I am not at all sure how my software got configured incorrectly, but for whatever reason when I am sent a PDF document and try to open it with the proper Acrobat PDF reader what I get is nothing but symbols and nonsensical characters. I believe the software reads the PDF file as a Word 2007 document as Word 2007 opens instead of a PDF reader when I attempt to open it. In addition although the PDF is only one or two pages it converts it to many pages with only a few lines of this gibberish on each page.



For example a two page letter was converted to 130 pages of unreadable symbols. Anyone ever have this happen and could you please advise what you did to fix it?

PS I am using Adobe Acrobat Reader X.

This is a file association issue. In Windows Explorer, right-click a PDF file, and choose Open With. Browse for the Adobe Reader executable file (AcroRd32.exe) and set it as the default by selecting "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file."

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thank you Stefan, I gave it a try however it didnt change anything. Still doing what I said in my OP.

Strange.

Just to be clear, you can open PDF files if you first start Adobe Reader and then use the Open dialog box (in Adobe)?

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

No, that wont work either.

Even when I open Adobe Reader then select a file to be opened it does the same thing, pages of gibberish.

Are you sure the files really are PDFs, and not other file types with/without the PDF extansion attached?

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Try reinstalling or updating Adobe Reader from Adobe's web site.

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Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Yes, absolutely.

Guess I may try that, Ive tried everything else.