Installation

SumatraPDF is distributed in several forms. Pick the one that matches how you want to deploy it.

Download flavors #

Flavor	What you get	Best for
Installer (`SumatraPDF-*-install.exe`)	Installs to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\SumatraPDF` (or `%PROGRAMFILES%` with `-all-users`), registers file associations, optional preview handler	Most users
Portable (`SumatraPDF-*-portable.exe`)	Single self-contained `.exe` — no separate `libmupdf.dll`, settings live next to the exe	USB stick, custom folder, no installer
Extract only (`-x`)	Unpack files without installing	IT scripts, inspection

Download from sumatrapdfreader.org or pre-release.

Running the installer #

Double-click the installer, or silently:

SumatraPDF-64-install.exe -install -silent

Common options — full list in Installer cmd-line arguments:

Option	Meaning
`-d <dir>`	Install directory
`-all-users`	Install to `%PROGRAMFILES%\SumatraPDF` for all users (ver 3.4+)
`-with-preview`	Register PDF preview in File Explorer
`-with-filter`	Register Windows Search PDF filter
`-fast-install`	Default options, launch app when done (ver 3.6+)
`-log`	Write log to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\sumatra-install-log.txt`

Extract without installing #

SumatraPDF-64-install.exe -x -d "C:\Temp\Sumatra"

Extracts SumatraPDF.exe, libmupdf.dll, sumatrapdf-tool.exe, etc. into the target directory. Does not register file associations. Recent builds do not create Start Menu / desktop shortcuts when extracting only.

Portable vs installed settings #

	Portable	Installed
Settings file	Same folder as `.exe`	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF-settings.txt`
Thumbnail cache	`sumatrapdfcache` next to exe	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\SumatraPDF\sumatrapdfcache`

Override with -appdata <directory> — see Command-line arguments and How we store settings.

Custom settings directory (enterprise / RDP) #

Launch shortcuts with:

SumatraPDF.exe -appdata "D:\Shared\SumatraSettings"

All users sharing that path use the same SumatraPDF-settings.txt. Ensure the directory is writable by every account that runs SumatraPDF.

Corrupted or incomplete installation #

If SumatraPDF reports a corrupted installation:

libmupdf.dll is missing next to SumatraPDF.exe, or
libmupdf.dll version does not match SumatraPDF.exe

Fix: run the official installer, use the portable exe, or extract with -x so both files match.

Installer runs when I open a PDF #

SumatraPDF only shows the installer UI when the executable name contains -install (official installers rename themselves that way) or you pass -install. If double-clicking a PDF launches an installer:

File association may point at the installer .exe instead of installed SumatraPDF.exe
You may be running a copied installer from Downloads instead of the installed copy

Re-run the official installer, then check Set as default PDF viewer.

Multiple copies / old versions #

An older SumatraPDF in %LOCALAPPDATA% or a renamed portable copy can confuse file associations. Uninstall via Settings → Apps, then install fresh.

Admin vs normal user #

Do not run SumatraPDF as administrator for everyday reading. An elevated instance cannot open files dropped from a normal Explorer session (“running as admin and cannot open files from a non-admin process”).

Set as default viewer #

After installing, follow Set as default PDF viewer. The portable exe alone does not register defaults.

Command-line tools #

sumatrapdf-tool.exe is installed next to SumatraPDF.exe by the installer. It is not included in the single-file portable build. See Tools.