Many factors can affect the display of a PDF on the web, including damage to the PDF; how the website displays the PDF; the version of Acrobat, Reader, or the browser; security and cookie settings; or the status of the server on which the PDF resides. Try the suggestions below as your first troubleshooting steps.
If the PDF appears as a clickable link, you can often save the file to your desktop and open it directly. Downloading the file is a quick solution to get you going without further troubleshooting.
Adobe releases regular security updates for Reader and Acrobat. It's likely that the latest update patch can fix a conflict with your system or browser.
Reader or Acrobat, or the resources they rely on, could have been damaged. Repairing the installation is a quick troubleshooting safeguard.
- (Reader) Choose Help > Repair Adobe Reader Installation.
- (Acrobat) Choose Help > Repair Acrobat Installation.
- Can't view a PDF on the web
- A blank page is displayed in the browser
- A broken object link (for example, a red square, a blue triangle, or a blue circle) or red X icon is displayed in the browser
- Error message: "The Adobe Acrobat/Reader that is running cannot be used to view PDF files in a web browser..."
- Adobe Reader forums and other resources
Note: Visit the Adobe Reader Help and Support page for assistance with other Reader top issues.
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