Fix: “This file can’t be previewed with this browser” in Xero

Symptoms

When trying to preview a PDF file in Xero’s Files inbox (or when viewing bills, invoices, or other attachments), the following error appears instead of the document:

This file can’t be previewed with this browser.

The error appears in the preview pane on the right side of the Xero Files screen. The file itself is not corrupted and can still be downloaded and opened separately.

Affected Software

• Application: Xero (web application)
• Platform: Windows (especially common on Remote Desktop and Azure Virtual Desktop sessions)
• Related Services: Browser PDF viewer, Adobe Acrobat extension

Cause

Xero relies on the browser’s built-in PDF viewer to render PDF previews inline. When the browser is configured to download PDFs instead of opening them in the browser, or when a conflicting extension (such as Adobe Acrobat) overrides the built-in PDF viewer, Xero cannot render the preview and displays this error.

This is especially common in Remote Desktop (RDP) and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) sessions where browser profiles may not persist between sessions, or where group policies restrict browser functionality.

Resolution

Step 1: Enable the built-in PDF viewer in your browser

Google Chrome:

1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://settings/content/pdfDocuments
2. Under “Default behavior”, select Open PDFs in Chrome
3. If that option is already selected, toggle to “Download PDFs”, close and reopen Chrome, then switch it back to “Open PDFs in Chrome”
4. Restart Chrome

Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Edge and navigate to edge://settings/content/pdfDocuments
2. Ensure “Always download PDF files” is toggled OFF
3. Restart Edge

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox and go to Settings > General
2. Scroll to Applications
3. Find Portable Document Format (PDF) in the list
4. Set the action to Open in Firefox
5. Restart Firefox

Step 2: Disable conflicting PDF extensions

The Adobe Acrobat browser extension is a common cause of this issue, as it can override the browser’s native PDF rendering.

1. In Chrome, navigate to chrome://extensions/ (or edge://extensions/ in Edge)
2. Find Adobe Acrobat: PDF edit, convert, sign tools (or any similar PDF extension)
3. Toggle it OFF or click Remove
4. Restart the browser and test Xero again

Step 3: Clear browser cache

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the clear browsing data dialog
2. Set the time range to All time
3. Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data
4. Click Clear data
5. Log back into Xero and test the PDF preview

Step 4: RDP and AVD-specific fixes

If you are accessing Xero through a Remote Desktop or Azure Virtual Desktop session, these additional steps may be required:

• Non-persistent profiles: If browser settings reset each session, work with your IT administrator to ensure browser preferences persist via FSLogix profile containers or Group Policy.
• Group Policy overrides: Check whether the AlwaysOpenPdfExternally policy is set to Enabled for Chrome or Edge. This forces PDFs to download and must be set to Disabled or Not configured.
• Hardware acceleration: RDP sessions may have limited GPU acceleration. Try disabling hardware acceleration in Chrome (chrome://settings/system) or Edge (edge://settings/system).
• Adobe auto-install: If Adobe Acrobat is installed on the session host, its browser extension may be automatically injected. Disable it per Step 2, or ask your IT administrator to prevent auto-installation via Group Policy.

Step 5: Workaround

If the preview still does not work, you can download the file and open it separately:

1. In the Xero Files inbox, click the three-dot menu next to the file
2. Select Download
3. Open the downloaded PDF in your preferred PDF viewer

Important Notes

• Xero’s supported browsers: Google Chrome (recommended), Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based), Mozilla Firefox, and Safari (macOS). Internet Explorer is not supported.
• Most common fix: In the vast majority of cases, the issue is resolved by enabling the browser’s built-in PDF viewer (Step 1) and disabling the Adobe Acrobat extension (Step 2).
• Corrupted files: If the problem only affects specific PDF files, the file itself may be corrupted or in a format the browser cannot render. Try re-uploading the file to Xero.

Related Resources

• Xero Central: “This file can’t be previewed with this browser”
• Xero Central: Technical requirements to use Xero
• Adobe: Configure browser to use PDF plug-in

If you need help resolving Xero or browser configuration issues, get in touch with our team.