PDF files open in garbled text and symbols

[Lon Axelrod]

I can't seem to get the correct language when I open my PDF files that are
attachments to my e-mails. The text is garbled with numbers, symbols and
letters. I have set the defaults properly but it still happens no matter
what language I elect.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you're trying to open them in Word, that's your problem. You need Acrobat
or Adobe Reader to read PDF files.

 

[Lon Axelrod]

Thanks. I do have "reader" installed but, in the past, whenever I would click

 

[Lon Axelrod]

Well. as a puter illiterate, I opened my Acrobat 7.0 reader but still could
not read the attachments. Any other suggestions?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It sounds as if the file association may be damaged. Save the PDF file to
the hard drive (or find one that is already saved). Right-click on the
filename in Windows Explorer, choose Open With, select Adobe Reader, and
check the box for "Always use this application to open this kind of file"
(or whatever the precise wording is).

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

So, let me get this straight. You receive a .pdf attachment in an email. You
save it as a .pdf file to your hard drive. Then, you open Acrobat and try to
open that file, and you get some kind of error message?

The problem isn't related to Microsoft Word, so I think you should probably
try an Adobe support newsgroup.

If you're trying to open the .pdf file using Word, then, as Suzanne
indicated, Word does not have a converter for opening .pdf files. Garbled
text and symbols are exactly what you would expect.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Try this... right click a PDF file in Windows Explorer and choose
Properties. In the General tab, next to Opens With, click Change. The Adobe
Acrobat reader should be listed under Recommended Programs, or at the very
least under Other Programs.

 

[Lon Axelrod]

That last response did'nt help so let me restate the problem. When I attempt
to open a pdf attachment from my e-mail, the box that opens is all numbers,
letters and symbols. No matter what selection I make from the 3 choices,
MS-DOS, Wnidows (Default) or "other encoding" the same thing happens. I
uninstalled Abobe and reinsalled Adobe 7.0.8 and still have the same problem.
I have to right-click the attachment and save it to MY DOCUMENTS the
right-click to "Open with Adobe". At that juncture it opens normally.

Somehow, I must have messed-up the file association and can't get it back to
where it was. I got some info from Microsoft on "How to change file
associations in Windows XP but when I follow their instructions by going to
TOOLS, FOLDER OPTIONS, VIEW and clear the "Hide extensions files for known
file types" and click "Open with" the Adobe program is not listed. Any other
ideas?

 

[Jay Freedman]

In Windows Explorer, return to the Tools > Folder Options dialog.
Click the File Types tab. Select PDF from the list of extensions. In
the lower half of the dialog, under "Details for 'PDF' extension",
click the Change button. This opens another dialog.

In this second dialog, if you see Adobe Reader 7.0 in the list (it
should be under "Recommended Programs" but you might have to scroll
down into the "Other Programs" list), click it. If you don't see it in
the list, click the Browse button and find the Adobe Reader program --
probably C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe,
unless you chose to install it somewhere else (or maybe it isn't
really installed properly even though you believe you reinstalled it).

Make sure the box is checked for "Always use the selected program to
open this kind of file" and click OK in each dialog.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Lon Axelrod]

Jay; Thanks so very much. The only problem was that you suggested that I go
to Windows Explorer. You meant "My documents" at least that is where I found
the "Folder Options" at Tools. It corrected my problem. Thanks so very much.

 

[Guest]

No, Jay meant Windows Explorer. That's where ALL your folders and files are
stored. The My Documents is a just a (special) folder in Windows Explorer.
You must be confusing Internet Explorer with Windows Explorer.

 

[aalaan]

Took the words right out of my mouth...

No, Jay meant Windows Explorer. That's where ALL your folders and files
are stored. The My Documents is a just a (special) folder in Windows
Explorer. You must be confusing Internet Explorer with Windows Explorer.