Website and PDF Help
Important Download Information
Every semester, a few people report difficulties in downloading PDF files used on this website. Most likely any difficulties have been caused by one of these four reasons:
- You have an outdated Adobe Acrobat PDF reader
- Your recent install of an Adobe product was not complete
- You have not installed a PDF reader on your computer
- You are trying to open a PDF from a URL listed in your email, but your email settings prevent a connection
Solutions
Here is what we recommend ONLY if you are having problems and you currently have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer:
Check your Adobe Reader version
The latest version is 9.2. Go to
Adobe
Reader if you need the upgrade, making sure to check for other
downloads if you have a non-XP different operating system, and/or
look at their
Troubleshooting. Lots of times you need to uninstall a current
version before you upgrade to the next.
Adobe products are particularly sensitive to incomplete uninstalls.
Try installing an alternative
product
If for any reason the first solution is unsuccessful, try
installing an alternative product,
Foxit Reader.
The latest version is 3.0.
Foxit Reader seems to open even those documents that warn "Must have most recent version of Adobe Reader installed."
If you have no current PDF reader installed, you must install one.
Again, our recommended PDF reader choices right now are Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader. There are a few others available, but enough people have used both that we can suggest them.
Just so you know...
- Adobe frequently includes in its downloads things you do NOT
need. In the 9.2 Update, they are automatically including
a Google Toolbar. If you don't want that, uncheck the box.
- The Foxit Reader is a much smaller download. For many people, it seems to open files much faster. Our Website Administrator, in fact, has decided to use Foxit Reader for the foreseeable future.
Last but not least...
If you find you can't open PDF files or URL addresses in emails, check your email security settings.
You may have set your email security to the point that you must physically insert URL addresses into an open browser (i.e., the address bar of a web page) in order to open the page or attachment.