How do I make Preview the default PDF reader on Safari?

... a 5-10 minute job.

in order to change the default PDF viewer in Safari from Adobee, you need to have root user access!

a bit tedious but really a easy task - see below:

How to enable the root user:

OS X Mavericks

1. From the Apple menu choose System Preferences....
2. From the View menu choose Users & Groups.
3. Click the lock and authenticate as an administrator account.
4. Click Login Options....
5. Click the "Edit..." or "Join..." button at the bottom right.
6. Click the "Open Directory Utility..." button.
7. Click the lock in the Directory Utility window.
8. Enter an administrator account name and password, then click OK.
9. Choose Enable Root User from the Edit menu.
10. come up with a password you wish to use in both the Password and Verify fields, then click OK. (you don't have to remember it forever)

then, log out as yourself and log back in as the root user...

at the login screen, the username will be root, and the password will be the one just made up in Step 10 above.

don't set up with icloud or anything - just cancel any popups that ask for keychain or whatever...just get to the desktop screen and then, from the menu bar at the top of the desktop screen...choose the Go menu....now hold down the option key and another choice on the menu (for the library) should show up...

choose library.

in the search bar at the top right of the finder window for the library folder, type kind:plugin.... the two plugins should show up. be sure the search is searching the library folder.

after you have trashed the two adobe pdfviewer plugins, empty the trash and log out as the root user ...

now, disable root user:

to disable the root user

OS X Lion and Mavericks

1. From the Apple menu choose System Preferences....
2. From the View menu choose Users & Groups.
3. Click on the lock and authenticate with an administrator account.
4. Click Login Options....
5. Click the "Edit..." or "Join..." button at the bottom right
6. Click the "Open Directory Utility..." button.
7. Click the lock in the Directory Utility window.
8. Enter an administrator account name and password, then click OK.
9. Choose Disable Root User from the Edit menu.

...sorry this explanation is a bit slapdash... hope you've had success... hit me off with a point if it helps! 😉

Easier than root...

Works best if you have a second administrative account established (you can delete it later if needed). In your account, click somewhere on the desktop, not on a program or icon. The word Finder should appear next to the Apple in the upper left.

1. In Finder, click Go in the top menu
2. Under Go, select Go to Folder
3. Type ~/Library in the box that pops up
4. Be sure to capitalize Library
5. Use the search window in the upper right of that finder window to search adobe pdfviewer
6. Delete both plugins
7. Close the finder window and you are done!

Safari will use Preview as the default PDF viewer in Safari.

"Easier than root...

Works best if you have a second administrative account established (you can delete it later if needed). In your account, click somewhere on the desktop, not on a program or icon. The word Finder should appear next to the Apple in the upper left.

1. In Finder, click Go in the top menu
2. Under Go, select Go to Folder
3. Type ~/Library in the box that pops up
4. Be sure to capitalize Library
5. Use the search window in the upper right of that finder window to search adobe pdfviewer. (If I type this in the finder window then it opens all PDF's on computer.) Instead of typing "adobe pdfviewer" I found the folder Internet Plug-Ins, and deleted both Adobe plug-ins.
6. Delete both plugins
7. Close the finder window and you are done!

Safari will use Preview as the default PDF viewer in Safari."

right click on a PDF file, > GET INFO near bottom select OPEN WITH

choose your default open

Oh yeh, agree...definitely better if you don't have to login as root user. but in my experience, even as an administrator, I could not find the plug ins in the library to delete...don't know why (but would be interested to know)...for me it only worked by going the root user route.

From Adobe website (http://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/troubleshoot-safari-plug-acrobat-x.html):

"To disable Safari integration, delete the AdobePDFViewer.plugin from /Library/Internet Plug-ins"

Thanks, springtail. That worked for me. Wonderful step-by-step explanation! 🙂

Why login as root? the plugins may be deleted from a normally logged in Administrator account. Much simpler, and safer.

You are a true hero! I tried the solution with root. But since I am using a different language OS it wasn't that easy. This worked perfect. I didn't even have to use a second administrative account.

Worked like a charm! Simple and did the job 😀

Thanks so simple and it worked !