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Fallof89
New Participant
January 6, 2020
Answered

Adobe Acrobat Reader can not open pdf

  • January 6, 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 6290 views

I am using an email server to send PDFs. They open without issue for me, but a recipient at specific location keeps getting the error that the PDF cant be opened due to it either not being a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example the file was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded). Can email servers cause this when sending or does this occur on the recipients end and can I do anything to fix it on my end? The recipient says it is sporadic but only happens when it comes from my email server. Thoughts?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer ~graffiti

I'll back what bucksommerkamp mentions about zipping the file. Some email providers will compress PDF files and when they get to the other end, they can become corrupted. If you'd rather not Zip the file, find a file sharing service (like Google Drive) where you can upload the file and just send a link to download to your recipients.

5 replies

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Advanced28323012vl5u
New Participant
February 8, 2023

Hi,  I am having problems with a PDF file that is also a zip file --- I am on the direct website, but I cannot open the "page"  I have to copy and then paste in a word file --- I use to be able to do this without a problem.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled several times, run update and have tried repair.   Any suggestion?

ns? 

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Skier68
New Participant
March 5, 2020

I don't get an error message either, when I try to open a PDF the little blue circle turns twice then stops, no message nothing.

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Jacobo34
New Participant
March 5, 2020

why

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Jacobo34
New Participant
March 5, 2020

HEY WHAT'S UP WITH THIS COMMUNITY.

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Skier68
New Participant
March 5, 2020

Hi Thank you for your reply, sometimes I am just trying to open a PDF that I have scanned and saved to a folder, or one that I have received in an email and saved to a file and they won't open until I restart my laotop.

~graffiti
~graffitiCorrect answer
Brainiac
January 7, 2020

I'll back what bucksommerkamp mentions about zipping the file. Some email providers will compress PDF files and when they get to the other end, they can become corrupted. If you'd rather not Zip the file, find a file sharing service (like Google Drive) where you can upload the file and just send a link to download to your recipients.

bucksommerkamp
bucksommerkamp
Community Expert
January 7, 2020

I've seen email servers misinterpret or block PDFs because they're sometimes used as a spam or phishing vector. Could you try sending the pdf directly from your email account to theirs, to see if it's handled any differently when it comes from an actual sender/person rather than an automated process? Could you try zipping the file before you send it, then letting the recipient unzip it? (all of these are ways to rule out the email server as the issue).

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Skier68
New Participant
May 3, 2020

Hi Bucksommerkamp thank you for your reply, the PDF's I am trying to open are from a folder saved in my file explorer and could be one's that I have scanned from my printer and saved as a PDF, not just PDF's sent to me in an email.

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