Use Adobe Reader to view PDF files in Firefox

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  • Creator: Joni
  • Comment: removed plugin check template
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  • Reviewed by: heyjoni
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Support ended for all NPAPI plugins, except for Adobe Flash, in Firefox version 52. See this article for details.

adobe_icon.gif Adobe Reader is a free program for viewing and printing PDF documents.
It includes an Adobe Acrobat browser plugin for displaying PDF documents within Firefox and other Web browsers. (By default, Firefox uses its built-in PDF Viewer.) This article provides resources for setting up Adobe Reader and the browser plugin on your computer.

Note: The 64-bit version of Firefox does not recognize or support the Adobe Reader browser plugin; you can use the built-in PDF Viewer instead.

Installing and updating Adobe Reader

The Firefox Software Update feature does not update installed plugins. See the Adobe Security bulletins and advisories page for information about security and stability issues affecting Adobe Reader.

To install Adobe Reader, please visit the Adobe.com website. To make sure your installation of Adobe Reader includes the latest available security and stability updates, open Adobe Reader, click on the Help menu and then click Check for Updates….

Viewing PDF files in Firefox

Click the following link to test how PDF files are displayed in Firefox:

By default, Firefox will use its built-in PDF Viewer. To use the Adobe Reader program or browser plugin instead, open the Firefox Applications panel, select the Portable Document Format (PDF) entry and change the action to use either the Adobe Reader program or the Adobe Acrobat plugin. For more information, see View PDF files in Firefox or choose another viewer and View PDF files Firefox - Using another PDF viewer.

Note: The Adobe Acrobat NPAPI plugin has been known to cause problems when used in Firefox on Mac OS X. For details, see PDF files are blank or cause an error message on Mac.

Getting help with Adobe Reader

If you need more help with the Adobe Reader program or plugin, visit the Adobe Reader forums and Adobe Reader product support.




Based on information from Adobe Reader (mozillaZine KB)