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cannot open a pdf

  • 56 replies
  • 34 have this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by Hasan

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Hi

I am having problems opening a pdf file in Firefox. I have Firefox v4.0.1. When i attempt to open the file it gives a blank page. I can open the file successfully in Internet Explorer 8. I am using Windows XP Professional. I have had problems with Adobe Plugins in Firefox in the past so i use Foxit Reader to open PDFs. I can open the pdf file successfully in Foxit Reader. I have the Foxit Reader Plug-In for Mozilla 1.0.1.1117 enabled.

thanks

Hi I am having problems opening a pdf file in Firefox. I have Firefox v4.0.1. When i attempt to open the file it gives a blank page. I can open the file successfully in Internet Explorer 8. I am using Windows XP Professional. I have had problems with Adobe Plugins in Firefox in the past so i use Foxit Reader to open PDFs. I can open the pdf file successfully in Foxit Reader. I have the Foxit Reader Plug-In for Mozilla 1.0.1.1117 enabled. thanks

All Replies (20)

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Hi

I think i've found the solution on my own. when i open Foxit Reader independently and check for updates it finds a new Foxit Reader Plug-in for Mozilla v2.0.1.524 replacing the aforementioned v1.0.1.1117. On restarting Firefox i can now see the pdf.

However this means that "Update Add-ons automatically" which i have ticked in Firefox Add-ons Manager doesn't work, as i was relying on this to keep my add-ons up-to-date. Anyone know if the auto-update feature is unreliable or is it just a glitch with this particular plug-in?

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upgraded to firefox 5.0

never mind then.

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Add-ons = Extensions + Themes(&Personas) +Plug-ins(such as Flash, Foxit etc). To date, Firefox does not up-date plug-ins(although it implies that it does).

Keep this handy -

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/

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Alan - thanks for your reply. I'm now in firefox 5.0, I've checked your link and i have 2 java plugins out of date and flagged as vulnerable.

So you are quite correct that it does not update plug-ins automatically - so what does "Update Add-ons automatically" on the plug-in tab actually mean?

Edit:I've just noticed the "Update Add-ons automatically" is not actually on the plug-in tab but above it - this is very misleading then if it doesn't update plug-ins.

Modified by richlaughlin

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Hi anybody

i'm re-opening this because the original problem is now occurring in Firefox 5.o

i attempt to open a pdf in firefox with the latest Foxit Reader plugin "Foxit Reader Plugin for Mozilla 2.1.1.720". It just hangs Firefox for about a minute and then returns a blank page. If i disable the plugin, it prompts me to choose an app to open the pdf and on selecting Foxit Reader it opens immediately in Foxit Reader - it just won't open in Firefox. It also opens immediately in IE9 and Chrome.

Anyone getting this too or anyone know a solution?

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I haven't used Foxit Reader in about 19 months now, but when I last used it I had to open PDF's outside Firefox due to problems with the Foxit Mozilla plugin. The only suggestion I can offer is to see Foxit support - http://www.foxitsoftware.com/support/ - it's their plugin after all.

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Hi the-edmeister.

Yes i was unsure whether to contact Mozilla or Foxit. I'll give them a try and if no success i'll give Adobe another go.

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hmmm. just noticed they're working fine today so no point sending them a ticket now.

i now believe this a problem i have intermittently with Firefox add-ons, because i get the same hang - all Firefox windows not responding for about a minute - with a page that has a Flash Player embedded sometimes and then at other times there are no problems

i guess that's not much to go on though so unless someone has had the same circumstances so i'll just have to live with it.

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Hi mha007

thanks for links, i might give the Adobe one another go. however the problem i'm having is intermittent, and the fact that i sometimes get the same symptoms with another plugin (shockwave flash - video plays fine in ie9 and chrome but a hang and then a blank in firefox, then at other times plays fine in firefox) leads me to believe the problem is not related specifically to a pdf plugin.

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Troubleshooting Plugins

Check and tell if its working.

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ok i've bitten the bullet and re-installed Adobe Reader and it's plugin. Firefox is still opening pdfs in Foxit. How do i make Adobe Reader the default? (I know i can disable the Foxit plugin but i'd rather just switch the default and keep them both active)

i'll try your troubleshooting link when the intermittent fault re-occurs because at the moment things are all working fine.

Modified by richlaughlin

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Opening PDF files within Firefox - Check Firefox settings

Check and tell if its working.

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Doesn't work. It's already been set to "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)". Closed Firefox, re-opened Firefox, browsed to the pdf, it opens it in Foxit.

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Have now also deleted mimetypes.rdf, restarted firefox, checked that setting is still "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)", browsed to pdf, it opens it in Foxit.

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Yes tried that already. Clicked on the link to test Adobe Reader plugin, opens it in Foxit Reader! Some test that is.

Question : documentation keeps referring to "Adobe Reader" plugin, yet Adobe has installed an "Adobe Acrobat" plugin. Is this correct?

Further info : if i disable Foxit Reader plugin and browse to a pdf, it will prompt to open it in Adobe Reader independently. It won't open it in Firefox - yet in Adobe Reader i have the setting "Display PDF in browser" ticked.

Any ideas now? It's becoming more trouble than it's worth.

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1) Adobe Reader name is now more widely used than Adobe Acrobat Reader (simpler, better :-P). So its the same thing.

2) When you Disable a Plugin or Add-on, its better to Restart Firefox for the changes to apply more coherently. If that does not help, set it to "Use Adobe Acrobat (default)"

Check and tell if its working.

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Thanks for continued help. I have now solved one problem. I can browse to a pdf in Firefox using Adobe Reader plugin when the Foxit Reader plugin is disabled, it no longer opens the Adobe Reader app. I tried unchecking and re-checking the "Display PDF in browser" checkbox in Adobe Reader - this seemed to do the trick.

However, there still seems to be a fault - where i re-enable Foxit Reader plugin, it then reverts to Foxit even though the Firefox app settings say "Use Adobe Acrobat (default)".

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