Keep Using Microsoft Reader After It Has Been Discontinued

As of today (16/02/2018) Microsoft has apparently discontinued the Microsoft Reader app. Per this article

After updating to the latest version of the Reader App, users will be getting a notification when launching the application informing them about the app being discontinued or pulled in February 2018.

The app will not be usable beyond the above mentioned date and the users are hence advised to use the Microsoft Edge Browser for reading PDF, Windows XPS Viewer for XPS and Windows Photos for TIFF files.

In my opinion it is the best PDF Reader out there (For Double Click on PDF -> Just load it as fast as possible without any bells and whistles).

My question is whether there is a way to keep it running by overriding whatever is going on that prevents it from running?

In addition, any way to keep its installation to make it run on future installation of Windows I will have just like you can keep APK in Andorid?

2 Answers

In the update from 15th January 2018 Microsoft made the app unusable. It is only a stub to show to open PDFs om Edge.

To go back to a working version, disable the automatic update of store apps in the Microsoft Store settings as shown in the picture:

Uninstall the reader app on your device, now activate the option to sideload appx file

• Open Settings.

• Click Update & Security > For developers.

• On Use developer features, select Sideload apps.

Now download the Microsoft.Reader_2017.209.2029.4759_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe.AppxBundle from one of the mirrors 1|2 (last version that I have, I'm not sure if this is last version before the update)

and make a double click on it to install it via the App Installer.

Now don't update the Reader app any longer in Microsoft store (but update the other apps on your own to get improvements for all other apps) to keep this working version of the Reader app.

No, there is no legitimate way to continue using the application. Microsoft has always said that any of the "Modern"/Universal apps could disappear from the app store at any time.

Windows is also tricky in side-loading apps, although it is possible with developer options. That being said, since this is a Microsoft application, I doubt you'd be able to find the package for it anywhere to install it.