internet explorer won't open PDF files

Whenever I try to open a PDF file, from any source, IE 11 (Windows 7, home) crashes. It eventually tells me this:

Internet Explorer has closed this webpage to help protect your computer

A malfunctioning or malicious add-on has caused Internet Explorer to close this webpage.

What you can do:

Go to your home page

Try to return to "webpage"

More information More information


I can "save target as" and open it on my PC, so it's not a huge deal, but I was wondering if there is a known reason and/or fix.

Firefox works, btw.

Thanks.

 

You can only open PDFs in IE if you have a PDF plugin installed. These normally come with PDF software you install yourself. However Win 8.1 has its own PDF reader app though I'm not sure whether it also provides the capability to read PDFs in IE11. So which OS are you using and what PDF software?

 

I'm using Widows 7 Home Premium and according to my Control Panel Programs list I have:

Adobe Flash Player 11 Plugin

Adobe Flash Player 14 ActiveX

Adobe SVG Viewer 3.0

PDF Complete Special Edition

Thanks,

 

Well, I'd never heard of PDF Complete Special Edition so had to find out a little about it. Seems it's part of the pre-installed software on HP computers so I guess you are using an HP? With a third party PDF reader the usual advice would be to uninstall it and reinstall it, but as it came pre-installed we don't have that option. If this is a problem that has unexpectedly arisen when everything was working normally then the first advice is usually to perform a system restore to a date that precedes the problem. If that is possible then try it and let us know how it goes.

 

Couldn't one disable that add-on in IE, then install adobe reader, which has the plugin for IE?

 

Thanks for the responses. I don't want to try a System Restore as it has been a problem for a while and I don't want to change something else inadvertently. As I said, I can use Firefox, or save a PDF and then open it. It's more of a curiosity. I just want to know what's going on.

I didn't know I didn't have Adobe Reader. I just assumed all PCs had it if you could read PDFs. I might have a go at installing that.

Thanks again.

 

theefool is probably right in that you should be able to disable the PDF plugin in IE, but before you install the monstrous Adobe Reader there are alternatives, such as Sumatra PDF or Foxit Reader which do the same job but with half the effort.

 

I don't think he has a PDF plugin that's why he can't view PDFs in the browser.
Looking at this page
http://www.pdfcomplete.com/cms/hppl/tabid/108/Default.aspx?r=q8b3uige22
and scrolling down, PDF Complete Special Edition does 3 things only. I suspect those are with PDF on the computer not anything on the web.

 

There is one in FF so IE too I would think

 

Firefox has one built in, I'm thinking that chrome does also. I doubt IE does. But, they are quite limited with what you can do.

If you need full featured adobe reader, then stick with that.

I've used the free versions in the past, they are nice, but they are not 100% compatible. Especially if you need to print. ugh.

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

 

http://files2.majorgeeks.com/f1981e4bd8a0d6d8462016d2fc6276b3/office/AdbeRdr11009_en_US.exe Direct download link for adobe reader...

 

Ahh, didn't know that, thanks.

I once had a visa application fail because Foxit had failed to print the bottom line of the application form, hopefully it's since been improved, but I'm currently using Sumatra and haven't seen any evidence of printing problems. It's just that Adobe is such a sledgehammer of a program.

 

This link returns a 404 error.

Adobe Reader page at Major Geeks: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/adobe_reader.html

 

Heh, that is what I get for trying a direct download.