Unable to View .pdf files in Internet Explorer (on-line)

[dddave]

I had my PC recently updated to IE 6.0.2800.1106 (128-bit) and am now unable to read any files online with my Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5 (licensed, full version); the PC is a Compaq Pentium II 450 MHz Deskpro, running Win 98 SE with 128 MB RAM. Prior to this, the PC was a 400 MHz Celeron clone, with 64 MB RAM, Win 98 SE and ran Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5 OK in IE 5.5. My other PC, a Gateway Notebook 2500 SE, running Windows 98 SE, 64 MB RAM, 333 MHz Celeron, has IE 5.5 with the Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5, and is able to display .pdf files with no problem in IE. What is happening here to prevent display of Adobe Acrobat files? Could this have anything to do with lack of IE6 SP-1, and critical and security updates?
Thanks,
David Minkin

 

[smah]

I doubt this would have anything to do with security updates. I suspect that installing (or reinstalling) the latest version of Acrobat reader would fix the problem, but I'm not exactly sure what ramifications that would have with file associations, etc. Meaning that double clicking a local pdf file might open the reader instead of the full acrobat. If this happens, I think you'll have to reassociate pdf's with the full acrobat.

 

[tedly3000]

Yes, I've also had troubles with not only IE6, but also with Netscape for the MAC. No Image is viewable online. Here's the deal. I have an image which is clickable (actually it's SUPPOSED to be clickable, but it's not) with an href with no special attributes, just a hard coded link to where the PDF is. I checked my code, it's not at all World Wide Web Consortium unworthy. I mean it's just basic html....! I know there are issues with PDF's but you think they'd actually work for downloads when clicked on? Any suggestions?

Cheers,
Tedly

 

[phuturetech]

Hi,

This won't allow you to view the docs in-line but will open Acrobat Reader and the file when you click the link.

Start Acrobat
Goto "Edit" menu and select "Preferences"
Then Select "Options"
Then uncheck the box "Display PDF in Browser"

Cheers,

Scott

 

[carrr]

Check this out:

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/98fe.htm

 

[joegz]

In most of these cases I suspect that the path to PDF.OCX may not be correctly specified in the registry. You should find the information in the key KEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{CA8A9780-280D-11CF-A24D-444553540000}\InprocServer32

The actual location of the pdf.ocx file should match the path listed in this key. Or you can do as previoiusly suggested and have the PDF file open outside the browser.

joegz
"Sometimes you just need to find out what it's not first to figure out what it is."

 

[dddave]

Carr,
Good catch:

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/98fe.htm

Configuring the Browser to Open PDF Files within the Browser Window
…
If Acrobat is installed, but PDF files don't open in the browser window, work through the following steps to configure the browser:
1. Make sure that the system meets the requirements for the Acrobat product you use. For a list of system requirements, refer to the following resources:
…
-- Adobe Reader 6.0: See Adobe's Web site at

http://www.adobe.com/main/acrobatread.html.

-- Acrobat 5.x or Acrobat Reader 5.x: See the ReadMe file included with the application.
2. Make sure that the ActiveX plug-in is in the correct location:
…
-- Acrobat 5.x: Program Files/Adobe/Acrobat 5.0/Acrobat/ActiveX folder
3. Use a supported version of the browser:
-- Acrobat 6.0 and Adobe Reader 6.0 support IE 5.1-6.1 and AOL 6.0-8.0.
-- Acrobat 5.0 and Acrobat Reader 5.0 support IE 4.0-5.0 and AOL 6.x (Windows 2000, Me, 98, or 95) or AOL 5.x (Windows NT).
4. Restart Windows…
5. Reinstall Acrobat … to make sure that the correct plug-in information is added to the Windows registry.
6. If you have an older version of Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed on the system, remove it.

Acrobat 5.0 won't suuport IE 6.0; it will support IE 5.0 (assume 5.5).
I didn't realize that when my PC was updated to IE 6, it would create a problem.
Thanks,
David

 

[dddave]

Also, Windows 98 and 98 SE does not function with Acrobat 6.0, as I found out when I went to upgrade. 98 functions with MSIE or 5.5 and Acrobat 5.0, for the browser to display .pdf files.
The only way for a web page to come up with MSIE 6.0 is for the PC has to be running XP (or perhaps 2000) and Acrobat 6.0.
David