• Mac Won't Open Pdf Files
• Pdf Not Opening On Mac

Most people prefer to share their documents in the PDF format since it is more accessible on almost every platform and operating system. In some instances, however, you may find that PDF won’t open on your computer. If you do not know how to fix the “PDF won’t open” issue, you may end up getting frustrated.

In this article, we have all the solutions you can use when you can’t open PDF. Before we show you the solutions, let’s see some of the reasons your PDF won’t open.

Related Read: How to Open PDF in a Word Document?

Mac Won't Open Pdf Files

WhyPDF Won’t Open on Your Computer

The Reasons Why you Can’t open PDF documents on your computer:

As it turns out, the fix is simple, but a little silly: After you’ve filled out a PDF form in Preview, choose Print from the File menu and then use the dialog box’s PDF option to save it to a PDF. The error message is: Adobe Reader could not open 'XXX.pdf' because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged (for example, it was sent as an email attachment and wasn't correctly decoded). The XXX.pdf is a sample name. All of the MACs are up to date, and the Adobe Reader is up to date as well.

• 1. You are using an outdated PDF Reader.
• 2. If you can’t open PDF via Adobe Reader, the file you are trying to open could be a non-Adobe document – while it could be a PDF, it could have been created using a different third-party application whose format is not supported by Adobe Reader.
• 3. The PDF file is damaged or corrupted.
• 4. Some of the PDF Reader application files are corrupt.
• 5. The PDF Reader is installed improperly.
• 6. The PDF file is not recognizable – Your computer uses the .pdf extension to know that the document is a PDF and to determine the application to use in order to open it. If your document was sent via the email, the .pdf extension could have been stripped away. This will make the document unrecognizable.

What to Do when PDF Won’t Open?

1. EnsureYou Have a PDF Reader on Your Computer

In some cases, your PDF documents will not openbecause you have not installed an ideal PDF reader on your computer. If a PDFreader is lacking on your computer, the only ideal solution to “can’t open PDF”issue is to install a reader. The steps below should help you implement thissolution:

Step 1:Visit https://get.adobe.com/reader/ and download Adobe Reader(this is one of the best PDF Readers).

Step 2: Once you download the installer,simply click on it and then follow the onscreen instructions to complete theinstallation process.

Step 3: After installing the program, test tosee whether your PDF opening issue is gone. To do this, locate a PDF file,right-click on it > choose Open With… > Select Adobe Reader. Yourdocument should open. If it does not open, move on to the next solution.

Note

2. AssociatePDF Files with Adobe Reader

You could be dealing with the PDF won’t openissue because Adobe Acrobat Reader is not your default PDF viewer. Byassociating the files which have the .pdf extension with Adobe Reader, you maybe able to get rid of the PDF not opening issue.

On Windows10

Step 1:Click the Windows Start button and then choose Settings.

Step 2:On the Settings Window, select Apps.

Step 3:Under Apps and Features, choose Default Apps on the left-hand column.

Step 4:Scroll down to “Choose default apps by file type”.

Step 5:Locate the PDF file type and then hit the “+ Choose a default” option whichshould be available to the right.

Step 6:After hitting the plus icon (+), select Adobe Reader as the default PDF viewer.

On macOS

Step 1:Locate a PDF file on your Mac and select it. Control-click the file to open themenu and then select Get Info.

Pdf Not Opening On Mac

Step 2:From the “Open with:” section, select the Adobe Reader as the default PDFviewer.

Step 3:Hit the Change All button and then click Continue on the subsequent dialog box.

3. Replacethe nppdf32.dll File if You Can’t Open PDF in Firefox

If it is impossible for you to open a PDF file inthe Firefox browser, replacing the nppdf32.dll extension should help youeliminate your issue. The following steps should show you how to do this:

Step 1:Close Firefox.

Step 2:Go to c:program filesmozilla firefoxplugins and delete nppdf32.dll.

Step 3:Visit c:program filesAdobeReader 8.0ReaderBrowser and search for “nppdf.”. Copy it to the folder whereyou deleted nppdf32.dll. Try to openyour PDF file again in Firefox.

4. How toFix PDF Won’t Open After Updating Your Windows Operating System

In some instances, updating your operatingsystem, say, from Windows 7 to 8 or 10, could make it impossible for you toopen your PDF files. If you are facing this problem, the steps we have outlinedbelow should come in handy:

Step 1:Press the Start button and then search for “Adobe Reader”. Once Adobe Readerappears, click its icon to launch it.

Step 2:Once the application opens, hit the Edit button on the left corner of the page.

Step 3:Scroll down on the page that appears and then choose Preferences.

Step 4:Tap Security Enhances. Locate Sandbox protection and then click (uncheck) thechecked box next to “protected mode at startup”.

Step 5:Save the changes. This should get rid of your issue.

5. RepairAdobe Acrobat Reader or Acrobat DC

In some instances, you can’t open PDF because theresources that Acrobat Reader or Acrobat DC depend on are corrupted or damaged.You can try repairing the resources and then try to open the PDF documentagain. The steps below will help you with the repair process:

Step 1:Open Adobe Acrobat Reader or DC. Select Help > Repair Installation.

Step 2:Wait until the repair process is complete and then try to open the PDF fileagain.

6. Consider Adding a .PDF Extension to Your File

If a PDF file does not have the .pdf extension,your operating system won’t know that it is a Portable Document Format file.The Operating System won’t even know which program is supposed to open thefile. As noted earlier on, files sent via the email may lack the extension.

The most ideal way to open a PDF file that doesnot have the .PDF extension is to add the extension. The steps below shouldhelp you add the extension to your document on Windows:

Step 1:Locate the file whose extension is missing.

Step 2:Right-click on the file and then choose Rename.

Step 3:Add the .pdf extension and then hit Enter on your keyboard.

Step 4:Next, try opening the file again.

7. Try to Fix the File If It is Corrupt

If none of the solutions we have outlined abovehave worked for you, there is a chance that the PDF file is corrupted. The mostideal way to get a corrupted PDF file to open is to first fix it. You caneither use desktop programs or online programs to fix a corrupt PDF file. Bothonline and desktop programs have their benefits and limitations.

Online programs are ideal for documents whichdon’t contain any private information. This is because once you upload thedocument to a third-party server, you won’t have the ability to control who canor cannot open the file. On the plus side, online programs are usually free.

Desktop programs should help you protect yourprivacy. However, the problem is that most of the programs require you topurchase a license.

By simply doing a simple search on a searchengine like Google, you should be able to find both online and desktop toolsfor repairing PDF files. Below, we will show you how to repair a PDF file usingan online tool known as ilovepdf.com:

Step 1:Visit https://www.ilovepdf.com/repair-pdf

Step 2: Upload the document you would like torepair – you can drag and drop the file or tap the Select PDF file button. Youcan also upload the file from Google Drive and Dropbox.

Step 3: The tool will attempt to repair yourPDF file. Once the repair process is complete, you can go ahead and downloadthe document and try to open it again.

Summary

Ifyou can’t open PDF on your computer, this article has solutions you can use toget the PDF documents to open. As noted at the beginning of this article, thereare different reasons why PDF files may not open on a computer. Sincepinpointing which reason is behind the “PDF won’t open” issue may not be possible,you should try all the solutions we have outlined above.

Oct 16,2019 • Filed to: Mac Tutorials

There are however drawbacks that can come with using PDF. Opening files in Portable Document Format can be quite difficult at times. It can be due to various reasons. You may have an incompatible document reader. Sometimes such reader is compatible but is outdated. You may have a missing plug-in in your browser too, if you are only using your browser to open the file. But don't worry. I will tell you how to open PDF files effortlessly with PDFelement Pro.

Part 1. The Easy Steps for Opening PDF on macOS 10.15 Catalina Compatible

PDFelement Pro for Mac - The Best Tool to Open PDF on Mac

To make your life easier, Mac users can download and try PDFelement Pro. This program can provide you with a host of features you cannot get with just a simple PDF viewer. First, you can edit your document just like with a Word processor. Reading your PDF file also becomes easier as it allows you to do marking and annotating. This PDF editor also allows you to rearrange your pages as you see fit. You can remove unwanted pages, add new ones, and even rotate them easily.

You can also access even more tools that allow you to work with PDF files using OCR technology. It also gives Mac users the ability to convert files into different formats so you can work with them more easily. PDF Editor Pro Mac also allows users to compress files into smaller data sizes and create a wide variety of PDF forms using preset templates.

Key Features of PDFelement Pro for mac:

• Easily open PDF files even a password protected PDF file.
• Create PDF from other formats and create PDF forms easily.
• Easily mark up and annotate PDF files with multiple markup tools.
• Combine multiple files into PDF and split PDF into several files.
• Edit a PDF file with ease.

Step 1. Import PDF for Viewing

Launch the program and then click the 'Open File' button at the bottom right corner of the interface. Browse the target PDF from your local folder to load it to PDFelement Pro. After the file has been added, you can then read the content with a viewing option you prefer.

Step 2. View PDF File

After opening PDF with this PDF editor, you can start viewing PDF with multiple viewing tools, like zoom in, zoom out and more.

Step 3. Edit and Convert Your PDF (Optional)

If you are willing to edit your PDF, you can make full use of the options on the toolbar. You can freely add comment box, sticky note to the PDF, or highlight the important sentences or paragraphs. To convert the PDF to other file types, you just need to click the 'Convert' button and choose a desired output format.

Part 2. The Simple Steps for Opening a PDF on Windows (Windows 10 Compatible)

People with Windows computers also need to have a good PDF file editor in their computer so they can work on PDF file formats. Moreover, most Windows users are accustomed to working on the various Microsoft Office formats which are admittedly more user friendly. PDFelement Pro for Windows is your best choice.

Aside from being able to work and edit PDF files, you can also convert them into Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint formats, formats that Windows users are familiar with. After converting your files, work can then proceed more easily. The editor also allows you to split and merge PDF files as the need arises. You can also boost security by encrypting your PDF file with a password. With such encryption, you can surely protect your data and limit the access to it.

Make sure that you go for a PDF editor that gives convenience while at the same time, practicability. It should be rich in features while being user-friendly. You should be able to do more than just simple viewing and plain editing. Since you would be paying for these kinds of software, you should be able to get value for your money. The PDF editor you choose should enable users to do away with the common problems that people experience when using PDF file formats.

Part 3. Tips for PDF Opening

A lot of people nowadays make use of PDF files and format. This is not a surprise given the fact that this document format has proven to be one of the most useful and advantageous. PDF provides a lot of useful features. For one, PDF can be used for various types of content. You can use PDF for saving your text, images, and graphics. You can convert various types of files to the Portable Document Format in order to preserve the layout and visuals in the file. This is also a good practice since documents becomes reduced in size, making sharing of files easier. Below are tips to open PDF files.

1. Open PDF on Mac Using Preview

That's why the software called Preview is one of the few tools we use to open .pdf extension files and read PDF on Mac. Preview is the default software used by Apple to allow their users to work with PDFs. So, by default, your Mac is already equipped with the software.

2. Open PDF on Mac Using Adobe Reader

Here is a third way that you can open PDF files on Mac, before Preview came along, Mac users were doomed to use Adobe Reader, as it was the sole option to open PDF files on their device. Notice that we said 'doomed'. Do you know why? Because Adobe Reader is so slow that you are able to go grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen and sit back to your desk. By the time of the whole interaction, Adobe Reader still struggled to open the PDF!