Can't open PDF files

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

Help! Is there something turned off on my computer that needs to be on? I do have adobe downloaded if that matters and I use windows vista-

any thoughts?

When I try to open pdf files all I get is gibberish

alleycat · Jul 16, 2009

Are these text or graphic files?

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 16, 2009

You have either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader? Are they the latest versions?

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

text files and I believe the adobe I have is the latest upgrade

dpaterso · Jul 16, 2009

sheadakota said:
text files and I believe the adobe I have is the latest upgrade

But they're PDFs, yes? With extension .pdf ? The "text or graphics" question and your "text files" reply has confused me.

-Derek

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 16, 2009

Is the PDF on your hard drive or on the web? Sometimes if your browser doesn't have the Adobe Reader plugin you'll get gibberish, if you even get anything, when you try to open a pdf online.

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

alleycat said:
Are these text or graphic files?

Sorry D- I was answering Alleycats question- All the Pdf files I have tried to open have been scanned documents emailed to me as an attachment-

(namely my book contracts)

I can open them just fine on my husband's computer (Windows XP) but when I try to open them on my windows vista laptap- I get a microsoft words window and then a seperate box with gibberish-

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

Shadow_Ferret said:
Is the PDF on your hard drive or on the web? Sometimes if your browser doesn't have the Adobe Reader plugin you'll get gibberish, if you even get anything, when you try to open a pdf online.

On the web- they are email attatchments- but even when I save them to my hardrive- I get nothing when I open them.

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 16, 2009

They open in Word on your computer instead of Adobe? That does make me wonder if somehow a setting changed for what program opens PDFs.

Can you right click on the file and choose to open it with a different program? In your case, Adobe?

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

Shadow_Ferret said:
They open in Word on your computer instead of Adobe? That does make me wonder if somehow a setting changed for what program opens PDFs.

Can you right click on the file and choose to open it with a different program? In your case, Adobe?

Yeah, I thought that was wierd to- but word is what comes up- Let me try to see if I can open it in adobe-

Williebee · Jul 16, 2009

What SF said.

Save the file to your desktop, then right click on it and select "Open With".

?

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

*sigh* can you all come to my house?
It won't let me choose how to download it- it just opens- I know I am missing something- like brains-

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 16, 2009

You should be able to right click on the attachment and choose save as...

Matera the Mad · Jul 16, 2009

Do you have any PDF files on your computer? If so, do they open in Acrobat Reader when double-clicked?

ChristineR · Jul 16, 2009

Save it to someplace easy to find again, like your desktop.

Does it show you a little PDF icon, or something else?

Right click, and choose "Open with," try and navigate to Acrobat.

Choose "Properties" and make sure it's not an empty file or something like that.

If you have another PDF handy, make sure it opens all right--this will tell you if it's the e-mail or Acrobat itself.

sheadakota · Jul 16, 2009

I'm going to try some of these suggestions tomorrow when I am fresher and thinking clearer- I'll let you know how it goes and many many thanks!

sheadakota · Jul 18, 2009

Okay- it turns out I didn't have adobe reader downloaded after all- new computer and I forgot I had to relaod all this crap! Duh!

Huge thanks to everyone- I can officially open my pdf files now!

Can't open PDF files

sheadakota

part of the human equation

alleycat

Still around

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

sheadakota

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dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

sheadakota

part of the human equation

sheadakota

part of the human equation

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

sheadakota

part of the human equation

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

sheadakota

part of the human equation

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

ChristineR

What happened?

sheadakota

part of the human equation

sheadakota

part of the human equation