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will not open pdfs

Forum|Forum|5 days ago
July 18, 2026
4 replies
63 views

I have an Adobe Acrobat reader account. Since yesterday I cannot open any of my pdf’s documents in file Explorer. I have windows and using Chrome as my browser. I have uninstalled and reinstalled so many times, with no luck. Support is useless as I seem to chat with a bot. I am not interested in editing etc any pdf files, all what i want to is print. I have a small business where I do designs using Canva and I need to send these design to my printer for various applications. No matter what i do it tells me I have seven day free trial. WHAT IS THE ISSUE.

Correct answer Randy Hagan

I’m not a bot, but I’m willing to try and help you.

But first, I have to ask you some questions:

Can you open PDFs directly from Adobe Reader? As in, open Adobe Reader, use the File>Open menu command, navigate your way to where you’ve stored a PDF in your Windows system, and open it directly in/from the program?
If you right-click on a PDF file in Windows File Explorer, can you open it with the Open flyaway menu command?
If you cannot, what options do you see when you right-click again and select the Open With flyaway menu command?
And just to check, can you use Google Chrome to open a PDF within the browser by using the same process in the first bullet point above, but within Google Chrome?

I’m sorry to respond to your question with a bunch of other questions, but the answers to these bullet point will help us help you by narrowing down the possibilities and analyze exactly where the problems may lie with you opening PDF files directly from your File Explorer.

Randy

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BeezieAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hi Randy

Whopee. I am now all sorted. Thank you so much for all your help. ✋

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

I’m very happy to hear that.

Can I ask a favor of you? Could you mark the comment that fixed your issue as the “Best answer”? That alerts the moderators to archive this answer and offer it to other folks who may have the same or similar issues.

And anytime you have issues with Acrobat — or heck, any Adobe application you’re working with — feel free to come back and sound the alarm. There are lots of sharp folks around here who are happy to lend a hand.

Glad things have worked out well for you,

Randy

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BeezieAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hi Randy

This could be a long process. I downloaded Adobe’s Free Acrobat Cleaner. When I type English and push “enter” the word English disappears!!!

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

It’ll take a bit. You may need to scroll down the webpage to see the actual links you’re looking for.

But this should work for you.

B

BeezieAuthor

Participating Frequently

this is what i have

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BeezieAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hi Randy

Thank you for responding. I go to Windows File Explorer the files are shown with the Pdf icon. When I go to “open with” it gives me Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Express Photos, Canva, Snipping Tool and Paint. No chrome icon.

Also when i click on the document in Windows File Explorer it opens and says that I need to pay.

I do not know what I have done wrong, as i had no problems till yesterday. I am not very tech savvy at all.

I have also tried to attached the screenshots I have taken to show the problems, but it will not allow me to upload to this conversation.😫

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

Gotcha. I’m not dead sure, but I think I know the root of your problem:

You likely have Adobe Acrobat as well as Adobe Reader installed on your system. When Acrobat is installed, it immediately overrides Reader and starts doing all the things that are causing you fits right now. It happens.

Let’s try this:

First, we’ve got to delete every trace of Adobe Acrobat and Reader on your system. Uninstalling from the Windows Settings>Apps tab is insufficient, as both programs distribute utilities/hooks in various files throughout your system. Follow this link to get Adobe’s free Acrobat Cleaner to dispatch any and all versions/flavors of Acrobat tools off your system without mercy.
Reboot the system, then use this link to get and install the free Adobe Reader on your system. Be sure to scroll through each page you see to ensure that you don’t pick up any additional shovelware or the link to install the full version of Adobe Acrobat on your system. You want to be sure you’re only installing Adobe Reader and nothing else.

Then go to your File Explorer and double-click on the first PDF you want to open in Adobe Reader. Hopefully, this will be the end of your issues.

Hope this helps,

Randy

Randy Hagan

Correct answer

Community Expert

I’m not a bot, but I’m willing to try and help you.

But first, I have to ask you some questions:

Can you open PDFs directly from Adobe Reader? As in, open Adobe Reader, use the File>Open menu command, navigate your way to where you’ve stored a PDF in your Windows system, and open it directly in/from the program?
If you right-click on a PDF file in Windows File Explorer, can you open it with the Open flyaway menu command?
If you cannot, what options do you see when you right-click again and select the Open With flyaway menu command?
And just to check, can you use Google Chrome to open a PDF within the browser by using the same process in the first bullet point above, but within Google Chrome?

I’m sorry to respond to your question with a bunch of other questions, but the answers to these bullet point will help us help you by narrowing down the possibilities and analyze exactly where the problems may lie with you opening PDF files directly from your File Explorer.

Randy

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