If you have had trouble opening PDF files on the Web recently, you are not alone.

Many people have clicked on a PDF link only to see a blank Web browser window. You may think the Web site has a problem, but in this case, the problem is most likely your computer software.

That’s because certain versions of Acrobat Reader are not working properly with Web browsers. If you have encountered this problem, here are a few things you can try to fix the problem.

1. Update your software — Your first and best option is to update Acrobat Reader to the newest version — as of this writing, that’s Acrobat Reader 8. If you do not have the latest version, go to the Adobe Web site and look in the products section for the free Reader download. If you can’t or don’t want to update your software, look at the other possibilities below. However, if you can’t update your software because you don’t have administrator rights to your computer, ask your IT support to update your version of Reader.

2. Change your software setting — You can sometimes solve PDF problems by changing the way you open PDF files. Instead of opening them in your Web browser, try opening them directly in Adobe Reader. To do this, open Adobe Reader and look for “Preferences” in the menu at the top of your screen. A box will open. Look for “Allow fast Web view” and make sure the checkbox next to it is not selected. After that, PDF files will open in a standalone version of Reader instead of in your Web browser. If that still doesn’t help with your viewing problems, also uncheck the box next to “Display PDF in browser.

3. Download to desktop — Instead of clicking on the link to the PDF, download the PDF file to your computer first, then open it in Adobe Reader. If you’re using a PC, place your cursor over the link, click the right mouse button, and select “Save target as…” or some other save option. On a Mac, hold down the Control key and click you mouse to save the file. Save the PDF on your desktop and open it with Reader. The only problem with this is that it does not fix the problem and you have to remember to delete the PDFs you don’t want to keep so you don’t fill up your computer’s memory.

Ginny Quesada, ginnyjr@purdue.edu

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