashinfo-prerel-3.6.17065-64/Set-as-default-PDF-viewer.html