Adobe® Acrobat® Reader

What are PDF documents?

Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files are exact copies of documents as they would appear if printed on paper. When viewed on-screen, the documents are displayed as pages that can be navigated, read or printed to paper. It's the best solution for distributing documents across the Internet.

Throughout the PrimusLabs.com web-site you will encounter PDF files as it is often wasteful or even impossible to faithfully translate documents designed for paper into HTML.

How can I read PDF documents?

You will need a piece of software called Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available free from Adobe via this web-page.

When installed, Adobe Acrobat Reader can be used to open PDF files that you have downloaded from this and other web-sites. It is also possible to have your browser automatically launch the reader when you click on a link to a PDF file.

Downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader 5

Visit the Adobe web-site to download the reader by clicking on the image below. You only need to follow step 3 (ignore the rest).

link to the Adobe web-site

Installation instructions are available when you come to download the reader.

After installing Acrobat Reader, the browser will launch the reader every time it encounters a PDF file or you can double-click a PDF file to start Acrobat Reader and view the file. Or you can start Acrobat Reader first, then choose File > Open to view a PDF file.

For more help using Acrobat Reader, choose Help > Acrobat Guide from within Acrobat Reader.

If you have one of the latest browsers (Netscape 2.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0 upwards) there is a plug-in available that will allow PDF files to be displayed and used within the browser itself. If you wish to do this, place the plug-in that comes with the reader into your browser's plug-in folder.

Adobe Acrobat 4.0x and 5.0x include ActiveX plug-in files for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 that enable Internet Explorer and America Online (AOL) Web browsers to display PDF files in the browser window using an Acrobat viewer. Internet Explorer and the AOL browser will display PDF files in the browser window automatically when the Acrobat plug-in files are installed. Acrobat 3.0x viewers are compatible with Internet Explorer 3.0x and 4.x and AOL 3.x and 4.x. Acrobat 4.0 viewers are compatible with Internet Explorer 3.x, 4.x, and 5.x, and AOL 3.x and 4.x.

Installing the Acrobat Plug-in Files

The Acrobat 3.0x installer automatically installs the plug-in files (Pdf.ocx, Pdf41.ocx, or Pdf42.ocx, and Pdf.tlb) to the Reader\ActiveX or Acrobat3\ActiveX folder when you install Acrobat Reader 3.0x or Acrobat Exchange 3.0x. If you select a PDF file in your browser, the file will download to the browser's Temp folder, and then Internet Explorer or AOL will use your Acrobat viewer to display the file within the browser window.

The Acrobat 4.0 installer automatically installs the plug-in files Pdf.ocx and Pdf.tlb to the Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\Acrobat\ActiveX\ folder when you install Acrobat 4.0. The Acrobat Reader 4.0 installer automatically installs the plug-in files Pdf.ocx and Pdf.tlb in the Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\Reader\ActiveX\ folder when you install Acrobat Reader 4.0.

Disclaimer: Adobe Systems, Incorporated does not support AOL's software or files sent or received using AOL. If the following suggestions do not enable you to view PDF files the way you prefer, refer to your AOL software documentation or contact AOL.

If you select a PDF file and Internet Explorer or AOL prompts you to save the file to disk or open it outside the browser window, or does not respond, do one or more of the following: - If you're using an Acrobat 3.0x viewer, make sure that a Pdf*.ocx file and a Pdf.tlb file are in the Acrobat3\ActiveX or Reader\ActiveX folder. - If you're using an Acrobat 4.0 viewer, make sure that the Pdf.ocx and Pdf.tlb files are in the Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\Acrobat\ActiveX\ or Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 4.0\Reader\ActiveX\ folder. - Reinstall your Acrobat viewer to make sure that the correct plug-in information is added to the Windows registry. - Restart Windows to make sure that Internet Explorer or AOL is accessing the most current Windows registry information.