PDF Problems
In most cases, installing the latest version of Adobe Reader will solve problems with opening and printing PDFs.
If you are experiencing difficulty in opening PDFs on some of the Library databases and you are off-campus, it may be that the plug-in that is installed for opening PDFs within the browser is malfunctioning or you have installed a Symantec product like Norton Personal Firewall (NPF) or Norton Internet Security (NIS). There is also a setting in Adobe Reader that can affect performance during the download process.
Steps that you can take to work around any problems that you may encounter:
Firefox / Netscape
Problem: During the PDF download you get an error message suggesting that it could not open the PDF and that it was not a supported file type or that the file is damaged. To determine if this is related to NPF or NIS:
Option 1:
- Close your browsers
- Open Adobe Reader
- Go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Preferences'
- In the left column select 'Internet'
- Uncheck 'Display PDF in browser'
- Click OK
- Next time you attempt to open the PDF choose to save the file to your computer
- Right click on the file after you have downloaded it and view the 'properties'
- The file size will be 0 bites
- Disable NIS or NPF and the file will download correctly
Option 2:
- Close Firefox or Netscape
- Open the PDF with Internet Explorer
Problem: When opening a PDF the browser becomes a blank screen, or on the CSA Illumina screen that reads "please wait while we contact the vendor", the browser hangs and the PDF does not open. This is due to the plug-in that is trying to open the PDF within the browser.
Steps:
- Close your browsers
- Open Adobe Reader
- Go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Preferences'
- In the left column select 'Internet'
- Uncheck 'Display PDF in browser'
- Click OK and try again
Internet Explorer
Problem: When attempting to open a PDF the browser becomes a blank white screen. At this point the browser hangs and the PDF does not open. This is due to the plug-in that is trying to open the PDF within the browser.
Steps:
- Close your browsers
- Open Adobe Reader
- Go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Preferences'
- In the left column select 'Internet'
- Uncheck 'Display PDF in browser'
- Click OK and try again
Problem: The PDF download appears to be working, but very slowly. This is typically due to Adobe attempting to update itself on the fly.
Steps:
- You can wait for the update and install to complete, or
- Close your browsers
- Open Adobe Reader
- Go to the 'Edit' menu and select 'Preferences'
- In the left column select 'Updates'
- Check "Do not automatically check for critical updates"
- Click OK and try again.
Printing
If you get an error message when printing, an updated version of Adobe Reader can be downloaded to correct the problem.
Always print using the printer icon on the Adobe Toolbar. This is the toolbar immediately above the PDF display. Using the "File"---"Print" selection on the menu bar, or the browser printer icon, will not print the PDF file.
In some Library databases, e.g. ProQuest, a page image is used as the PDF file. If this does not print correctly you may need to check the box alongside "print as image" in the Advanced settings area of the Adobe printing dialog box. (This will make the printing slower, but should solve the problem.)
Note: Remember to reverse these settings after printing
More support documents related to printing Adobe PDF files can be found on the Adobe support page.