I am computer retarded.

[AR Maker]

Can anyone help me? My laptop quit displaying PDF files. I shall expalin further, If i click on a PDF link from the internet. Abobe starts the file opens and displays for a few seconds and disappears. Poof gone, blank page. I have a Dell 1720 running windows virus er i mean vista home if that helps to understand the problem?

 

[Scutter01]

Get rid of Adobe Reader. It's garbage and it's full of security holes. This is what I use:

Foxit Software - Best PDF Reader (Be careful with the installer as it will try to install a couple of toolbars that you probably neither want nor need. Do a "Custom" install and de-select those.)

 

[AR Maker]

Thanks I shall download it in the morning when i get home form work.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Get rid of Adobe Reader. It's garbage and it's full of security holes. This is what I use:

Foxit Software - Best PDF Reader (Be careful with the installer as it will try to install a couple of toolbars that you probably neither want nor need. Do a "Custom" install and de-select those.)

I had FoxIt and actually switched back to Adobe Reader.
Security flaws aside, the newest version actually loads .pdfs decently fast, and FoxIt kept asking me to install add-ons for it constantly, and it would not work right with NoScript for me. I'm usually a fan of open-source, and I still have it installed on the desktop, but I don't plan on putting FoxIt on the laptop.

Maybe do a re-install of Adobe Acrobat Reader if Fox-It fails.

 

[homeless]

format/c:

install XP

start fresh

that fixed all the wtf vista kept trying to do to me.

 

[ar15junkie]

Get rid of Adobe Reader. It's garbage and it's full of security holes. This is what I use:

Foxit Software - Best PDF Reader (Be careful with the installer as it will try to install a couple of toolbars that you probably neither want nor need. Do a "Custom" install and de-select those.)

+1

 

[360]

If you use Firefox, you can install this plugin to view them on the fly

pdf viewer

 

[38special]

Get rid of Adobe Reader. It's garbage and it's full of security holes. This is what I use:

Foxit Software - Best PDF Reader (Be careful with the installer as it will try to install a couple of toolbars that you probably neither want nor need. Do a "Custom" install and de-select those.)

Best advice you'll hear in this thread.

 

[Scutter01]

I had FoxIt and actually switched back to Adobe Reader.
Security flaws aside, the newest version actually loads .pdfs decently fast, and FoxIt kept asking me to install add-ons for it constantly, and it would not work right with NoScript for me. I'm usually a fan of open-source, and I still have it installed on the desktop, but I don't plan on putting FoxIt on the laptop.

Maybe do a re-install of Adobe Acrobat Reader if Fox-It fails.

Really? I've never had it prompt me to install an add-on ever on any computer I've used it on. I do sometimes have a problem with NoScript, but it's always because the PDF is presented via javascript, not because I'm using Foxit.

I don't like that it seems to be ad-supported for the free version, and that it wants you to install some stupid toolbars when you first install the app, but it's always worked much better for me than Adobe.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Really? I've never had it prompt me to install an add-on ever on any computer I've used it on. I do sometimes have a problem with NoScript, but it's always because the PDF is presented via javascript, not because I'm using Foxit.

I don't like that it seems to be ad-supported for the free version, and that it wants you to install some stupid toolbars when you first install the app, but it's always worked much better for me than Adobe.

It does prompt me to update and install add-ons for FoxIt periodically, a clockwork orange on that. It reads .pdfs well, but it doesn't render them from the net well at all, particularly given the .js issues with NoScript. Does okay, but since Adboe seems to have fixed most - not nearly all, but most, and certainly for me the most pressing - problems, I'm back. Rendering times have dropped through the floor and given that I sandbox everything, I'm not terribly worried about exploits, of which I'm sure there still are a few or even several.

I still won't play a Sony CD in my computer, though.

 

[Fletch]

Buy a Mac.

 

[Scutter01]

It does prompt me to update and install add-ons for FoxIt periodically, a clockwork orange on that. It reads .pdfs well, but it doesn't render them from the net well at all, particularly given the .js issues with NoScript. Does okay, but since Adboe seems to have fixed most - not nearly all, but most, and certainly for me the most pressing - problems, I'm back. Rendering times have dropped through the floor and given that I sandbox everything, I'm not terribly worried about exploits, of which I'm sure there still are a few or even several.

I still won't play a Sony CD in my computer, though.

Weird. I wonder why you have such a different experience with Foxit than I do. I'm definitely not married to the product, but I like it way better than Adobe. Adobe's reader constantly crashes my browsers (wherever I've used it), and so I always have to download the PDF first.

As for exploits, I just read a study where Acrobat and Flash together are the primary attack vector (something like 75%) for all exploits right now on Windows computers. I suspect a big reason for that is because so many people are running WAY out-of-date versions of both.

 

[AR Maker]

Downloaded the plugin for firefox and still the same problem, will try Fox it now.

 

[Scutter01]

Downloaded the plugin for firefox and still the same problem, will try Fox it now.

If you do Foxit, make sure you either disable or uninstall the Acrobat plugins.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Downloaded the plugin for firefox and still the same problem, will try Fox it now.

Have you rebooted your machine? I don't know if that will do anything, but it is what the IT guys at work always ask us to do when we have an issue.

 

[HICKMAN]

Buy a Mac.

rather install Linux...

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Weird. I wonder why you have such a different experience with Foxit than I do. I'm definitely not married to the product, but I like it way better than Adobe. Adobe's reader constantly crashes my browsers (wherever I've used it), and so I always have to download the PDF first.

As for exploits, I just read a study where Acrobat and Flash together are the primary attack vector (something like 75%) for all exploits right now on Windows computers. I suspect a big reason for that is because so many people are running WAY out-of-date versions of both.

Oh, I don't doubt it... Flash is the devil with regard to exploits, and I'm sure AAR isn't trailing too far behind. FoxIt isn't bad for what it does, it renders .pdfs well, and fairly quickly... but EACH time I load it, apparently it needs to install a new language pack or add-on... with a pop-up, no less... as though I'm not distractable enough...

As for not upgrading versions of product, I'd put that as third for cause of malware infection, headed by flash games/streaming video (read: pr0n).

Still use FoxIt on the PC, but it gets old right-clicking each .pdf, 'Save Target As,' 'Open'...

The quicker of two devils, I suppose.

rather install Linux...

The desktop quad-boots Ubuntu/XP/Vista/OSXLeopard

 

[Scutter01]

Still use FoxIt on the PC, but it gets old right-clicking each .pdf, 'Save Target As,' 'Open'...

I recently discovered that having both the FoxIt and the Acrobat plug-ins simultaneously installed in Firefox was a no-no. It wasn't enough to disable one or the other. I had to manually remove the plugin from Firefox's plugin folder.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

I recently discovered that having both the FoxIt and the Acrobat plug-ins simultaneously installed in Firefox was a no-no. It wasn't enough to disable one or the other. I had to manually remove the plugin from Firefox's plugin folder.

Thanks - if this does the trick, I'll use FoxIt on here too.

 

[Griffeycom]

Have you rebooted your machine? I don't know if that will do anything, but it is what the IT guys at work always ask us to do when we have an issue.

That's because it solves your problems a large percentage of the time!

Oh, I don't doubt it... Flash is the devil with regard to exploits, and I'm sure AAR isn't trailing too far behind. FoxIt isn't bad for what it does, it renders .pdfs well, and fairly quickly... but EACH time I load it, apparently it needs to install a new language pack or add-on... with a pop-up, no less... as though I'm not distractable enough...

In my experience when FoxIt pops up like that about an update, there is a CORE update available. If you install that, it will stop popping up until next time. Read through all of the "available" updates next time and see if there's a core update, it shouldn't pop up telling you about language packs,etc...all the time.