Contrary to what is said, it is impossible to open a pdf file on Monterey, be it with Preview or Skim! It has nothing to do with the files, they used to open without problems in older system versions. It's a Monterey bug that Apple's engineers can't fix! Thank you very much Apple!
dgandolfo wrote:
After restarting in normal boot mode, pdf open in SKIM normally (meaning, as before)
so, so far let's see if this has solved the issue (how? I don't know) but I cross fingers...
Booting into Safe Mode then restarting normally does a number of maintenance operations such as clearing caches, checking file directories, etc.
dgandolfo wrote:
After restarting in normal boot mode, pdf open in SKIM normally (meaning, as before)
so, so far let's see if this has solved the issue (how? I don't know) but I cross fingers...
Booting into Safe Mode then restarting normally does a number of maintenance operations such as clearing caches, checking file directories, etc.
I asked about these because there were some issues in Ventura 13.3.1 specifically in these circumstances (this may not have anything to do with Monterey, but just in case).
FWIW, I had no problem opening pdf in Monterey, with either Skim, Preview, TeXShop. I no longer have a mac runnning Monterey, but this may be a local issue. Upon updating, there can be issues that could be OS bugs, but most often they come down to third party daemons, extensions or agents that worked fine in the older OS but may cause issues in the new one.
Does the same problem occur whilst running your mac in Safe Mode?
dgandolfo wrote:
I restated in safe mode, the pdf could open in SKIM as before but the mac works jerkily and slowly, why?
This is easy to answer. Accelerated graphics are disabled in Safe Mode.
How to locate a possible application that causes this problem of opening pdf in normal mode?
The only way I know is to disable all third-party apps that load on start up and enable them one at a time.
Someone may know of a different way.
Safe Mode is slow. That is to be expected. The test shows that something else, loaded when you boot normally, is causing a problem. Now we try to determine what it may be. Please run Etrecheck and post its full report here.
Use the “additional text” button and paste the report into the text box.
FWIW, if you are running an antivirus app or CleanMyMac you should uninstall them. Either could have caused the problem in the first place.
"disable all third-party apps that load on start up and enable them one at a time".
Can this be done from a restart in safe mode and relaunching the third party apps one by one?
Thank's for comment.
After restarting in normal boot mode, pdf open in SKIM normally (meaning, as before)
so, so far let's see if this has solved the issue (how? I don't know) but I cross fingers...
I'll let you know the result after a few days. If the bug comes back, I'll run Etrecheck as you propose.
Thank's Luis
PS: by the way, it's really annoying that Apple doesn't allow to contact people who submitted posts about the problems they reported (the posts are closed and you can't comment or ask if the problem has been solved). Another bad idea...
Just to add, you may not have to do anything at all. Booting into Safe Mode then restarting normally could have fixed the issue. It may not be a third-party app problem. Nonetheless, you should post the EtreCheck report.
You could try to update to 12.6.5 but I have had no issues opening PDF files ever in any version of the OS. What exactly happens when you try to open the PDF?
FWIW, if you do a Google search about CleanMyMac on the Apple Support Communities alone, you will get about 11,400 hits. The vast majority about problems it caused and recommendations not to use it. That is just on ASC.
Paste this into your browser of choice…
site:discussions.apple.com cleammymac
You're welcome. Actually no. I would follow Luis's advice first and post the EtreCheck report before going through the trial and error method.
Well, nothing... It launches the app but never open the pdf...
I'll try to connect in safe mode, I've seen comments saying that it solved the problem for them...
Information: I use Total Finder, a Finder that I think should be the default on Apple! It has features that used to exist in the system, and that Mr Cook in his great foresight has removed...
Are these files in some cloud service like onedrive? Do these files have non-ascii characters in their names like é, ü, or some Asian or other script characters?
No, the pdf files are local on my Mac.
"Do these files have non-ascii characters in their names like é, ü, or some Asian or other script characters?"
it does not make any difference...
What's strange is that it's completely random: if I request that all pdf's be opened with Preview, sometimes it works, sometimes not.
If I ask for them to open with SKIM, it never works!
I should mention that I was on Catalina before and I have just migrated to Monterey.
On Catalina, I have never had any problem opening pdf's on SKIM or Preview.
So, elementary the logic says it is a system problem! Obviously Apple has again changed something in the system that causes this bug!
I can't understand why they don't test and fix such a simple thing that handicaps a myriad of users!
Thank's for your help.
I have seen that many people have this problem on Monterey and also on Ventura, this is proof that the bug was introduced in Monterey and still hasn't been fixed!
The fact that some people claim not to have this problem is not satisfactory in my view. Opening pdf files should be a primary system feature, as is opening a text, word or excel file, or opening a folder or launching a browser, it should work without having to look for what is blocking it since it worked perfectly before with other Mac systems!
Since Jobs left us, the quality of the Apple system has decreased as well as its functionalities, this is a proven and recognized fact...
I will start in safe mode when I get time to do it...
Best.
Mac OS Monterey 12.6.4 will NOT open PDF files
