How to open an .fdf file?

Question

Level 1

20 points

How to open an .fdf file?

Greetings,

Trying to get my Tax 1099 Div statement off of a website. It is not posted/downloaded as a .PDF file but as a .FDF file. I give up! How do I open this thing? I've used
Safari and Firefox and get the same result: no where. I have Acrobat Reader 9 installed.

Again, how do I manipulate this .fdf file to get it to open as a .pdf? Or do I need to contact the website?

Thanks.....

Mac Pro Single 2.8 GHz Quad 4 GB Memory, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Sony 34" XBR960 HDTV as Monitor--16GB ipod Touch 2.2

Posted on Jan 31, 2009 2:06 PM

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Answer 1

The hatter

Level 9

61,001 points

Jan 31, 2009 2:15 PM in response to Lexonex

Try OpenOffice.org 3.0+ if you don't have Word.
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html

http://www.google.com/search?q=opening.FDFfile

http://www.planetpdf.com/forumarchive/forum5.asp

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Answer 2

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 31, 2009 2:17 PM in response to The hatter

I have word (Mac Office 2008)

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Answer 3

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 31, 2009 2:23 PM in response to The hatter

This is kinda of silly but, I do have a work around...I download the .fdf file to my "downloads". I use Acrobat Reader 9 as the application to open it. Of course it opens to a blank page. I must copy and the URL that opens as I click on the file where Acrobat Reader asks if i want to "allow" or "block" the site. I then paste this URL into the address line of the blank PDF. And Presto!

or

When Adobe Reader is asking you to "allow" or "block" simply, do a right click on the URL that appears in this message box and "open URL".

GEEEZZZZZZ

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Answer 4

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 31, 2009 2:26 PM in response to Lexonex

(The Safari and Firefox browsers are automatically configured to associate FDF files with the Adobe Acrobat program).

NOT IN MY CASE.......Well, I'm not sure of the word "associate"....The **** FDF files won't open....without the above manipulation..

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Answer 5

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 31, 2009 2:36 PM in response to Lexonex

This is kinda of silly but, I do have a work around...I download the .fdf file to my "downloads". I use Acrobat Reader 9 as the application to open it. Of course it opens to a blank page. FIRST, I must copy the URL as seen on the the message box that opens as Acrobat Reader asks if i want to "allow" or "block" the site. I then paste this URL into the address line of the blank PDF. And Presto!

or

When Adobe Reader is asking you to "allow" or "block" simply, do a right click on the URL (after highlighting) that appears in this message box and "open URL".

GEEEZZZZZZ

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Answer 6

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Jan 31, 2009 3:03 PM in response to Lexonex

Is there a "setting" of any Adobe Reader "preferences" that will eliminate the need of my work-around(s) and allow me to open a .FDF file easily within Safari or Firefox? (This problem does NOT appear when using a PC IE 8)

Must be an expert out there somewhere.......

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Answer 7

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Feb 1, 2009 8:10 AM in response to Lexonex

Work around(s) not helping.. These are only blank forms when opening and do NOT contain the DIV 1099 information...

Still searching for an answer that will allow me to open these .FDF files using my Mac Pro Leopard Safari or Firefox....

Calling the Websites Webmaster that hosts these .FDF files next week...

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Answer 8

dukieo

Level 1

50 points

Feb 2, 2009 5:34 AM in response to Lexonex

How to Open FDF Files   
The '.fdf' file extension is fully supported by Acrobat Reader. On Editorial Manager (EM), PDF's are downloaded with this extension so that they won't open within a browser window. If you experience trouble opening a FDF file, it is likely that your internet browser isn't configured properly to open files with the .fdf extension.  How to set your Acrobat Reader to read FDF files:

Macintosh:
 1. Launch Internet Explorer or Netscape (The Safari and Firefox browsers are automatically configured to associate FDF files with the Adobe Acrobat program). 2. Click on ‘Preferences’. 3. Look for a category called 'file helpers' in Explorer, or 'applications' in Netscape.  In Explorer

Look for the application Adobe Acrobat Reader and check to make sure that it has an entry for .fdf files under extension type. If it doesn't, click add and use these values:
 1. Description - Acrobat Form Data Format. 2. Extension - .fdf. 3. Mime type - application/vnd.fdf. 4. File type FDF. 5. How to handle - view with application / choose Acrobat Reader.  In Netscape

Look for the 'portable document format' and click on the icon, and check to see that it has an entry for .fdf files under suffixes. If it doesn't, add these values:
 1. Description - Acrobat Form Data Format. 2. Suffixes - .fdf. 

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Answer 9

Lexonex Author

Level 1

20 points

Feb 2, 2009 6:36 PM in response to dukieo

(The Safari and Firefox browsers are automatically configured to associate FDF files with the Adobe Acrobat program)

Apparently not in my case. I did an uninstall of Adobe Reader 9 and then reinstalled. That worked for my Safari Browser. I can now view the files. However, I can't open the .FDF files with Firefox. I only use Safari and Firefox.

One for two is not bad....

Thanks for your help.....

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Answer 10

macnoel

Level 4

2,624 points

Feb 2, 2009 8:01 PM in response to Lexonex

Hmm,
According to this source:
<http://www.fileinfo.net/extension/fdf>
Either Adobe Acrobat Reader - for Mac or Windows - will open this "uncommon" file format.

I guess that's a caution to us all as we enter tax return preparation "season" - avoid online vendors who offer copies of your return in oddball formats.

The suggestion I was about to offer probably wouldn't work (it's an old one): have you tried duplicating the file and then changing ".fdf" to ".pdf" on the duplicate?

I feel strange: just 90 minutes ago, I was discussing with a friend this problem (lack of standardized format for copies of our tax returns).

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