This article will describe how Firefox handles downloads for different types of files and how you can change that behavior.
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When you click a link to download a file, the Internet Media type, also called the MIME type or Content type, determines what action Firefox will take. You may already have an application or plugin installed that will automatically handle the download. Other times, you may see a dialog asking whether you want to save the file or open it with a specific application. When you tell Firefox to open or save the file and also check the option to 'Do this automatically for files like this from now on' (see below), a new Content Type and Action entry for that type of file will appear in the Applications panelApplications section of the General panel in Firefox OptionsPreferences.
You can change what action Firefox takes for defined content types. This will not affect media embedded in a web page - only links to the files themselves.
When you click on a link for a type of file that doesn't have a set content type and download action, Firefox will ask you how to handle the file:
Warning: Do not choose Firefox to always open a certain file type, as doing so can cause a problem where Firefox repeatedly opens empty tabs or windows after you click on a link.
Is Do this automatically for files like this from now on disabled? This can happen if the website's server incorrectly specifies the Internet Media type of the file. It also can happen if the server assigns 'Content-Disposition: attachment' to the file.
If you are having problems with how Firefox is handling file downloads that you can't resolve, or if you just want to start fresh, you can restore the default content types and actions by manually deleting the file that stores these settings.
This will remove all customized content type actions. You will have to make those changes over again after you take the following steps.
Solutions to common issues viewing PDFs from a website.
Common symptoms when you can't view a PDF on the web:
To solve some of the most common PDF-display issues, follow the instructions below in this order: Update Reader or Acrobat, fix issues with the PDF, check the browser settings, repair or reinstall Reader or Acrobat.
Adobe releases free security updates quarterly. Make sure you update your version of Reader or Acrobat to the latest release. The updates often include fixes to common problems. Download the latest free update.
Firefox Downloads Pdf Instead Of Opening
Often, just refreshing the page in your browser allows the PDF to load fully.
Try viewing a different PDF. For example, see if this sample form displays in your browser. If Acrobat or Reader can open the sample form, then the other PDF could be damaged or the web server could be having problems. If possible, contact the individual or company who manages the website.
Determine if your web browser can open a PDF from your local hard drive rather than from the web. For this test, you need a PDF saved on your computer.
Certain conditions on your computer, such as security settings or browser cookies, can prevent you from viewing a PDF. Often, the fastest solution is to try to open the page using a different browser. Try any of the following browsers that you have not already tried:
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Internet Explorer Apple Safari
For a list of compatible browsers for Reader and Acrobat, see Compatible web browsers.
Switch to Compatibility View (Internet Explorer)
Some websites display better in the Compatibility View of Internet Explorer. The Compatibility View displays a page as if it were in an earlier version of the browser.
For instructions on how to switch to this view, seeFix site display problems with Compatibility View.
Restart your computer and try opening the PDF again
Restart your computer, then open the web page again. Restarting clears the computer memory and memory cache. Simply restarting your computer frequently resolves display issues.
Delete temporary Internet files (Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome)
Clear the browser cache (sometimes called temporary Internet files) to ensure that you're viewing a fresh version of the page.
Be careful when selecting the options. Clear only the browser cache. If you clear all temporary Internet files, you could delete the cookies that contain login information and preferences. Most browsers let you choose the type of content you want to delete.
Firefox Clear All History dialog box lets you delete only the browser cache.
For instructions on clearing the browser cache, refer to these articles:
Firefox: Delete browsing, search, and download history
Chrome: Delete your cache, history, and other browser data
Internet Explorer 8 through 11: Viewing and deleting your browser history
Internet Explorer 7: Delete webpage history
Reset the Display PDF In Browser preference (Acrobat/Reader X or earlier)
Try resetting the display preference in your browser to clear up the viewing issue.
View PDF in 32-bit version of Internet Explorer or Safari (Windows Vista only)
This procedure applies only to Windows Vista users with Internet Explorer 9 or earlier.
Acrobat and Reader are 32-bit applications on Windows. If you try to open a PDF in a 64-bit version of Internet Explorer, the PDF opens in stand-alone Acrobat or Reader, not in Internet Explorer.
Note:
Only Reader 10.1 or Acrobat 10.1 and later support Internet Explorer 9.
To make sure you're using a 32-bit version of Internet Explorer, follow these steps:
Reader or Acrobat could be damaged. Repairing the installation is a quick troubleshooting safeguard.
You can also repair your Acrobat or Reader installation using the Windows Control Panel.
Mozilla Firefox Not Starting When Clicked
If none of the solutions in the previous sections solve the issue with viewing PDFs, you can try the following advanced steps.
Enable the Adobe PDF browser add-on (Internet Explorer 8 and later)
Make sure that the Adobe PDF browser add-on is enabled.
Make sure that the Adobe PDF browser add-on (nppdf32.dll) is enabled.
Run Acrobat or Reader in a new local administrator account
Create a user account that has the same permissions as the account you use when the problem occurs. Or create a local administrator account. If the problem doesn't recur when you log on to the new account, then the original user account could be damaged.
For information on setting up a user account, refer to the following resources or contact your network administrator:
Windows XP: To add a new user to the computer
Windows Vista/7/8: Create a user account
Mac OS X: Set up users on your Mac
If the PDF file is 4 MB or larger, ask the provider to optimize the PDF file. For information about optimizing PDF files, see Optimizing PDFs.
Check the registry path for Acrobat or Reader (Windows)
Disclaimer: The registry contains system-related information that is critical to your computer and applications. Before modifying the registry, be sure to make a backup copy of it. Adobe doesn't provide support for problems that can arise from improperly modifying the registry. Adobe strongly recommends that you have experience editing system files before you modify the registry. For more information about the registry, see the Windows documentation or contact Microsoft.
For a video demonstration of the procedure, see Check the correct registry path.
If the above registry item doesn't exist on the system, do the following:
Repair the HKCRAcroExch.Document registry key (Windows)
It is possible that this key is damaged, is pointing to an obsolete version of Acrobat or Reader, or is pointing to a third-party PDF viewer.
Disclaimer: The registry contains system-related information that is critical to your computer and applications. Before modifying the registry, be sure to make a backup copy of it. Adobe doesn't provide support for problems that can arise from improperly modifying the registry. Adobe strongly recommends that you have experience editing system files before you modify the registry. For more information about the registry, see the Windows documentation or contact Microsoft.
Change the content-type header on the web server (Web administrators)
If you are a webmaster or have administrative rights to a website, configure the web server to send content-type headers of 'application/pdf' for PDF files. For instructions, see the documentation that came with the web server, or see this Microsoft support article.
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Firefox includes a built-in PDF viewer to display PDF files inside the browser window. This article explains how to use the built-in PDF viewer, how to use another PDF viewer and how to fix the common issues you might encounter.
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Firefox includes a built-in PDF viewer that allows you to view almost all PDF files found on the web without a plugin. The built-in PDF viewer is enabled by default.
PDF Viewer toolbar functions
PDF Viewer keyboard shortcuts
Troubleshoot problems with the PDF viewer
You can use a different PDF viewer instead of the built-in PDF viewer, if you prefer. To change from using the built-in PDF viewer to another PDF viewer:
Using a PDF viewer plugin
Support ended for all NPAPI plugins except for Flash in Firefox version 52, released March 7, 2017. See this compatibility document and this article for details.
Beginning with Firefox version 52, support has ended for all NPAPI plugins except for Adobe Flash. See this compatibility document and this article for details.
The following does not apply to 64-bit Firefox, which has limited plugin support.
You can use a PDF plugin like Adobe Acrobat, Nitro PDF Reader or Sumatra PDF like Adobe Acrobat, MozPlugger, or KParts plugin, if one is available, to view PDF files in Firefox. If you have installed a PDF viewer plugin but you have problems using it in Firefox, try these solutions:
Enable the PDF plugin
Your PDF plugin may be disabled in Firefox. To enable it:
Reset download actions
Other solutions
You can open PDFs on a web page either within your web browser or in Acrobat or Reader. Find instructions specific to each browser below.
Firefox Will Not Open Pdf Wants To Download
Note:
Each browser has its own settings to control how PDFs open from a web page. Acrobat and Acrobat Reader do not include a preference setting to open web-based PDFs. To change the display behavior, follow the instructions below for your browser, or see the browser documentation on how to control plug-ins or add-ons.
Microsoft Windows 10 will ship with two browsers: Internet Explorer 11 and the new Edge browser.
The Edge browser will be the default browser, and Internet Explorer 11 will be available to support legacy workflows. The new Edge browser will not have any support for ActiveX plug-ins. Therefore, the Acrobat/Reader plug-in won't work with Edge. For more information, see Change in support for Acrobat and Reader plug-ins in modern web browsers.
Use Internet Explorer 11 to open PDFs. To enable the Acrobat/Reader plug-in in Internet Explorer, see the steps in the previous section.
The Acrobat/Reader plug-in for Mozilla Firefox is based on Netscape Plug-In API (NPAPI), which is supported only till Firefox version 51. With Firefox version 52, support for NPAPI plug-ins is removed, and hence the current Acrobat/Reader plug-in will not work.
The Acrobat/Reader plug-in for Google Chrome is based on the Netscape Plug-In API (NPAPI) technology. Google announced that in April 2015 NPAPI plug-in support would be disabled by default in the Google Chrome web browser, with an override capability for advanced users. In September 2015, NPAPI support in the Google Chrome web browser was removed entirely.
For more information, see Change in support for Acrobat and Reader plug-ins in modern web browsers.
Note:
The Acrobat/Reader plug-in for Apple Safari is based on Netscape Plug-In API (NPAPI), which is supported only till Safari version 11. In Safari 12, support for NPAPI plug-ins is removed, and hence the current Acrobat/Reader plug-in will not work.
To view PDFs with Safari, you can do one of the following:
Set Safari preferences to use Adobe Reader plug-in to view PDFs
Disable AdobePDFViewer plug-in to use the default Safari PDF viewer
You must have root user privileges to change Safari plug-ins. To display PDFs using the Safari PDF viewer, you must disable the Adobe PDF Viewer.
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