If your PDF won’t open, it’s most likely your file is corrupted.
You will get“Failed to load PDF document”or“Adobe Acrobat Reader could not open ‘XYZ.pdf’ because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been damaged”messages when opening a document.
In such instances, your best bet is tore-download the fileor ask others tosend the PDFagain. However, if needed, you might as well have torepair the corrupted file.
But, for users who did not receive such errors, other factors likelarge file size,incorrect file password,incompatibility with PDF Reader,enabled Protected Mode, etc could be the culprit.
To troubleshoot these problems, I’ll walk you through these proven fixes.
Re-download PDF File
If your PDFfile was not downloaded completelyor some malware affected it, the file might have been corrupted. When your system detects such suspicious files, theantivirus softwareorbuilt-in Defenderwill not allow the file to open.
So, re-download the file and try to open it again. But, in case the problem persists, you need toask the sender to share that file again.
Check If It’s a PDF file
Are you sure the file you are trying to open is a PDF file?
There are chances that the files might have been mislabeled as.pdf extensionbut is not actually a PDF file.
To verify, check the file properties. For that, right-select thePDF fileand chooseProperties. On the General tab, look for theType of filemenu.
Is the password correct?
Repair Corrupted File
If you still experience the same issue even after downloading the file again, your only option is torepair the corrupted file.
Some online tools likeAdobe Acrobat Reader, iLovePDF, etc offer to repair such files. But, this does not guarantee your file will be fixed fully. Depending on the case your PDF is damaged, the tools can help you to recover the file either partially or completely.
Set PDF Reader as Default
On Windows,Microsoft Edge is the default viewerwhich is why the PDF files will always load in the browser. But, if there is aproblem with your browser, PDF fails to open.
In that case, you may right-select the PDF file andopen it with PDF Readeron your PC. It should definitely load on any one of the platforms as long as the file is not corrupted.
Moreover, if you’re able to access the file, you may also set that PDF Reader as the default to view the files in that app at all times.
Right-select thePDF file. Go toOpen with>Choose another app. SelectPDF Readerand click onAlways use this app to open the PDF filesbox.
Resize PDF
Another reason why your PDF won’t open is when thefile size is too big for your PC to process. The file might even take a lot of time to download.
If that is the case, you need to reduce the file size. To do so, visit anyCompress PDF onlineand upload your file. Then, download the new compressed PDF and open it.
Update/Reinstall PDF Reader
Using an outdated PDF Reader could be another reason why the app is not opening the files. So, update the most recent version. It may have new security updates and bug fixes.
As an example, I’ll take a reference to update Adobe Acrobat. For that, go toAdobe Acrobat. From the Menu, navigate toHelp>Check for updatesoption. If there is an update, select theUpdate button. Wait for a few minutes and restart your computer to refresh the changes.
you may also reinstall the PDF reader. If the piled-up and corrupted cache data are causing the issue, deleting the app will clear them out.
Todelete the app, enterWindows + Ifor Settings. Go toApps>Installed Apps. Next to PDF Reader, click theMoreicon >Uninstall.
Download thePDF Reader appfrom the Microsoft Storeagain. Then, double-click thePDF fileto see.
Set Compatibility Mode in PDF Reader
It is not always the case that there’s a fault in the PDF file. There could be compatibility issues between your PDF Reader and device that causes the program to not work properly.
Try Opening PDF in Incognito Mode
Sometimes,third-party extensionsorAd-Blockersin web browsers can cause PDF files to not open.
So, you may switch to Incognito Mode andopen the PDF links. Asall extensionsare disabled in the Incognito Mode, your file should open.
Close Unnecessary Tabs
When you attempt to open a large PDF file with too many tabs running in the browser, the file might not load because ofnot enough memory.
To address this, close all the unnecessary tabs in your browser. I would also recommend you end the background appsfrom the Task Manager. Since it troubleshootshigh CPU usageissues, your system will have enough resources to open the file.
Turn Off the Protected Mode at Startup
If PDF files are not opening on your Adobe Reader, maybe the Protected Mode at Startup feature is blocking it. The app does this when it detectssuspicious or malicious data in the filethat can affect your system.
you may temporarily turn off the protected mode and try to open the file.
