Using Acrobat Reader for UW-Extension Publications

As budgets for postage and printing are being cut, Extension is moving to electronic distribution for many publications. Because we do not know what programs you will have on your computer, we post these files in "pdf" format. This ensures that the publications look the same on your computer as they do on ours. To view or print a "pdf" file, you need to install a free program called Adobe Acrobat Reader. Generally, Acrobat Reader works very well for viewing and printing Extension publications; however, we do have some advice about installing, configuring and using the program. Here's what we recommend for Adobe Acrobat Reader on a Windows PC:

1. First, check whether Acrobat Reader is already installed on your computer. Click the Start button, then point to Programs . A list of all the programs installed on your computer will appear. Look for a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader . Be sure to check in any folder called Acrobat. If no version of Acrobat Reader is installed on your computer, skip to step 3.

2. If you find Acrobat Reader, the next step is to check what version you have. Click on the program to start it. When the program is done loading, click Help on the menu bar and then click About Acrobat Reader in the drop-down menu. Look for the version number . If it is 6 or higher, you have the latest version and can skip to step 6.

3. If you need to download the latest version of Acrobat Reader, start your Internet browser (Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) and go to the following web address:
   http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html
   Follow the instructions for downloading the appropriate version of Acrobat Reader for your computer. When you are asked whether you want to open or save the file, choose Save . A dialog box will open allowing you to choose where you want to save the file. Be sure to write down the path to the folder where you save the file. When the download is complete, close your Internet browser and any other programs running on your computer.

4. If an old version of Acrobat Reader is already installed on your computer, the next step is to remove the old version. Click the Start button, then point to Settings . Click Control Panel. When Control Panel opens, double-click Add or Remove Programs. In the list of programs installed on your computer, find Adobe Acrobat Reader and click on it. Click the Remove button and follow the instructions. If you are asked whether you want to remove any shared files, click No. When Windows is done removing Acrobat Reader, close all programs and restart your computer.

5. To install Acrobat Reader, first make sure that no programs are running on your computer. Then click Start and click Run . Click the Browse button and find the folder where you downloaded the latest version of Acrobat Reader. When you find it, click once to highlight the file, then click the Open button. In the Run dialog, click OK to run the file. Follow the instructions to install Acrobat Reader. Restart your computer when the installation is complete.

6. The last steps are to change some settings in Acrobat Reader to make downloaded files display more reliably. Start Acrobat Reader. Click the Start button, point to Programs and then click Acrobat Reader. When the program is done loading, click Edit on the menu bar, then click Preferences in the drop-down menu. On the left side of the dialog box, click the category called General. Under Miscellaneous, clear the check mark next to Open cross-document links in the same window by clicking the box once. Click the OK button.

7. In Version 6 or earlier, one other setting should be changed. On the left side of the dialog box, click the category called Internet. Under Web Browser Options, clear the check mark next to Display PDF in Browser by clicking the box once. Do not make this change in Version 7.

8. After installing Acrobat Reader, when you click on a link to a pdf file in your Internet browser, the file will download. This may take a while, especially if you have dial-up Internet service. The only indication that anything is happening may be a download message in the lower left corner of Internet Explorer. For big files, downloading may take some time. When the download is complete, the file will appear on the screen. Be patient.
   
   Note: With older versions of Acrobat Reader, you may first be asked whether you want to open or save the file. The simplest choice is to click Open. The file will download and eventually Acrobat Reader will automatically start up and display the downloaded file. However, if you are having problems viewing a file, choose Save, select the folder where you want to save the file, write down the path to this folder and click the Save button. When the download is complete, start Acrobat Reader. Click File, then click Open. Find the folder where you saved the file, click once to highlight it, then click the Open button.

9. If you are having problems viewing a pdf file, one solution is to save the file to your computer's hard drive and then open it in Acrobat Reader. To save the file to your hard drive, use your Internet browser to go to the web page with the link to the pdf file. Right click on the link to the pdf file in your browser. In the pop-up menu that appears when you right-click, click Save Target As (or Save Link As). Choose the folder where you want to save the file, write down the path to this folder and click Save. When the download is complete, start Acrobat Reader. Click File, then click Open. Find the folder where you saved the file, click once to highlight the file, then click Open.
    
10. If you have trouble printing a pdf file, try printing one or two pages at a time. Because they are graphic files, pdfs require a lot of memory to print. Some computers or printers do not have sufficient memory to print a multiple page pdf.

LINKS

Acrobat Reader Download

Acrobat Reader Support

Milwaukee Co. UWEX Technology Tips