Adobe Acrobat Reader Question

[hapaboy]

I had a friend scan a long legal document for me at his work place and convert it to the Adobe PDF format. He then e-mailed it to me as an attachment.

However, when I downloaded the attachment, the file itself was not in PDF format. Instead it was in a Notepad file format, and when I clicked to open it there was just tons of those nonsensical symbols. In order to read it, I had to right click, choose "Open With.." and then choose Adobe Acrobat Reader. Doing so converted the file into PDF format and I was thus able to read it, but I'm having to go through those extra steps to do it.

It gets weirder: I e-mailed the attachment, which remember, is in Notepad format, to another friend, and when that friend downloaded it it was formatted as a PDF file already NOT as a Notepad file. That friend then e-mailed the PDF file back to me but when I downloaded it, you guessed it, it was again in Notepad format.

What gives? Why am I not able to receive PDF files in PDF format?
Is there a way I can change the file from Notepad format to PDF format?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BKuerbs]

Quote from hapaboy:

I had a friend scan a long legal document for me at his work place and convert it to the Adobe PDF format. He then e-mailed it to me as an attachment.

However, when I downloaded the attachment, the file itself was not in PDF format. ..

They way you describe it, the document is a PDF-Document. It is unlikely there has been any conversion from Notepad to PDF and back by just e-mailing.

What extension does the file have? It should be .pdf. If so and a double-click on the document launches Notepad, then the PDF-Reader ist not properly registered in your system.

If so, I suggest downloading the latest version and installing it. An uninstall before would be helpful.

Regards

Bernd Kuerbs

 

[tender_andy]

if you have it with .PDF extension but with Notepad icon,

you should go Start > Settings > Folder Options > File Types,

choose PDF file and then click Change, and in Open With.. menu

choose Acrobat.

 

[ArchAngel]

Also make sure the file name isn't something like MyDoc.PDF.TXT

If a .TXT got appended to the PDF doc by mistake, your system will be trying to open it with Notepad rather than launching Adobe Acrobat Reader.

This kind of appended extension confusion happens most often on PCs that have the "Hide Known File Extensions" option selected on its Folder Options. In that case, a filename like MyDoc.PDF.TXT would be displayed with a Notepad icon in your folder window but appear with the name MyDoc.PDF (since it's hidding the .TXT).

Least amount of confusion (and my personally preferred) setting is to turn off the "Hide Known File Extensions" option. Then it'll be easier to see situations like this as well as more readily tell the difference between files of similar names.

 

[hapaboy]

Quote from tender_andy:

if you have it with .PDF extension but with Notepad icon,

you should go Start > Settings > Folder Options > File Types,

choose PDF file and then click Change, and in Open With.. menu

choose Acrobat.

That did it!

Thanks tender-andy!

Bkuerbs and ArchAngel I appreciate the input.