Adobe Reader won't display PDF in IE Browser Window

[MatthewShaffner]

I am using Adobe Reader XI and Internet Explorer v. 11.0.9600.17280.

I have tried uninstalling and re-installing Adobe.  I've also checked IE Add-Ins and all Adobe Reader Add-Ins are enabled.

However, you're poorly written software STILL WILL NOT display PDFs in browser any more.

I need help, but since you're software is so horrible, you do not offer typical technical support.

PLEASE HELP!

[d2hughes]

I have several users at my site that have this same issue. If I disable the add in and re-enable the add in it will work for a day or so but eventually will stop working and PDFs will open outside the browser. We are also using IE 11 and Windows 8.1. Has anyone had permanent success with this one?

[pwillener]

Instead of labeling the software "poorly written" it would be a lot more useful if you provided some information.

[MatthewShaffner]

Pat,

As they say, if the shoe fits....  Most reputable companies, even those distributing free or open source software, provide at least some basic support (even if it's just e-mail).  But no, Adobe makes us post in these forums.  So if you think you can be of assistance with "some information" why don't you tell me what information your looking for?

[pwillener]

You write "STILL WILL NOT display PDFs in browser"; what exactly happens instead?

[shay_df]

we have the same problem on our company too.

and u can see here another user who describes the problem : Reader XI PDF Reader Display in browser does not work

part of our site is based on this "pdf opend on the explorer browser"

what can we do?

[MatthewShaffner]

Pat,

Not displaying a PDF in browser means that the PDF is not opened within the browser window.  Said another way, the PDF downloads instead and opens in a separate Adobe Reader window causing extra blank IE Pages to be displayed, requiring closing out about 3 windows every time you try to open a PDF through IE.  Shay_df seems to have found the solution, but it requires resetting IE settings.  If Adobe Reader software was not so poorly designed, this should not have been necessary as it affects many other things other then the Adobe Reader Plug-in.  Just proof to the point that Adobe does not care how their software works or how it affects users.  I don't really even understand why they update their software on what seems a weekly basis.  It's a bit much, don't you think?

[pwillener]

Thank you for the explanation, although you have already found the solution.

Lots of add-ons are having problems with IE11; in fact if there is any poorly written software, it's IE11.  But I don't want to shift the blame around; I'm glad you found a solution.

Adobe Reader doesn't update that much; normally four times a year.  But there have been two out-of-band security updates recently, but that's still less updates than Microsoft provides.

[dschoellkopf]

My company is having the same problem and I was hoping for some kind of final explanation.

The fix of resetting the Internet Explorer settings works for a time, then it later it has the problem again.  Our company has a reporting site which needs the documents to open in the browser to allow for drill down(generating another report based on a link in the document), so the reports have to be in the browser not a separate Adobe Reader Window.  We have tried other fixes on the Web like the TabProcGrowth=1, but still the problem happens later.

Our users are tired of resetting their Internet Explorer settings every week or more.  As this has worked in all previous versions, I would agree the issue probably lies in Internet Explorer or at least partly in Internet Explorer, but we need some way to keep the files opening in the browser rather than a separate Reader window.  Any additional thoughts or fixes by anyone would be greatly appreciated.

[smithn54518888]

I have this issue on some of my customers' PCs but not my own. I just ran a registry change detector on my PC. When I remove the checkbox the "display .pdf settings in web browser" under "Accessibility/Setup Assistant" the registry key " HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1627927489-3529874470-1830650990-29121\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\DC\Originals\bBrowserIntegration: 0x00000000" is added. When i uncheck the box, the key is removed. So if anyone still has this issue, does removing this key manually fix the issue? If i have an opportunity to try this on a customer machine where this works, i'll post it.

[The__Book]

Adobe Resolved Issue

Fortunately, Adobe released v 11.0.14 on January 12th, 2016 which resolves this issue. As well, Adobe Reader DC, of the same release, date does not have this issue as well.

http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotes/11/11.0.14.html

One Short Term Solution

Here is a little VB script you can make a shortcut out of and deploy. This will delete the Adobe Reader CSLID then launch IE and go to Google.

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") On Error Resume Next Key = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{CA8A9780-280D-11CF-A24D-444553540000}" WshShell.RegDelete Key & "\" CreateObject("WScript.Shell").Run "https://www.google.com" Wscript.quit

Another Short Term Solution

Create a Group Policy Preference that looks for and deletes the offending registry key on a periodic basis.

Completely NOT Recommended Solution But Servs as a "Break Glass" Short Term Solution Until You Can Get 11.0.14 Rolled Out

Within IE, Internet Options, Security Settings for Each Zone (especially Internet) Disable "Run Antimalware Software on ActiveX Controls"  Please note, you are opening a very BIG hole in malware security.

Using Group Policies: "Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Security Page\Internet Zone\"Don't run antimalware programs against ActiveX controls"

One MS Support explanation was this a few days ago:

"After internal analysis and working with partners, we believe we’ve identified the root cause as a problem with how Adobe is using our registry key in IE, resulting in Adobe behaving as if it is blocked or not installed even though it is. The problem has been reported, and should be addressed in the next quarterly update of the Adobe PDF product. SCEP exposes the issue by activating the IE plug in scan functionality, but does not cause the issue. This also explains why we are not seeing similar issues with other IE plug ins.

Excellent Description of What Was Occuring:

Link:  Acrobat Reader XI addon gets disabled periodically in Internet Explorer within Windows domain - Serv...

Assuming you have installed

• Microsoft Windows 7+ / Server 2008 R2+
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 11+ (IE)
• Adobe PDF Reader 11+ (Reader)
• Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection / Microsoft Malware Protection (MalwareProtection)

the following seems to happen here:

MalwareProtection registers a component named Microsoft Antimalware IOfficeAntiVirus implementation (MpOAv) for Extension Validation with IE.

IExtensionValidation interface

For Internet Explorer 11, specifies an interface the anti-malware vendors can implement. Vendors that register support for this interface may be called by IE11 to validate that an ActiveX control is safe to instantiate.

MpOAv registers as a CLSID of {2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE}.

[HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extension Validation\{2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE}] [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extension Validation\{2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE}] 

You can inspect the detailed properties of MpOAv in the registry. The associated DLL usually resides at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Security Client\MpOAv.dll

[HKCR\CLSID\{2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE}] [HKCR\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE}] 

Now everytime IE wants to run an ActiveX control, the registered MpOAv is being called before that and sometimes misbehaves or simply thinks that the Reader ActiveX control is not safe. I have no idea what its behavior really depends on.

This all results in IE (iexplore.exe) writing 2 keys to the registry: The CLSIDs of MpOAv {2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE} and Reader {CA8A9780-280D-11CF-A24D-444553540000}.

[HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{2781761E-28E1-4109-99FE-B9D127C57AFE}] [HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ext\Settings\{CA8A9780-280D-11CF-A24D-444553540000}] 

From this point on IE will not run the Reader ActiveX control until someone manually removes its CLSID from there. This is the observed problem.

Regards,

The__Book

[Napoleon_ch]

Hello,

I have the same Problem in our Company. Look at: Re: Unable open PDFs in the Webbrowser I have no Idea where it come from.

[shay_df]

we have the same problem on our company too.

and u can see here another user who describes the problem : Reader XI PDF Reader Display in browser does not work

part of our site is based on this "pdf opend on the explorer browser"

what can we do?

[shay_df]

Go to internet options\advanced

reset and restore buttons.

it's solved the problem at our customer's pc, b"h

[MatthewShaffner]

Shay!

Resetting IE seems to have worked for now.  I'll update this thread if it stops working, but I think you found the trick!  Thanks!

[MatthewShaffner]

Unfortunately resetting IE Settings is only a TEMPORARY SOLUTION.  I'm not certain if it's a reboot that starts the issue all over again or just time, but now I'm back to square one.  I CAN NOT keep resetting IE settings just because Adobe cannot code a stable plug-in!

[marki84337154]

This worked for me:

PDF files won't open in Internet Explorer 11, only shows small black box. Any help? | Technical Foru...

It basically says add this value to your registry.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\TabProcGrowth =1

[walterl55941758]

This was the fix that worked for me.

[Guest]

the fix is: goto manage add-ons-(all add ons)-disable all adobe entrys. then when you get a pdf on a web page it will give you a bar at bottom of screen to open pdf in adobe reader.

[Guest]

the fix is: goto manage add-ons-(all add ons)-disable all adobe entrys. then when you get a pdf on a web page it will give you a bar at bottom of screen to open pdf in adobe reader.