English
Français
Español
Deutsch
Italiano
日本語
Nederlands
العربية
简体中文
繁體中文
Português
Many factors can prevent a PDF from opening in Adobe Reader or Acrobat. Some factors include damage to the PDF, damage to the Reader or Acrobat installation or update, or an out-dated version of Reader or Acrobat. Other factors include unrecognizable file types or PDFs created with non-Adobe programs. Try the suggestions below as your first troubleshooting steps.
Password-protected PDFs
The creator of a PDF can add password security to a document to prevent unauthorized users from viewing the PDF. To open this type of document, enter the password when prompted. Unless the PDF creator has shared the password with you, you cannot open the PDF.
Non-compliant PDFs
Reader and Acrobat block PDFs that do not conform to certain industry-specific PDF standards. For example, Reader and Acrobat block PDFs that may allow potentially harmful content to load, or PDFs created with bad syntax. These PDFs can pose a security risk to your system.
PDFs created from non-Adobe products may not comply with the complete PDF specification, and therefore do not open in Reader or Acrobat. In addition, earlier versions of Reader or Acrobat are not as strict in their conformance to PDF standards as are newer versions. Each new version of Reader or Acrobat forces PDFs to be more compliant to the PDF specification. This can explain why you were able to open a particular PDF in an older version of the product, but not in the latest version. If you know and trust the creator of the PDF or where it came from, decide if you want to revert to an earlier version of Reader or Acrobat to open the PDF.
Update Reader or Acrobat
Adobe releases regular security updates for Reader and Acrobat. It’s likely that the latest update patch can fix a conflict with your system.
- Open Reader or Acrobat.
- Choose Help > Check for Updates.
Install the latest version
Try uninstalling Adobe Reader, making sure that you remove all versions. (In Windows, use Add or Remove Programs.) Then install the latest version.
Repair Reader or Acrobat
Reader or Acrobat, or the resources they rely on, could be damaged. Repairing the installation is a quick troubleshooting safeguard.
Note: You cannot repair the PDF itself. However, if you have the source file, you can re-create the PDF using an Adobe product. Or, use the Adobe CreatePDF online service on Acrobat.com.
