How to enable XPS viewer in Windows 10

Online document publishing is dominated by the PDF format. Regardless of the type of file you download; a brochure, a magazine, a report, a prospectus, it is most likely in PDF format. A PDF document will look the same no matter what device or application you view it on, and it will print the same no matter what device you print it from.

PDF is not the only format that does this. There is also the XPS file format.

XPS files

Microsoft developed the XPS file format to compete with PDF. The format didn’t quite take off, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never come across an XPS file. To create an XPS file, you need a document editor that can save in this format. All Microsoft Office applications can save in XPS format, but cannot read it after the file has been created. Neither can any modern browser, but you will find that some PDF readers support the format.

XPS viewer – Sumatra PDF reader

A good PDF reader will support the XPS format. There are many third-party PDF readers that you can try. We suggest you give Sumatra PDF Reader a try. It’s free, it has an installable and portable version, and it supports the XPS file format.

1. Descargar Sumatra PDF Reader (select any version of your choice).
2. Install and run the Sumatra PDF reader.
3. Drag and drop the XPS file in the app and it will open.

Visor XPS – Google Drive

If you don’t want to install an app to view an XPS file, go with Google Drive. You can upload the XPS file to Google Drive and it will display its content.

1. Visit Google Drive and log in with your account.
2. Click on the New button and select Upload file.
3. Select the XPS file and wait for it to load.
4. Double click to open the file. in Google Drive and it will open.

XPS Viewer – Windows 10 Stock App

Windows 10 used to come with its own XPS viewer app. Unfortunately, Microsoft decided to discontinue it. Newer versions of Windows 10 will not have the app installed out of the box, but you can still install it.

1. Open the Settings application with the Win + I keyboard shortcut.
2. Go to Applications.
3. Select the Applications and Features tab.
4. Click Optional features.
5. Click Add a function.
6. Select XPS viewer of the list.
7. Select Install (installation takes some time).
8. Once installed, right-click on an XPS file and select Open With.
9. Please select Visor XPS in the context menu to open the file.

conclusion

XPS is not widely supported, even with Microsoft’s own products. Unless this changes, the format is unlikely to become more common. With our testing, we found that the standard Windows 10 XPS viewer was often unable to open certain types of XPS files, even those that were created in Microsoft Word. The Sumatra PDF reader, on the other hand, was able to handle the formatting flawlessly, regardless of the content of the document. If you’re looking to open an XPS file and don’t want to use the apps suggested here, find a good PDF viewer and it should be able to get the job done.