Skip to main content
teancum144
teancum144
Inspiring
May 14, 2019
Answered

Acrobat Pro DC can't open pdf file, but browser can

  • May 14, 2019
  • 8 replies
  • 13865 views

When I try to open a certain PDF file, Acrobat gives me the following error message:

"There was an error opening this document. The file is damaged and could not be repaired."

However, if I right-click on the document and select "Open with [Chrome, Edge, Firefox], it opens and displays perfectly. I even tried downloading it from the browser, but I still get the same error.

Please help.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Release (Classic) | Version 2015.006-30493

    Correct answer paul_5722

    I found one workaround.  Maybe it will be useful to others.

    1. Open the problem pdf doc in a browser (I used Firefox at the time, may work with other browsers too)

    2. Print (not save) to a pdf file.  In my case, this seemed to rasterize the doc, removing any OCR/text information and representing each page as an image.  The file also became quite large, going from original ~8MB for 40 pages to about 100MB.

    3. Open the printed pdf file in Acrobat.

    4. (optional) If you have the pro version of Acrobat, you can use the OCR tool to try to restore text search capabilities as well as compress the images somewhat to reduce the file size.  In my case, OCR seemed to work fine, and I was able to adjust the jpeg compression options to get the file size down to ~20 MB while maintaining visual clarity in the images similar to the original 8 MB file.  If I adjusted the jpeg settings to get down to the original 8MB file size, the images looked worse that the orignal 8 MB file for whatever reason.

    8 replies

    V
    Valien
    New Participant
    November 26, 2024

    I have the same issue with some PDF files created with Gravit Designer not opening in Acrobat but displaying in the browser. However when my client sends me those same files via WeTransfer instead of email, they open in Acrobat. 

     

      T
      Community Manager
      Tariq AhmadCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      January 15, 2025

      Hi @Valien,

      Sorry for the delayed response. 
      You need to reach out to the developers of the Gravit Designer app.
      However, there is usually a problem with the structure of the file, fonts, etc. You may use the Acrobat Preflight tool to fix some issues: https://adobe.ly/4hjmFCF 

       

       

      If the file was created initially using Adobe Acrobat or an Adobe-developed application, please share the file with us. We will investigate, find the root cause, and help you with a solution or workaround. 

       


      Let us know if you have further questions. 

      ~Tariq

      H
      Holden38751072eu3h
      New Participant
      July 22, 2024

      Same issue. I cannot open anything from my downloads as a PDF. It used to just ignore it if I pressed enough time, but now it will not open at all. 

      S
      Scott28227503bia0
      New Participant
      September 26, 2024

      SAME ISSUE:  Opens in browser(s) but not with Adobe.  Does anyone from Adobe even try to help on this site in a remotely timely manner????  

      P
      paul_5722Correct answer
      New Participant
      November 6, 2024

      I found one workaround.  Maybe it will be useful to others.

      1. Open the problem pdf doc in a browser (I used Firefox at the time, may work with other browsers too)

      2. Print (not save) to a pdf file.  In my case, this seemed to rasterize the doc, removing any OCR/text information and representing each page as an image.  The file also became quite large, going from original ~8MB for 40 pages to about 100MB.

      3. Open the printed pdf file in Acrobat.

      4. (optional) If you have the pro version of Acrobat, you can use the OCR tool to try to restore text search capabilities as well as compress the images somewhat to reduce the file size.  In my case, OCR seemed to work fine, and I was able to adjust the jpeg compression options to get the file size down to ~20 MB while maintaining visual clarity in the images similar to the original 8 MB file.  If I adjusted the jpeg settings to get down to the original 8MB file size, the images looked worse that the orignal 8 MB file for whatever reason.

        J
        John37030943hmkv
        New Participant
        April 27, 2024

        I also have been having the SAME issue with Adobe Acrobat Pro 202 Release Classic ver 2020.005.30574  it is updated and I did a "repair" still nothing.  I susepct the files I am having trouble with are being created by a third-party, i.e. one comes from my alarm company every day, today's problem is from my State - a license in PDF I need to print out.

        So far, everything I have read in here from Adobe doesn't seem very helpful. 

        I finally uploaded it to a FREE pdf website, once uploaded, resaved it on my desktop, and now it works.

        WHY do I pay Adobe for Acrobat Pro again?????

          Amal.
          Community Manager
          Amal.Community Manager
          Community Manager
          April 29, 2024

          Hi there

           

          We're sorry to hear about your experience. We understand how important it is for your work to function smoothly.

           

          it sounds like there may have been a compatibility issue with certain PDF files, possibly those generated by third-party sources. We'll investigate this further to ensure smoother compatibility in the future.

           

          We're glad to hear that you found a workaround by using a free PDF website. However, we recognize that this isn't the ideal solution.

           

          If you encounter similar issues in the future or have any other concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team directly. We're here to help and ensure that you have the best experience with Adobe Acrobat Pro.

           

          Thank you for your patience and understanding.

           

          ~Amal

            S
            Stowe Australia50B6
            New Participant
            May 19, 2024

            facing same problem, installed latest version of adobe via creative cloud .exe installer, had users having troubles open PDF files from outlook attachments, shared drives, one-drive and from local PC. This looks like on-going issue which adobe is taking it too seriously in rectifying it, we cant keep repairing the installation which is only a band-aid solution for a limited time.

              S
              sarah257241173hcg
              New Participant
              April 5, 2024

              We are having the same issue with a file now.

               

              Any changes for you?

                petera33366807
                petera33366807
                New Participant
                April 5, 2024

                same problem for me - checked for updates and all up to date .  it is happening on numerous files , not just one . in some cases adobe says cannot find the path ?   But starngely firefox and chrome can . Previous comment is correct -  therefore why we need to pay for Adobe , when all others are more efficient and free !

                Amal.
                Community Manager
                Amal.Community Manager
                Community Manager
                April 8, 2024

                Hi there

                 

                Web browsers use their own PDF mechanism to render and display the PDF contents, and it is not Adobe-dependent.

                 

                Please go through the steps shared in the help page: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/pdf-error-1015-11001-update.html and see if that works. 

                 

                Let us know how it goes.

                 

                ~Amal

                 

                Z
                ziqing32388577lv9v
                New Participant
                September 19, 2023

                We have same issue, which leads us to consider that since we can open in Chrome, why we still need Acrobat.

                  Amal.
                  Community Manager
                  Amal.Community Manager
                  Community Manager
                  September 20, 2023

                  Hi @ziqing32388577lv9v 

                   

                  Many factors can prevent a PDF from opening in your browser or on your computer using Acrobat Reader or Acrobat. Try the suggestions in the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/cant-open-pdf.html to troubleshoot the problems.

                   

                  Let us know how it goes.

                   

                  ~Amal

                  A
                  Alex307559306k6d
                  New Participant
                  November 21, 2023

                  You don't seem to understand the issue this user is having.

                   

                  They're capable of opening the file in the browser extension chrome uses, however when they try downloading the file and opening it in Adobe's PDF reader they're unable to. I'm also having this problem. The help link you gave basically just tells them to download Adobe's PDF reader, but that's exactly the thing that isn't working.

                   

                  It's likely something to do with how Adobe reads files vs. the way the chrome extension does.

                    S
                    Sean29751748wam7
                    New Participant
                    May 6, 2023

                    Getting the exact same problem.  This thread doesn't seem to suggest a resolution?  Adobe can you point the community in a direction to resolve what appears to still be an issue for some users in 2023!? 

                      N
                      Nylia Zamora
                      New Participant
                      May 12, 2021

                      Getting the same regard with a file. It will open in browser but shows blank and error of it being damaged in Acrobat. Version has been updated and repair completed. Still no avail. This recently stared happening. 

                        Amal.
                        Community Manager
                        Amal.Community Manager
                        Community Manager
                        July 24, 2019

                        Hi There,

                        Apologies for the delay in response, I hope you would be able to fix it by now.

                        Acrobat gives an error when there is a problem with the file. The web browsers use the browser enabled extensions to view the PDF file online.

                        If the problem still persists, we need some more information for a better understanding.

                        • Is this the behavior with a particular file or with any file that you want to open?
                        • what is the OS/version?
                        • Are you connected to a home network or on a work domain?

                        In the meantime, please try the following steps:

                        If it doesn't work, please share the file with us through private message for checking at our end. To send the private message please follow the link- How Do I Send Private Message

                        Do let us know about the results.

                        Regards,

                        Amal

                        Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
                        Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices