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Question

Reader 9 won't open PDF from web browser

Forum|Forum|17 years ago
July 5, 2008
167 replies
116099 views

I just installed Reader 9, and now when I click on a link to a PDF on a web page I get this message: "The Adobe Acrobat/Reader that is running cannot be used to view PDF files in a web browser. Adobe Acrobat/Reader version 8 or 9 is required. Please exit and try again." Since I AM running version 9, this seems peculiar. Any ideas?

Mary

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yankees8223

Participant

I can figure out how to fix this problem but how do you prevent it in the first place? I work at a place with over 200 users and we are updating them to version 9.3.1. It doesn't happen to everybody but still a high percentage. It's an inconvenience to update the machine, wait for the user to complain about the issue, and have to go back and fix it. Is there a way to prevent it in the first place? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Mirfster

Participating Frequently

This can easily corrected in a Transform (MST), perhaps even using the Adobe Customization Wizard Tool. Are you going to be using any tools like that to customize the package before deploying it? If so, let me know and I will provide instructions.

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yankees8223

Participant

I've used the customization wizard tool before but how would I use it to prevent this? Thanks.

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Anonymous

I acquired a new computer with Windows 7, and loaded AR 9.3.1, to view PDF files, which worled fine. After loading CS4 a few weeks later, which incuded AR-Pro 9, no PDF would launch from a browser, secure site or not. Based on what I read here, I uninstalled AR 9.3.1, then launched AR-Pro 9.0 to insure nothing happened to it. Upon launch, it automatically did some reconfiguring, on its own, requiring a 'restart' of the compuiter, at the end. After the restart, everything worked fine, and PDF's opened from my Browser (IE-8) without a clitch.

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retired66

Participating Frequently

No text available

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Mirfster

Participating Frequently

I didn't read the entire thread, but hope that this helps everyone.

The easy fix for this should simply be to ensure that the path to the EXE in the registry is wrapped in quotes.

By default the registry entry looks like this (when viewed through Regedit):

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat\Exe]

(Default) = C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe

However, for it to correctly work the value should be wrapped in quotes:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat\Exe]

(Default) = "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"

Once that is set it should work fine.

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rcoleman1024

Participant

I am having the identical problem... and it didnt start till I installed reader 9... I just unins

talled it, and bingo, the problem is fixed.... I didnt even have to reboot ! Good luck.

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retired66

Participating Frequently

No text available

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CrayolaRose

Participant

Please how do I unsubscribe to these e-mails, to get off this site? I'm getting 50-75 a day and the problem has been fixed months ago!

Thanks to anyone out there that can help.

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Anonymous

Hope not to be redundant.

When will Reader work in 64 - bit W7? I am lost in the readings and forums. Seems to me I heard mid March.

I too suffer from the Reader won't open PDF in IE8 on other machines in my office. Some no problem and some no workie.

TheOldGuy

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Anonymous

Is everyone watching the security alert from Adobe? It's at http://www.adobe.com/support/security/advisories/apsa10-01.html .

If I understand correctly, all platforms are at risk with Adobe Reader 9. I've switched back to Version 8, which is considered safe to use in relation to this security breach.

It looks like most of you are Windows users and I use a Mac, so this may not have anything to do with the problems you're experiencing. But this looks like something we all need to know about.

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Anonymous

Did you try to completely uninstall Reader 8 and then install Reader 9? I believe that is what is causing the entire problem.

Also by the way, you only mentioned "web browser" - did you mean Firefox? I do understand that the error message you receive says "web browser" rather than specifying which exact web browser, but it may still help to try on other browsers or other versions. Just my 2 cents.

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retired66

Participating Frequently

I'm getting the same message. I have Windo

ws 7. What should I do??? My laptop has Windows XP and I don't have any problems with that. What should I do??? Thank you,

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waplop39

Participant

I have Windows 7 on a laptop, have encountered the same problem of not being able to open most PDF files from secure sights, same message most have rec'd. After trying all of the complicated solutions I have read, I have mine working. It may not be the answer to everyone's but I went to my program and features page on control panel and checked repair. I was astonished to find it fixed my problem. I had previously unistalled and reinstalled Reader 9 several times and it did no good. But the repair did. Hope this might help someone else.

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Randar83705

Participant

I highly recommend this fix I found here (below). I regret I did not note the person who posted, but my many, "Thanks!!!" to you.

This was done in WinXP /SP2, IE8, with AR9 (full updates).

One of our new web based systems is (was) causing us grief when users attempted to generate documents. A new browser window would open with the red 'x' place holder. When I tried to test by opening a local PDF file directly [File / Open...] in the browser the AR app opened instead. I tried all the other suggestions and switches in the 100+ posts you have probably already read here..... no dice.... and my head still hurts.

I work in a rather large enterprise situation and multiple rollbacks to AR8 was not a happy thought. I went through a few scenarios to try out this solution and I am sold. Here are a couple things I learned while researching this. Read on, or just skip to the Post I copied below.

Adobe made a major change in the IE plugin. AR8 used External Window Handler (EWH32.API) to port to the browser. If you to to Help /About Adobe Plug-ins..., in AR9 you will notice it is no longer listed.

In the HKCU section you will likely find both ...\7.0\ and ...\9.0\ keys in the path below, if you have done the complete removal and re-install of AR9 as suggested. You can delete either if you have more than one and add- REGDWORD: bBrowserIntegration (set it to 1) to the other. It doesnt matter which key you keep, but you must create bBrowserIntegration = 1, or it doesnt work. (the result is real time). In one trial I kept both, with ...\7.0\... DWord entry set to 0, the ...\9.0\... DWord entry set to 1. It did not work. When I deleted the ...\9.0\... key completely and reselected the document it worked immediately. The user's app was open when I did this so it was definitely real time. It would appear to me that the Reader installation/update procedure could use some work and thats all I am going to say.

In short, the simplest solution is to delete all or any of the keys as suggested below. I went to another station and deleted both, rebooted. When we re-gen'd the workers doc it was a little slow to open the first time, but came right up in IE. It IS interesting to note that while it did generate a new HKCU\...\Adobe Reader\9.0\... key, it did not create the bBrowserIntegration word entry.. (!?) What the hey, it works, and I am going to chalk that up to The Mysteries of the Registry that we so love to play in...

RARobbins

Thanks again, to whomever posted:

Re: Reader 9 won't open PDF from web browser

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\7.0\Originals
REGDWORD: bBrowserIntegration
DATA = 0x00000000 (0)

Change this from zero to one.

Must be done while user is logged on.
Or you could delete the registry Key, I would change it first.

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jbouwh

Participant

Since this still seems te be a problem, I'd like to reply my solution.

I found out that adding a key in my current user profile solved this issue for me (Reader 9.3 and IE 8):

Make the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\9.0\InstalllPath
Change the default key to the Reader installation folder, e.g.: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader
Check http://forums.adobe.com/message/1770986#1770986

Regards,

Jan.

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Oldshep99

Participant

I've just spent half a day trying to fix this with the help of various Forums and Google results and the inevitable Red Herrings. None of the suggestions related to Reader versions, reinstalls, repairs, Registry edits, etc, etc, worked for me.

Then I tripped over this post from elsewhere in the Adobe Reader Support forum...........apologies for not linking to the original and acknowledging the author but I can't find it again!

I hadn't realised until I read this that my problem was related to secure web pages (https), and the solution below fixed it for me.

I've included the complete post as it was almost exactly the problem I was having, which is what caught my eye.

"I have no problems viewing pdf's normally. But if I am on a secure page (https://), the pdf won't load. This happens on two different web sites, both the Cox cable site and USAA insurance, I am unable to view my statements which are in pdf. I can get around it on the USAA site by choosing to save the pdf instead, and then viewing it locally, but the Cox site doesn't give me that option. I pick a statement month, then it opens up a new tab and goes to a secure page where it appears to try to download the pdf statement- to then try to display in the browser window, I guess? At any rate, there is a little download icon down in the left corner of the status bar, but the progress bar never completes. It just fizzles out and I'm left with a blank page. I had these problems when I used XP Home Edition and nothing has changed under Vista Home Basic. Interestingly, I have no problem viewing my statements on either site from my work computer, which uses XP Pro. I was running Reader 8 on my home system and just recently upgraded to 9, but with no change with this problem. At work Reader 7 is installed.
So it would appear to be a setting on my computer, a limitation of the low-end OS's, or some difference between Reader 7 and 8/9. I am mystified as to exactly what it could be, however. Anyone have any experience with this issue?

UPDATE: Found the answer to my problem! Did a little more searching on these forums and found the culprit setting, but maybe my post will help someone else out if they happen to find it first during their search. Anywho, uncheck the Do not save encrypted files to disk under Internet Advanced Options under Tools "

Anyway, worth trying this first and my thanks to the originator.

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Babsmo

Participant

Thank you SO much for saving me half a day trying to fix this problem...unchecking the box in Internet Options worked for me!

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Blasco

Participant

No more problems with the 8.12 version

Uninstalled the 9.2 and installed this old one, all is going fine.

I'll wait for the resolution of the problem in the 9.2 version, incredible that adobe issued the 9.2 version with the same problems of the 9.1 version!! Are they going to act as microsoft?? poor us...

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