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shay_4167
New Participant
May 5, 2025
Question

PDF Files Open in Browser but Not in Adobe Acrobat Reader

  • May 5, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 1338 views

Dear Adobe Support,

I am encountering an issue where certain PDF files downloaded from the web open correctly in web browsers such as Google Chrome, but fail to open in Adobe Acrobat Reader. When attempting to open these files in Acrobat, I receive the following error:
"Adobe Acrobat Reader could not open [filename] because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged."

This issue affects multiple PDF files from various sources. I have confirmed the following:

  • The files are fully downloaded and saved with valid .pdf extensions.

  • They open successfully in Chrome, Edge, and other PDF viewers.

  • I am using Adobe Acrobat Reader version 25.001.20467.

  • Acrobat Reader is up to date.

  • Disabling Protected Mode does not resolve the issue.

  • Re-saving or printing the file via Chrome fixes the problem, but that is not practical for high-volume use.

Given that these PDFs work in other viewers, I suspect Acrobat Reader may be overly strict with certain web-optimized or slightly nonstandard files.

I would appreciate your help in identifying a solution or setting that allows Adobe Reader to open such PDFs reliably without needing to manually regenerate them.

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,
[shay vinitsky]
[shayv@scd.co.il]

1 reply

T
Community Manager
Tariq AhmadCommunity Manager
Community Manager
May 5, 2025

Hi @shay_4167

 

Thank you for reaching out, and sorry for the troubled experience.

There are some observations about why Adobe Acrobat might fail to open it, even though third-party apps like Google Chrome or MS Edge can:

 

1. Corrupted or Non-Standard PDF Structure

  • Some PDF generators (especially non-Adobe tools or browser-based export options) can produce files that deviate slightly from the PDF specification.

  • Mac Preview, Google Chrome, etc., are more tolerant of these variations, while Adobe Acrobat is stricter and may reject such files as corrupted.

 

2. Incremental Save Errors or Bad XRef Tables

  • The PDF may have malformed cross-reference tables (used to locate objects in the file), or improper incremental updates.

  • In such cases, Acrobat often throws errors like “There was an error opening this document. The file is damaged and could not be repaired.”

 

3. Missing Required Objects or Metadata

  • Critical metadata (like the trailer, EOF marker, or root object reference) could be malformed or missing.

  • Some readers can infer this and display content anyway; Acrobat typically won’t.

 

4. Security or Compatibility Flags

  • The file may have unsupported security settings, or was created using a tool that set PDF version flags improperly (e.g., calling it PDF/A-3 but not following specs).

 

Also, I would like to request that you share the file with us. Have you ever been able to open that file using Reader before?

 


~Tariq

S
shay_4167Author
New Participant
May 5, 2025

Yes, I have been able to open the file yesterday, and many more files from the same sender. Today it started to show the error suddenly. Unfortunatelly, im not able to share the file with you. In addition it does open correctly in adobe acrobat reader dc 21.001.20145 but i must use the newer version that i mensioned above.

MikelKlink
MikelKlink
Participating Frequently
May 5, 2025

As you appear to be in continuous exchange with that sender, please try and arrange with them to create a dummy document the same way those non-sharable ones are created and provided. Also, please ask them whether they can open their PDFs using the current Acrobat.

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