# Why the warning about pdf files? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892 "2007-04-05T20:05:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/21 "2007-04-06T03:31:30Z")
For those who want a better PDF experience: 1. Launch Adobe Acrobat Reader 2. Go to Edit/Preferences/Internet 3. Unselect “Display PDF in browser” 4. Click on Ok to save the change (you may have to shut down any open browser to make this change) Now try to click on a PDF link and see if it opens directly in Adobe Acrobat Reader and not the browser window. This is usually much faster. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/22 "2007-04-06T03:44:08Z")
[QUOTE=Chasing Dreams] Hold off on the red underwear there. I have been using FoxIt and it has compatibility problems with Firefox. Namely, when you have FoxIt installed and you click on a pdf link in Firefox, all you get is a blank page. I have read about this bug on the FoxIt site, so its not just me. [/QUOTE] I use Foxit and Firefox and haven’t noticed any problems. I wonder why it varies from user to user. What version of Foxit and Firefox do you have? ---
**Author:** ![Chasing\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@Chasing\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chasing_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/23 "2007-04-06T03:49:25Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] I use Foxit and Firefox and haven’t noticed any problems. I wonder why it varies from user to user. What version of Foxit and Firefox do you have? [/QUOTE] Firefox 2.0.0.3 & Foxit 2.0 Build 0912 ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/24 "2007-04-06T07:36:05Z")
**xash** , thank you. Was wondering, not long ago, whether there was some way to do that. Now I know. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/25 "2007-04-06T14:02:27Z")
I tried Foxit, but it seems to alias the text sometimes, especially when zooming in. I have some old data sheets that were scanned in with minimal resolution that are virtually unreadable with Foxit, but are OK with acrobat reader. Acrobat reader can be made to open MUCH faster, and use less memory also. By default, it loads dozens of plug-ins that are seldom (if ever?) used. By disabling most of these, acrobat will open in a heartbeat. [Instructions for doing this manually](http://www.petefreitag.com/item/110.cfm) Here, you can [download an application](http://www.snapfiles.com/get/pdfspeedup.html) that will do this for you. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/26 "2007-04-06T14:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=xash] For those who want a better PDF experience: 1. Launch Adobe Acrobat Reader 2. Go to Edit/Preferences/Internet 3. Unselect “Display PDF in browser” 4. Click on Ok to save the change (you may have to shut down any open browser to make this change) Now try to click on a PDF link and see if it opens directly in Adobe Acrobat Reader and not the browser window. This is usually much faster. [/QUOTE] [Hi Jack] Are you ever going to start your “Ask the Indian living in India” thread? Please?[Bye Jack] ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892/27 "2007-04-07T05:27:13Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] [Hi Jack] Are you ever going to start your “Ask the Indian living in India” thread? Please?[Bye Jack] [/QUOTE] Hi. Yeah, probably some time after I return to India. Which should be in a few weeks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-warning-about-pdf-files/398892.md?page=1)