If we work regularly with PDF files, it is likely that a problem like this will affect us to a great extent. Getting the error informing us that Acrobat Reader is not able to read the file can be frustrating and we may not know why this is happening.
The causes for which this occurs can be several. On the one hand, it may be due to the fact that we have a outdated version of Acrobat, which can cause this error to appear. Adobe continually releases software updates that fix bugs and add new features, so it’s always a good idea to keep your software up to date.
Another reason is that the file was created with a non-Adobe program and that they may not have used the correct standards for it, which may result in us not being able to open the file. It can also happen that our version of Adobe Reader is find damaged so you will have to try to repair it or reinstall it. Nor can we rule out that the PDF file contains some virus that prevents it from being opened, so we must use our antivirus to disinfect it.
How to fix the problem
Next, we are going to see different actions that we can carry out in the event that Acrobat Reader is not able to open the PDF in order to remedy it in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
And it is that especially in more professional work environments, if we cannot visualize the content of these files immediately in the Adobe program, we may find ourselves with a problem.
Execute as an administrator
When we run an application as administrator we can have full access to all the files of our operating system, which would otherwise be restricted. That is why we must try use acrobat reader as administrator to solve the problem.
To do this, we must right-click on its icon and select “Run as administrator” from the context menu. In case this works we can leave the option as default for more comfort. We right-click on its shortcut again and click on “Properties”. In the “Shortcut” tab, click on “Advanced options” and check the box “Execute as an administrator” and we accept to save the changes.
Disable Protected Mode at startup
To try to solve the problem, the first thing we are going to do is open the program. Later we click on the Editing tab at the top of the screen, and click on the “Preferences” option. This will open a new window where we select the “Security (improved)” option at the bottom of the menu on the left. Now in the enhanced security part on the right side, we deactivate the “Enable protected mode at startup” box, within the “Sandbox protections” section.
Subsequently, we must make sure that the “Enable enhanced security” box is activated and otherwise we activate it. Once finished, click on the OK button to save the changes we have made.
It is true that with this modification that we have just mentioned, we lose some functions related to security when working with these files. However, if we are sure that the PDFs that we are going to open here are perfectly reliable, we solve the problem when viewing them, even if we put part of our security and privacy at risk. While serving as a temporary solution, this will allow us to continue working with these particular files.
Disable it with the registry
This mode is a Reader security feature which is responsible for protecting files from viruses and attacks. This is important for better security, but sometimes it can misinterpret some files as malicious when they are not and prevent us from opening them. For this reason, we can temporarily deactivate this mode to see if it solves the problem.
Of course, because the Windows registry is one of the most sensitive and delicate elements of the operating system, we must be careful when modifying it. Perhaps the best thing to do here is to make a backup copy of the entire registry and save it to a file in case there are future operating problems in Windows. This is something that is also extensible to the applications that we have installed on the system.
Press the “Windows + R” key combination to launch the Run command. here we write regedit and press Enter or the OK button. Later we navigated to the following route:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Policies / Adobe / Adobe Acrobat / DC / FeatureLockDown
Next, right-click on the folder and select New and DWORD Value. We change the name of the file to “ProtectedMode”. We double click on the file and change the data value to 0 to disable protected mode. We run the PDF file and check if this fixes the problem.
Set Acrobat Reader as default reader
As we have mentioned, one of the causes for the error “Cannot open PDF” occurs when other applications are found as default instead of the Adobe program. Therefore, it is possible to configure the system so that open automatically PDF documents with Adobe Reader.
We right-click on the PDF, select “Open with” and select “Adobe Acrobat DC”. We check the box “Always use this app to open .pdf files” and click OK. We check if this fixes the error.
Repair or update the program
Another option that we can try is to repair the installation of the Adobe tool. It is likely that the reader or some of its resources have been damaged, so we must test repair it in the following way. We open Adobe Reader and click on the “Help” tab that we find at the top and then on “Repair installation”. We confirm the operation and wait for the process to complete and, finally, we restart.
If this doesn’t resolve the issue, it may help to download and install any available updates. To do this, click on the Help tab again and now click on “Search for updates”. We wait for the program to check if there is an update available and install it.
Reinstall software
As a last option we can try to reinstall the software. To do this, the first thing will be to uninstall it and eliminate any of the associated files found in the system. To do this, press “Windows + I” and access the “Settings” section. Later we click on Applications and locate “Adobe Acrobat DC” in the list. Click on it and select “Uninstall”.
We can also remove the associated system files by going to the following address:
C:/Users /AppData /Local / Adobe / Acrobat
Now we only have to re-download the latest version of the program.
Check file integrity
So far we have given you some useful solutions to try to fix the problem that a PDF is executed by the Adobe program. To say that this is one of the most widely used software solutions in the entire globe to work with this type of office files. Hence the importance of its proper functioning when opening or editing any PDF. However, we must not despair and centralize all the focus of the failure in the application as such. We tell you all this because it can also be the case that we find that the file itself is damaged for some reason.
Most likely, we do not have compatibility problems when opening these files that we are talking about in Acrobat, but we can find errors in the event that the file is damaged. To make sure that the guilty It is not the file as such, we can try to make it work with any other program, such as Microsoft’s Edge browser.
In the event that we cannot start it or see its content here either, we will have to request the PDF again or download it from the Internet, since it is most likely damaged.
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