Background
Starting with Foxit PDF Editor v2026.2.0 (Subscription), the Internet Explorer and Firefox browser plugins are no longer installed by default during a fresh installation. Customers who need these plugins can still install them manually during setup.
We understand some users still rely on the IE and Firefox plugins. To balance the practical needs of these users and the experience of the majority, we have adjusted these two plugins to be not installed by default, as they are rarely used in current mainstream browser environments. Users who require the plugins can still enable them manually during installation.
This same adjustment also applies to Foxit PDF Reader (Windows), starting from its v2026.2.0 release.
What Has Changed
|
Item |
Previous Versions (v2026.1.3 and earlier) |
New Versions (v2026.2.0 and later |
|
IE Browser Plugin |
Installed by default |
Not installed by default |
|
Firefox Browser Plugin |
Installed by default |
Not installed by default |
|
"Show PDF Files in IE browser" Option |
Checked by default |
Checked by default (only takes effect if the IE plugin is installed) |
UI Before and After Comparison:
Before:
After:
Notes:
- This change does not affect you if you upgrade from an older version. Previously installed plugins and settings will be preserved.
- The "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option remains checked by default to ensure that if you are upgrading from an older version (and previously had this option enabled), you have a seamless experience after the upgrade with no need to reconfigure.
Impact on Customers
Fresh Installation (v2026.2.0 or Later)
- The IE and Firefox plugins will not be installed.
- The "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option is checked by default, but it will have no effect because the IE plugin is not installed.
- If you need to open PDFs in IE, manually select the “IE Browser Plugin” during installation and ensure the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option remains checked.
Upgrade from an Older Version
- Any IE or Firefox plugins already installed will be preserved.
- Your previous "Show PDF Files in IE browser" setting will also be preserved.
- Behavior will remain unchanged after the upgrade.
Installer Format Differences (Important)
|
Installer Format |
How It Works |
Common Issue |
|
EXE Installer |
Both options appear on the same screen across two tabs, but they are not linked. You must check each option separately. |
You may check the "IE Browser Plugin" option but overlook the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" setting, which will prevent PDFs from opening in IE. |
|
MSI Installer |
The plugin selection screen appears first. If you do not check the IE plugin, the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option on the next screen will be grayed out (linkage exists). |
This built-in linkage prevents the configuration oversight mentioned above. However, you may find the option grayed out and wonder why it cannot be selected.
|
Tip: If you have installed the IE plugin but PDFs still won't open in IE, first confirm whether you checked the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option (especially if you used the EXE installer).
How to Manually Install the Plugins
Option 1: Install During Fresh Installation
During the installation wizard, locate the “IE Browser plug-in” and “Firefox Browser plugin” options and manually check them. Also ensure the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option is checked.
Option 2: Install After Completion
If you missed the plugins during installation:
- Re-run the installer and select "Modify" or "Repair," then check "IE Browser Plugin" and"Firefox Browser Plugin".
- Alternatively, go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, select Foxit PDF Editor, and click "Change" to access the modification options, then check the same options.
- Configure Foxit File Associations by opening Foxit PDF Editor, go to Preferences > File Associations >Advanced. Ensure the option "Include browser when setting default PDF viewer" is checked,click on OK to save the setting. In the File Associations section, click "Restore file associations" and then "Make default PDF Viewer" options to set file associations. If a UAC prompt appears, enter your administrator credentials.
(Optional) Verify the registry entries are correctly applied:
- Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type\application/pdf should have CLSID = {2ce45a33-7a0a-45f7-ac0c-107cd9dc191a}.
-Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2CE45A33-7A0A-45F7-AC0C-107CD9DC191A}\InprocServer32
should point to C:\Program Files (x86)\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF Editor\plugins\FoxitPDFEditorBrowserAx64.dll.
If the above registry entries are incorrect or the browser plugin fails to load, manually register the plugin via command prompt. Run Command Prompt as administrator, then execute the following commands to register the Foxit browser plugin modules:
regsvr32.exe "C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF Editor\plugins\FoxitPDFEditorBrowserAx64.dll"
regsvr32.exe "C:\Program Files\Foxit Software\Foxit PDF Editor\plugins\FoxitPDFEditorBrowserAx.dll"
Option 3: Deploy via Command Line (IT Administrators)
Administrators can use the Foxit Customization Wizard (FCW) to generate an MST file that controls whether the IE Browser Plug-in and Firefox browser plugin are installed, and whether the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option is enabled. Below are the steps:
- Download and open Foxit Customization Wizard (FCW), then load the MSI package you want to customize.
- Go to "Installation Options" and check the "Show PDF files in IE Browsers" option in FCW.
- Go to "Features" > "PDF Viewer," then expand "Firefox Browser Plugin" and "IE Browser Plugin" . For each option, select "Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive" from the drop-down menu.
- Go to "Preferences" select "File Association" then select "Enabled" for the "Web Browser PDF Viewer".
- Save and generate the MST file for deployment.
Note:Browser-plugin installation remains unchanged for perpetual-license Foxit PDF Editor (Windows, e.g., v14.0.7). IE and Firefox plugins are still installed by default.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: After I upgrade to v2026.2.0 or Later, will my browser plugins still be there?
Yes. If you upgraded from an older version, previously installed plugins will remain and are unaffected.
Q2: I performed a fresh installation and need the plugins. What should I do?
Simply check the "IE Browser Plugin", "Firefox Browser Plugin", and "Show PDF Files in IE browser" options manually in the installation wizard. If you are using the EXE installer, remember to check the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option after enabling the IE browser plugin. If you have skipped these options during installation, you can re-run the installer and select "Modify" to check them retroactively.
Q3: What is the difference between installing the IE plugin and enabling the "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option?
- IE Plugin installation: Installs the actual plugin component that renders PDFs inside the IE browser.
- "Show PDF Files in IE browser" option: A setting that registers Foxit as the PDF viewer for IE. This setting only works if the IE plugin is installed.
Both are required for PDFs to open in IE browser.
Q4: Can I use the Foxit IE plugin with Microsoft Edge?
No. The Foxit IE plugin is designed exclusively for Internet Explorer and is incompatible with native Microsoft Edge. If you need to use IE-based features within Microsoft Edge, you can enable IE Mode in Edge to support IE-compatible functionalities.
Q5: Since IE is deprecated and the plugin can cause issues, why not remove it entirely?
Although Internet Explorer has reached end of support and the Firefox plugin is incompatible with modern Firefox releases, a small number of enterprise customers still depend on these plugins for legacy applications and workflows. Therefore, Foxit has made them optional rather than removing them entirely.