Microsoft XPS Viewer: What It Is, What It Can’t Do

The Microsoft XPS Viewer is the Windows application for opening .xps and .oxps files. For years it shipped with every copy of Windows, but Microsoft has been quietly removing it from default installs since 2017. This page covers the full history, what the Viewer can and cannot do, and the alternatives if you prefer not to install it.

A brief history of the XPS Viewer

Microsoft introduced XPS and its bundled Viewer with Windows Vista in 2006. The Viewer was present by default in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 through version 1703 (Creators Update, April 2017).

With Windows 10 version 1709 (Fall Creators Update, October 2017), Microsoft reclassified the XPS Viewer as an optional feature. It remained installed on machines that upgraded from older Windows 10 builds, but fresh installations of v1709 and later did not include it by default.

Windows 11 ships without the XPS Viewer at all — it is absent from the default install and must be added manually as an optional feature.

What the XPS Viewer can do

• Open .xps and .oxps files. It handles both the original Microsoft XPS and the ECMA-388 OpenXPS format.
• Page navigation. Scroll through multi-page documents, zoom in and out, and jump to a specific page.
• Print to any printer, including the Microsoft Print to PDF virtual printer — which gives you a native, offline XPS-to-PDF conversion route without third-party software.
• Copy text from a page using Ctrl+C after selecting.
• Digital signatures: The Viewer can display XPS documents that have been signed, and it will show signature status.

What the XPS Viewer cannot do

• Edit content. The Viewer is strictly read-only. You cannot change a word, rearrange pages, or annotate the document from within it.
• Convert to PDF directly. There is no Export or Save as PDF option. The print-to-PDF route (File → Print → Microsoft Print to PDF) is the workaround.
• Open password-protected or IRM-restricted XPS files without the appropriate credentials or rights.
• Run on non-Windows platforms. The XPS Viewer is Windows-only.

How to install it on Windows 10 and 11

On Windows 10 v1709 or later, and on Windows 11: go to Settings → Apps → Optional features → Add a feature, search for XPS Viewer, and click Install. A restart is not normally required. See the full Windows 11 installation guide for step-by-step instructions including the command-line method.

Alternatives to the XPS Viewer

If you prefer not to install the optional feature, the main alternatives are:

• Convert to PDF using XPS2PDF.co.uk and open the result in any PDF reader. This works on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook.
• LibreOffice (version 4.4+) opens XPS files in read-only mode on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and can export to PDF.
• Evince (Linux) and Okular (KDE/Linux) render XPS via the libgxps library.

For a full breakdown by platform, see how to view an XPS file.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the XPS Viewer in Windows 11?

It is not installed by default on Windows 11. Go to Settings → Apps → Optional features → Add a feature, search for XPS Viewer, and install it. See the Windows 11 install guide for full steps.

Is the Microsoft XPS Viewer free?

Yes. It is a free optional feature provided by Microsoft. Install it through Windows Settings at no cost.

Can the XPS Viewer convert XPS to PDF?

Not directly — there is no Export to PDF menu option. The workaround is to print from the XPS Viewer to the Microsoft Print to PDF virtual printer (File → Print → Microsoft Print to PDF), which produces a PDF.

Does the XPS Viewer open .oxps files?

Yes. The same XPS Viewer application handles both .xps and .oxps files — you do not need a separate viewer for each extension.

Why was the XPS Viewer removed from Windows?

Microsoft never officially explained the rationale, but XPS never achieved wide adoption outside Windows. Making it optional in Windows 10 v1709 and absent from Windows 11 suggests Microsoft is winding down the format in favour of PDF. The Microsoft Print to PDF virtual printer, also built into Windows 10 and 11, largely replaces the need for XPS in the print-to-archive workflow.

Last updated: June 2026