Use Adobe Reader to view PDF files in Firefox

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  • Revision id: 133293
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  • Creator: AliceWyman
  • Comment: PluginSupportEOL template added (bug 1269807) and other edits
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Support ended for all NPAPI plugins, except for Adobe Flash, in Firefox version 52. See this article for details.

adobe_icon.gif Adobe Reader is a free program for viewing and printing PDF documents.
It includes an Adobe Acrobat browser plugin for displaying PDF documents within Firefox and other Web browsers. (By default, Firefox uses its built-in PDF Viewer.) This article provides resources for setting up Adobe Reader and the browser plugin on your computer.

Note: The 64-bit version of Firefox does not recognize or support the Adobe Reader browser plugin; you can use the built-in PDF Viewer instead.

Installing and updating Adobe Reader

The Firefox Software Update feature does not update installed plugins. See the Adobe Security bulletins and advisories page for information about security and stability issues affecting Adobe Reader. The template "PluginCheck" does not exist or has no approved revision.

To install Adobe Reader, please visit the Adobe.com website. To make sure your installation of Adobe Reader includes the latest available security and stability updates, open Adobe Reader, click on the Help menu and then click Check for Updates….

Adobe does not yet maintain a browser plugin for viewing PDF files in Firefox on Mac OS X; instead, you can use the built-in PDF Viewer.

Testing the Adobe Reader plugin

Visit the Mozilla Privacy Policy PDF, which is in PDF format, to test whether you are able to open PDF files.

Troubleshooting

If you are unable to view PDFs in the Firefox window, see the following for troubleshooting instructions:

Viewing PDF files outside of Firefox

You can set Firefox to open PDF files outside of Firefox instead of using the built-in PDF viewer:

  1. In the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click Firefox and then select Preferences or Settings, depending on your macOS version.Click the menu button Fx89menuButton and select Settings.
  2. Select the Applications panel.
  3. Find Portable Document Format (PDF) in the list and click on it to select it.
  4. Click on the drop-down arrow in the Action column for the above entry and select Use Adobe Reader (default).
  5. Close the Settings page. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved.



Based on information from Adobe Reader (mozillaZine KB)