Can't open PDF document from browser

F

Fokke Nauta

Hi all,

This is about my wifes PC.
Using W7 Pro 64b.
Using Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 18 and Acrobat Reader XI.
I can open any PDF document straight away and the browsers work fine.
However, when I try to open a PDF document on a website, a new screen
opens with a little pop-up screen in the middle, with the message
"Acrobat reader" and a question mark and an OK button. When I click on
OK, the popup disappears and the screen remains white, nothing happens.
Obviously no PDF document is downloaded. This happens with both browsers.
Acrobat Reader works fine as I can open PDF files straight away.
When I receive a mail (Outlook 2010) containg a PDF attachment, this
will open straight away.

What can be wrong? Re-installed Firefox and Acrobat reader to no avail.

On my own PC (also W7 Pro 64b, IE8, FF18 and Acrobar reader XI), this
works fine. Here I get a new screen in my browser(s) with the content of
the PDF file.

Thanks for your help.

Fokke Nauta
 
B

Big Steel

Hi all,

This is about my wifes PC.
Using W7 Pro 64b.
Using Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 18 and Acrobat Reader XI.
I can open any PDF document straight away and the browsers work fine.
However, when I try to open a PDF document on a website, a new screen
opens with a little pop-up screen in the middle, with the message
"Acrobat reader" and a question mark and an OK button. When I click on
OK, the popup disappears and the screen remains white, nothing happens.
Obviously no PDF document is downloaded. This happens with both browsers.
Acrobat Reader works fine as I can open PDF files straight away.
When I receive a mail (Outlook 2010) containg a PDF attachment, this
will open straight away.

What can be wrong? Re-installed Firefox and Acrobat reader to no avail.

On my own PC (also W7 Pro 64b, IE8, FF18 and Acrobar reader XI), this
works fine. Here I get a new screen in my browser(s) with the content of
the PDF file.

Thanks for your help.

Fokke Nauta
Are you getting any error messages in the System Log files by using the
Event Viewer?
 
F

Fokke Nauta

Are you getting any error messages in the System Log files by using the
Event Viewer?
Nope. I checked all the Windows logs, but there was nothing at the
moment I tried to download a PDF document from a site.
 
E

Ed Cryer

Fokke said:
Nope. I checked all the Windows logs, but there was nothing at the
moment I tried to download a PDF document from a site.
It looks like some clash between her download manager and Acrobat. Try
disabling one or t'other temporarily and then hit a PDF file with the
browser.

Ed
 
J

John Williamson

Ed said:
It looks like some clash between her download manager and Acrobat. Try
disabling one or t'other temporarily and then hit a PDF file with the
browser.
I've had some version related clashes between the Acrobat reader plug-in
and Firefox. Updating cured it.
 
C

Char Jackson

Using W7 Pro 64b.
Using Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 18 and Acrobat Reader XI.
I can open any PDF document straight away and the browsers work fine.
However, when I try to open a PDF document on a website, a new screen
opens with a little pop-up screen in the middle, with the message
"Acrobat reader" and a question mark and an OK button. When I click on
OK, the popup disappears and the screen remains white, nothing happens.
The problem lies with the Acrobat plug-in in Firefox. Open Firefox and go to
the Tools menu, then select Add-ons. On the page that opens, select
Plug-ins. Note that Acrobat is in the list of installed plug-ins. I would
start by clicking the link above the plug-in list that checks to see if all
of the plug-ins are up to date.

If that doesn't trigger an Acrobat update (and repair), you may have to
uninstall Acrobat, making sure the Firefox plug-in is also uninstalled, then
reinstall Acrobat. From your description, it sounds like you only
reinstalled Acrobat on top of itself, which didn't fix the problem.
 
F

Fokke Nauta

It looks like some clash between her download manager and Acrobat. Try
disabling one or t'other temporarily and then hit a PDF file with the
browser.

Ed
She doesn't have any download manager installed. It's pure IE8, FF18 and
Acrobat reader XI.

Fokke
 
M

Moe DeLoughan

The problem lies with the Acrobat plug-in in Firefox. Open Firefox and go to
the Tools menu, then select Add-ons. On the page that opens, select
Plug-ins. Note that Acrobat is in the list of installed plug-ins. I would
start by clicking the link above the plug-in list that checks to see if all
of the plug-ins are up to date.

If that doesn't trigger an Acrobat update (and repair), you may have to
uninstall Acrobat, making sure the Firefox plug-in is also uninstalled, then
reinstall Acrobat. From your description, it sounds like you only
reinstalled Acrobat on top of itself, which didn't fix the problem.
I wouldn't go so far as to uninstall/reinstall Acrobat. I'd just go
into Tools/Options/Applications in Firefox and check the settings for
Adobe Acrobat Document. It is probably currently set to open the file
using the Adobe Acrobat in Firefox. So, if that's not working, change
the setting to Use Adobe Acrobat, meaning it'll open in the standalone
reader. That should do it. Or, you can change the setting to "always
ask", and decide each time whether to download the file, open it in
Firefox, or open it using the standalone Reader.
 
F

Fokke Nauta

I've had some version related clashes between the Acrobat reader plug-in
and Firefox. Updating cured it.
It's not Firefox only. It's also in IE8.
And everything is up to date. Most recent versions.

Fokke
 
F

Fokke Nauta

The problem lies with the Acrobat plug-in in Firefox. Open Firefox and go to
the Tools menu, then select Add-ons. On the page that opens, select
Plug-ins. Note that Acrobat is in the list of installed plug-ins. I would
start by clicking the link above the plug-in list that checks to see if all
of the plug-ins are up to date.
Oh yeah, The Acrobat plugin is there. And everything is up-to-date.
If that doesn't trigger an Acrobat update (and repair),
No, it doesn't.

you may have to
uninstall Acrobat, making sure the Firefox plug-in is also uninstalled, then
reinstall Acrobat. From your description, it sounds like you only
reinstalled Acrobat on top of itself, which didn't fix the problem.
That's right. I'll uninstall FF and Acrobat reader and will re-install
both again. But I don't believe in that as it also occurs with IE8.
Exactly the same issue.

Fokke
 
E

Ed Cryer

Fokke said:
It's not Firefox only. It's also in IE8.
And everything is up to date. Most recent versions.

Fokke
It seems a very common problem;
http://tinyurl.com/a6yt9hb

Remove add-ins from IE and FF.
Reinstall Acrobat.
Get new add-ins.

If that doesn't work, move on to Foxit Reader. That works here in four
different browsers.

Ed
 
F

Fokke Nauta

I wouldn't go so far as to uninstall/reinstall Acrobat. I'd just go into
Tools/Options/Applications in Firefox and check the settings for Adobe
Acrobat Document. It is probably currently set to open the file using
the Adobe Acrobat in Firefox. So, if that's not working, change the
setting to Use Adobe Acrobat, meaning it'll open in the standalone
reader. That should do it. Or, you can change the setting to "always
ask", and decide each time whether to download the file, open it in
Firefox, or open it using the standalone Reader.
OK, this worked. Thanks.
I changed the settings in FF to Adobe Acrobat. This works, the PDF now
opens in Acrobat reader. Though this is not an eactual solution, it
works fine.
I assume it won't affect how an PDF document is shown in IE8, but she
doesn't use that browser anyay.

Fokke
 
F

Fokke Nauta

It seems a very common problem;
http://tinyurl.com/a6yt9hb
OK. Wasn't aware of that.
Remove add-ins from IE and FF.
Reinstall Acrobat.
Get new add-ins.

If that doesn't work, move on to Foxit Reader. That works here in four
different browsers.

Ed
I already have a workaround. See the post of Moe DeLoughan. His solution
worked for me.

Fokke
 
C

Char Jackson

I wouldn't go so far as to uninstall/reinstall Acrobat. I'd just go
into Tools/Options/Applications in Firefox and check the settings for
Adobe Acrobat Document. It is probably currently set to open the file
using the Adobe Acrobat in Firefox. So, if that's not working, change
the setting to Use Adobe Acrobat, meaning it'll open in the standalone
reader. That should do it. Or, you can change the setting to "always
ask", and decide each time whether to download the file, open it in
Firefox, or open it using the standalone Reader.
Good points, thanks.
 
G

gufus

Using W7 Pro 64b.
Using Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 18 and Acrobat Reader XI.
I can open any PDF document straight away and the browsers work fine.
However, when I try to open a PDF document on a website, a new screen
You have to set that in Acrobat Reader

edit > preferences > internet
 
F

Fokke Nauta

You have to set that in Acrobat Reader

edit > preferences > internet
It's not necessarily to do that. All boxes are ticked by default anyway.
 
W

Wolf K

It's not necessarily to do that. All boxes are ticked by default anyway.
Problem is that occasionally these defaults don't stick. It's worth
trying untick >> restart program >> retick >> restart program.k. This
trick works often enough to be worth a try.

Thinking outside the box: Foxit PDF Reader (free) installs a plug-in
that works. Foxit also uses fewer resources than Adobe. Adobe makes some
good software, butIMO its PDF reader isn't its best effort.

HTH
 
C

charliec

It's not necessarily to do that. All boxes are ticked by default anyway.
I have Adobe Reader installed, but is there a shortcut somewhere so
you can start it manually? It starts up when I double click on a pdf
file, but I cannot see a shortcut to launch it manually? Is there
one?

charliec
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top