I can't open PDF documents
When I click on a PDF, a new tab opens. It gives me the option to open the document directly or save it--this is what I have preferences set to do. However, when I try either of those options nothing happens. It only opens a new blank tab. My specifications are below. I've run all the relevant software updates.
System: OS X 10.8.2
Adobe Reader: 10.1.5
Firefox: 18.0.1
I've seen this problem on other posts and I've done some searching on the web. I've tried the solutions that have been provided and worked for other people, however I noted that they were running older versions of some of the software, etc. Interestingly, I CAN open PDFs that come to me or that I send through Gmail.
I have done the following based on the advice I've seen:
Cleared my downloads list
Tried disabling the Adobe NPAPI Plug-In
In my Firefox preferences: I have set PDF documents to be open by Adobe. I also tried it with Preview. Neither of them worked.
I appreciate any help you can offer.
Modified by kylevmorris
Chosen solution
by ernie06896This what worked very well for me. In case your application preferences file has become corrupted, you could try renaming or deleting it. Help > Troubleshooting Information > "Show Folder" The file is named mimeTypes.rdf and if you rename or delete it, it should be regenerated with default the next time you restart Firefox.
Read this answer in context 1Helpful replies
The Adobe Reader plugin may not be working properly on Mac.
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/pdf-files-are-blank-and-cant-be-downloaded-mac
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Opening+PDF+files+within+Firefox
Disable the Adobe Reader plugin in Firefox (Tools > Add-ons > Plugins) and use the external Adobe Reader application or Preview application instead.
- Firefox > Preferences > Applications > Adobe PDF document : Use Adobe Reader
PDF files may also be found under another entry like Portable document.
Go to answer 5To all: please note that starting in Firefox 19, the built-in PDF Viewer may be activated in place of the application that previously handled PDFs.
To manually change this setting, you can try the steps described in this article: View PDF files in Firefox without downloading them". In brief:
(1) Open your Firefox Options/Preferences dialog
- On Windows, click the orange Firefox button or click the Tools menu, then choose Options.
- On Mac, click the Firefox menu then Preferences.
- On Linux, click the Edit menu then Preferences.
(2) Click Applications and pause while the list is displayed. Type pdf in the search box to filter the list.
(3) Click the drop-down control to the right of "Portable Document Format (PDF)" to change it from "Preview in Firefox" to your preferred handler for PDFs. For example, if you prefer to open PDFs in a Firefox tab using Adobe's plugin, choose "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)".
(4) Click OK to save your change and close the Options/Preferences dialog.
Go to answer 4Additional System Details
Installed Plug-ins
- Shockwave Flash 11.5 r502
- Version 3.10.2.10212
- Google Talk Plugin Video Accelerator version:0.1.44.23
- Microsoft Office for Mac SharePoint Browser Plug-in
- The QuickTime Plugin allows you to view a wide variety of multimedia content in web pages. For more information, visit the QuickTime Web site.
- DivX VOD Helper Plug-in
- DivX Plus Web Player version 2.2.0.55
- The Flip4Mac WMV Plugin allows you to view Windows Media content using QuickTime.
- 5.1.10411.0
Application
- User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.8; rv:18.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/18.0
More Information
I think disabling the plugin is the best thing to do. That should avoid the blank tab because Firefox would not try to render the PDF internally. If you do that, does anything change?
In case your application preferences file has become corrupted, you could try renaming or deleting it.
Help > Troubleshooting Information > "Show Folder"
The file is named mimeTypes.rdf and if you rename or delete it, it should be regenerated with default the next time you restart Firefox.
Helpful Reply
The Adobe Reader plugin may not be working properly on Mac.
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/pdf-files-are-blank-and-cant-be-downloaded-mac
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Opening+PDF+files+within+Firefox
Disable the Adobe Reader plugin in Firefox (Tools > Add-ons > Plugins) and use the external Adobe Reader application or Preview application instead.
- Firefox > Preferences > Applications > Adobe PDF document : Use Adobe Reader
PDF files may also be found under another entry like Portable document.
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH
System: OS X 10.6.8
Adobe Reader: 10.1.5
Firefox: 18.0.1
IS THERE A SOLUTION
Hi Huvotnl, have you disabled the Adobe Acrobat plugin here:
Tools > Add-ons > Plugins category
Question owner
I have disabled the plug-in and told the system to use the Adobe application to open PDFs...nothing changed.
If I delete the file you are talking about, will I lose my bookmarks or anything like that???
Modified by kylevmorris
The mimeTypes.rdf file does not contain any bookmarks or personal data. If you are concerned about potential data loss, please make a backup of the contents of your personal settings (Firefox profile) folder before making any deletions.
In Preferences--Applications it seems as though the default for some items is "always ask" which doesn't happen! I changed "Preview Document (application/pdf)" from "always ask" to "Use Adobe Reader". I also changed "Preview Document (x-unknown/pdf)" from "always ask" to "Save File". Now the desired content opens in a new window & is downloaded to my desktop (my preference). I use a Mac & am not a computer whiz. This seems like a really stupid problem related to the newest version of Firefox.
This worked 4 me. Took me a while to find "show folder" that was right in front of me. Thank you
I have the same PDF problem which also has recently appeared. I am using Windows 7 on a 64 bit PC. I have tried multiple options/applications action settings for PDF and none appear to take effect. IE and Chrome work fine.
Question owner
I appreciate all the responses and help---but none have worked for me either. If anyone finds success, let me know. For the time being I've just been going to Safari anytime I need to open a PDF.
Hello
It works now!
MAC 10.6.8 Firefox 19.0 Adobe 11.0.0 Install extension PDF 3 0 0 2
Remove everything, reinstall everything
Cross my fingers
Question owner
Huvotnl,
Can you clarify? Was there an update released? And what do you mean by "remove everything?" What does that specifically entail?
Thanks,
Kyle
Remove Adobe Remove the extension Update Firefox to 19.0 Reload Adobe 11.0 Reload the extension PDF 3 0 0 2
Question owner
Ok, what is extension PDF 3002? I think I understand the rest to mean, Update Firefox and delete Adobe the go back and redownload it. Yes?
On Firefox :
Toll Module Extension type PDF in search and you will see PDF Download 3 0 0 2 Dowload this extension
Chosen Solution
This what worked very well for me. In case your application preferences file has become corrupted, you could try renaming or deleting it. Help > Troubleshooting Information > "Show Folder" The file is named mimeTypes.rdf and if you rename or delete it, it should be regenerated with default the next time you restart Firefox.
Question owner
Ernie,
That did it! Well some combination of what you said and all the updating stuff. I did try the PDF extension that Huvotnl suggested b/f doing what you suggested, but it didn't work. Anyway, that's months of frustration every time I wanted to download something now resolved.
Now, can you help me understand WHY that worked? How does renaming something change what's inside the file? Also, how did the file get corrupt? Is that any indication of a virus or some other larger problem I should be worried about? Not a tech guy here.
Also, I'm presuming that none of my other info, most importantly bookmarks, were lost, etc. I checked and they all seem to be there in the list. I just like to understand stuff.
Kyle
Also
Not all sites will work by all mean being able to download PDF file
With some you will have to download manually the file either save or open.
Please use save then open the file. This work for me.
I hope you understand