"Cannot use adobe reader to view pdf in your web browser" error in Windows 7 and Acrobat pro 8.1.7

[Bob TMT]

I get the error "Cannot use adobe reader to view pdf in your web browser.  Reader will now exit.  Please exit your browser and try again" in Windows 7 x32 and Windows 7 x64 with Acrobat pro 8.1.7.  This happens when trying to open  a PDF file in Internet explorer 8.0.760 or when I open a PDF in Quickbooks 2008.  If I answer ok or cancel the file opens normally.  If I open acrobat 8 first then the pdf files open as expected.  I also tried a copy of Acrobat reader with no difference in the outcome.  Since this happens on two different computers one fresh copy of windows 7 x64 the other an upgrade to windows 7 x32 and they used to work before the change to windows 7, I assume there is some kind of incompatibility with windows 7 and acrobat.  Is this a known issue and will it be fixed in an update to acrobat in the near future?

[Guest]

You're not alone.  I have the exact same problem.  None of the Adobe updates fix this either; and not seeing any response from Adobe is making me wonder what's up.  All I know is the Boss is getting pissed at the error every time he needs to view an Internet PDF.

[Buckster0015]

Having the same issue with Acrobat Reader 9.3 and Windows 7.  Cannot open a PDF from a web browser.  Any solution?

[Bill12]

Ask in the Reader forum.

[Buckster0015]

Sorry

[ItsOkayNow]

This was previously posted and it worked for me in Reader 9.4

Easy fix:

1. Open Acrobat 8**

2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Documents

4. Look at the "Save Settings" area

3. Uncheck "Save as optimizes for fast web view"

Relax and enjoy the raise the boss will now give you.

[Neo719]

WOW, I think the suggestion from ItsOkayNow helped, I still get Acrobat professional opening with the error message, "Cannot use Adobe Reader to view PDF is your web browser.Reader will now exit. Please exit your browser and try again."

So far, however, it seems to open the PDF file every time and I only get the error the first time for each browser session.

[Bobjonez]

I am having the same problem, and after it occurs Acrobat will not open for me from the taskbar.  Any advice would be appreciated.

[Guest]

Ok, I just resolved this issue on my machine - running Windows 7 and Adobe 8.1.5 Professional - by just disabling the Adboe Splash Screen under Edit / Preferences / General / Application Startup.

I also disabled the "Getting Started with Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional" screen that comes up when you open Adobe, by selecting the "do not show at startup" option on that window. See attached screen capture.

Hope it helps you folks out there!

cheers

[Guest]

Both above answers don't work for me.

I don't have acrobat professional installed and splash screens are off.

I cannot register acrobat reader.

to bad.

[SimmZ_81]

Exactly the same problem here. Using Windows 7 Professionnal (32b) with Mozilla FireFox 3.5.4 with Acrobat Pro 8.1.7 (bundled with my Creative Suite CS3). Except for the error message, most of time the PDF are displaying correctly into my web browser.

I hope Adobe will release an hotfix soon because this is annoying and some time my PDF aren't displaying for real and I have to refresh... quit my browser... ect.

Let's go Adobe, do something!

[Bernd Alheit · Accepted solution]

For Windows 7 you will need Adobe Acrobat 9.1.

[SimmZ_81]

Why? Adobe clearly say on thier website than Acrobat 8 and Acrobat 9 are fully compatible to Windows 7.

[saul2526]

I had the same problem. I checked file association for .pdf files and discovered it was associated with Adobe Acrobat rather that Adobe Reader. I changed the association to Adobe Reader, restarted my browser, opened a .pdf file online and the problem was solved.

[SimmZ_81]

You mean you install Adobe Reader (free version) OVER your actual Adobe Acrobat Professionnal? Because if I go inside my file association into Firefox all the choice I got in the scrolling menu is "Adobe Acrobat plugin (inside FireFox)" or "Adobe Acrobat 8 Profesionnal". There's nothing about Adobe Reader... that's why I assume you install Adobe Reader (free) over your Adobe Acrobat Pro.

It's a possible solution I guess, but it's kinda annoying because I prefer to use the real Adobe Acrobat Professionnal to read my PDF because I use the advanced feature only included into the Pro. Reader version (Free) are very limited and I don't want to have to save all my PDF on desktop then open it manually into Adobe Reader Pro...

[Bill12]

Generally installing both Reader and Acrobat is not recommended by Adobe. They may interact and create problems using one or the other. As far as the compatibility of Win7 with Acrobat versions, it would be nice to give a link to the compatibility statement that was made. In looking at the system requirements on the Adobe site for AA9 versions, there is not comment about Win7. Also, 64-bit versions have also been problematic. So specific references to the compatibility statements would be appropriate when stated.

[P__Allan]

I'm not familiar with Win7, but maybe You could investigate a little bit according to this good old tweak:

Quote from message by Reinhard Franke - 07:48am Jul 30, 2003 Pacific:

"[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Software\Adobe\Acrobat\Exe]

There you will find the full path to the program IE will use (Acrobat or Reader exe)."

E.g. "C:\Programs\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"

[smoddelm]

The Windows 7 compatibility site says that Acrobat 9 is compatible.  It's silent on Acrobat 8.  I ran the Windows 7 compatibilityt checker before I upgraded and Acrobat 8 was not flagged as incompatible.  However, it did not appear in the list of specific programs that are compatible (or not).  It is certainly compatible in the sense that everything works except for getting the stupid message.

[poofyboy]

I do not find anything in writing to support your saying that Acrobat and Reader are incompatible with each other. In fact, I'm pretty sure that when I installed Acrobat it installed Reader also. Please provide substantiation for this bizarre statement.

[gkaiseril]

Can't view PDF on the web:

"2. Remove all previous versions of Acrobat, and then reinstall.

Adobe doesn't support multiple versions of Acrobat on the same computer. Multiple versions simultaneously installed can lead to software conflicts and errors.

• Uninstall all versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat and then reinstall only one version of either Reader or Acrobat."

Problems installing, removing | Acrobat, Reader 9 | Windows

Adobe Acrobat and Reader 9.1 Release Notes

From experience, we know the web browser may engage the product you do not want to supply the browser plugin or there can be battling plugins for use in the browser.

Also the recommendations apply to the initial distribution and could and do change because of version updates.

Some of us have very carefully looked at the install and we are aware that there are many shared application and system libraries that can be corrupted by different variations or versions, that is different versions or variations use the exact same library names in the Windows or Acrobat folder and the libraries have different code within the library which could be incompatible with older versions. And fully removing the versions/variations and reinstalling only one product resolves the problem. Not much different from MS Office.

Version 9 of Acrobat and Reader is the first version that Adobe said might be able to coexist on a single system, but one should not have older versions or older similar products installed.

[geovie]

Thank for the information.

[billrp]

Any answer on this???   The above suggestions didn't work for me. 

[Guest]

Same problem here.

None of the above sollutions helped. To bad.

I hope there will be a sollution soon as I really need version 8 to test my SAP Interactive forms (PDF within SAP Webdynpro)

[billrp]

This is annoying - we need to keep this thread alive, maybe someday Adobe or someone will have an answer.  I  even installed Acro-Reader 9.x with my Acrobat 8.x, and I still get the "Cannot use Adobe Reader..." message.  This is not good.

[P__Allan]

You're right Bill.

Most internet advices on the issue regards an alternative browser and/or an alternative reader.

E.g.: "Several users have been able to quickly an easily work around this issue by installing and using an alternative PDF reader. One good choice is the free Foxit Reader."

Maybe You could do the testing with Foxit Reader. Or I may suggest PDF-XChange Viewer.

http://download.cnet.com/PDF-XChange-Viewer/3000-10743_4-10598377.html