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Question

My Mac has stopped downloading PDF's.

Apr 20, 2012 12:26PM PDT

When I click on a link a blank page opens and then nothing downloads. I am using Lion, the latest Firefox and Adobe Reader on a MacBook Pro.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Uninstall Adobe Reader to begin with
Apr 20, 2012 11:42PM PDT

default PDF reader on a Mac is Preview.

It is possible that the Adobe plugin is not working correctly, a problem with Adobe and Lion.

Try this

Quit Safari.
Open the hard drive and go to Library > Internet Plug-Ins and remove ALL Adobe, Acrobat and pdf plugins that you find.
Repeat with your Home > Library > Internet Plug-Ins.

Launch Safari and see if that makes any difference

let us know
P

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All fixed
Apr 22, 2012 4:46PM PDT

Thank you for your response. I ended up installing a new plug-in for PDFs and repairing my disk permissions. That seems to have done the trick.

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What exactly did you do?
Apr 28, 2012 12:17AM PDT

Hi,

I have the same problem and it's encouraging to know that it can be fixed. Do you mind laying out here what you did exactly step by step? Your answer seems not to provide thay information.

Thanks in advance!

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(NT) Did you try the fix in the second post?
Apr 28, 2012 12:06PM PDT
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PDF Download repair
Apr 28, 2012 2:26PM PDT

Hi,

First I went to the disk utility in applications/utilities on my hard drive, chose the hard drive and clicked on the repair disk permissions button.
Then I downloaded a new add-on for Firefox PDF downloads. Here's the link I used:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pdf-download/

I hope that helps.

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It would have helped if you had mentioned Firefox
Apr 28, 2012 10:53PM PDT

in your first post

P

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Re: firefox
Apr 28, 2012 11:07PM PDT

Firefox (at least on Windows) doesn't need any add-on to download and display pdf-files. What happens if you disable that add-on?

Kees

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unsure
Apr 29, 2012 7:44PM PDT

Don't know what would happen, and as my problem seems to be fixed, I'm not game to give it a try.

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Problem fixed!
Apr 29, 2012 5:56AM PDT

Thanks for your instructions, although I didn't get to use them. A few moments after installing Windows 7 on my MBP, I got this pop up message asking me if I would like to switch my PDF from "View only" mode to "Read" mode, and I clicked YES. Now, I'm guessing that solved the problem. I was able to read PDF files right after that, but that may have simply been because I had Windows open. If the problem persist while I have only Mac OS X open, then I will definitely follow your instructions.

Thanks again

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I wonder if you had mentioned Windows
Apr 29, 2012 1:16PM PDT

on a Mac when you first posted, whether you would have got a quicker response.

Strange how you didn't feel it necessary to give all the details of your problem


P

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not a computer wiz
Apr 29, 2012 7:42PM PDT

Not sure what you mean.
I gave the details I was aware of at the time.

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Are you the poster named jolieclo?
Apr 29, 2012 9:37PM PDT

That's the poster to whom my question was for.

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Don't know what you mean either
Apr 30, 2012 5:40AM PDT

I'm JolieClo. Did not mention Windows because I didn't have Windows then. My problem was exclusively with Mac. Now, the problem got solved AFTER I installed Windows, like I mentioned on my note. Besides, I was not the originator of the message; I just piggy-backed on iggiruss because I had a similar problem.

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Had to use your link after all!
Apr 30, 2012 11:40AM PDT

Like I said earlier, my problem appeared to be fixed probably because I was using Windows. I tried to view a PDF file with Mac and couldn't. I had to use your link and was able to view the document. So... Thanks!!!

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you're welcome
Apr 30, 2012 6:51PM PDT

Glad to be of help.