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How to Fix TXT Files Appearing as PDF Files After Installing Adobe Reader

Kushani Nimanthika Oct 23, 2026 870 views

Question details

User needs to know how to stop TXT files from displaying as PDF files and opening in Adobe Reader after a recent software installation.

How to Fix TXT Files Appearing as PDF Files After Installing Adobe Reader

Product: File Explorer
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Accessing plain text files, such as those located in a game save folder, after newly installing Adobe Reader.
Observed behavior: TXT files have taken on the PDF icon and automatically launch in Adobe Reader instead of a standard text editor like Notepad.

Before you start

Ensure you have a preferred text editing application, such as Windows Notepad or WPS Office, installed on your computer before changing the file association.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore Default File Association via the 'Open with' Menu

The quickest way to fix this issue is to manually reassign the .txt file extension to a text editor using the right-click context menu.

When installing new software like Adobe Reader, system file associations can sometimes be accidentally overwritten. You can easily instruct your operating system to open TXT files with your preferred text editor again.

Locate the affected file

Find a TXT file on your computer (for example, in your game save folder) that is currently displaying a PDF icon.

Open the context menu

Right-click the file and select 'Open with' from the dropdown menu. If a sub-menu appears, click on 'Choose another app'.

Select a text editor

Choose 'Notepad', 'WPS Office', or your preferred text editor from the list of available applications.

Set as default

Check the box at the bottom that says 'Always use this app to open .txt files' to make the change permanent, then click 'OK'.

Restore Default File Association via the 'Open with' Menu

Additional File Types: If other text-based file types (like .ini or .cfg) were also affected by the Adobe Reader installation, you can repeat this exact process for those specific extensions.

Solution 2

Change Default Apps in System Settings

You can also fix file associations system-wide through your operating system's main settings menu.

Open and Edit Text Files with WPS Office

Set WPS Office as Your Default Text Editor

WPS Office is a powerful, all-in-one suite that not only handles Word, Excel, and PDF files but can also be set as your default application to cleanly open, read, and edit TXT files without formatting issues.

1. Download WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office from the official website.
2. Locate a TXT file: Right-click any .txt file on your computer and select 'Open with' followed by 'Choose another app'.
3. Select WPS Office: Choose 'WPS Office' from the list of available applications.
4. Apply permanent association: Check the 'Always use this app to open .txt files' option and click 'OK'.

Seamlessly opens and edits TXT, DOC, DOCX, and PDF formats.Tabbed interface allows you to view multiple TXT and document files in a single organized window.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office and standard plain text formats.Lightweight installation that keeps your file associations clean and manageable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Adobe Reader change my TXT file associations?

During the installation of some software, the installer might prompt to become the default for all vaguely supported file types, or a system glitch may incorrectly associate unrelated text formats to the newly installed PDF viewer.

Will updating or reinstalling Adobe Reader fix the file icon?

No, simply updating or reinstalling Adobe Reader will not automatically restore your default file associations. You must manually reassign the .txt extension to a text editor like Notepad.

How do I change the default app for game save files with custom extensions?

Game saves often use custom text extensions like .sav, .lua, or .ini. You can restore these by right-clicking the specific file, selecting 'Open with', choosing your text editor, and checking the 'Always use this app' box.

Office Quick Solutions