In Safari how do I open a .PDF file in Preview instead of Adobe Reader?

Question

Level 1

40 points

In Safari how do I open a .PDF file in Preview instead of Adobe Reader?

When a pdf file opens on my computer in Safari, it opens with Adobe Reader (v. 7.0.8). Until recently, I could right-click on my mouse and and a drop-down menu would appear with the option to open the pdf file in Preview instead of Adobe. That option has now disappeared from the drop-down menu. Can anyone explain how to get back the menu option to open the pdf file in Preview? Thanks. David

G4 Cube 1.8ghz/tiPowerbook 800 dvi/iMac (Intel) 20" Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Aug 23, 2006 9:37 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Dec 17, 2010 10:59 AM in response to DavidJ

My computer automatically open PDF inside the Safari window, but I wish it would go back to opening it externally via Adobe. (maybe we should trade computers:-)

Anyway, we have the same question.

How do we control whether PDF launches internal to Safari, or external in Adobe?

Reply

Answer 2

TildeBee

Level 7

31,923 points

Dec 17, 2010 11:00 AM in response to DavidJ

David --
Click once on any PDF file.
Then do a "get info" on it (Apple Key with the letter "i" key)
Select the "Open With" Box
Change it to "Preview"
Then select the box just beneath it
"Change All."

This should set your PDF's to be read with Preview.

Reply

Answer 3

DavidJ Author

Level 1

40 points

Dec 17, 2010 11:02 AM in response to DavidJ

Bee, thanks. I did as you recommended and it got me part way to a solution. Indeed, pdf files already on my computer do open with Preview. However, on the internet if I link to a page with a pdf file, the pdf file still opens with Adobe, not Preview. If I were to download the file and then open it, I suspect that it would open with Preview. But if I want to open it with Safari, Adobe seems to have taken over. It used to be that a right mouse click would bring up a menu which said "open in Preview." Now, that menu option has disappeared, and that's the problem. David

Reply

Answer 4

vandan

Level 2

223 points

Dec 17, 2010 10:59 AM in response to C Webber1

My computer automatically open PDF inside the Safari
window, but I wish it would go back to opening it
externally via Adobe. (maybe we should trade
computers:-)

Anyway, we have the same question.

How do we control whether PDF launches internal to
Safari, or external in Adobe?

This is what I would like to as well. I often have a lot of pdf files I need to open and then save to my hard drive. When I click on a pdf file on a website Safari opens it and then I need to right click in the document to open it with Adobe. How can I get it to open in Adobe the first time without having to right click after it opens in Safari?

Thanks!

Reply

Answer 5

Dec 17, 2010 11:00 AM in response to TildeBee

I'm seeing the same thing.

The "info" seems only to affect applications opened using Finder.
Things on the WEB are handled by Safari. Safari has a built-in Adobe module, that allow viewing PDF files inside Safara windows.

What we'd like to do, is to turn off that "feature". Make Safari open the document via Finder (which would allow us to select the application via "info").

Reply

Answer 6

Dec 17, 2010 11:03 AM in response to DavidJ

Did you try removing the adobe pdf viewer plug in from

library/internet plugins ?

Reply

Answer 7

DavidJ Author

Level 1

40 points

Dec 17, 2010 11:03 AM in response to Ray Haneski

Ray, you've hit it on the head. It fixed it. Just needed to delete the following file from the Library/internet plugins folder: adobePDFViewer.plugin. Many thanks. David

Reply

Answer 8

Dec 17, 2010 11:03 AM in response to DavidJ

Did it go back to opening inside Safari with Preview? I just did that, and now Preview opens externally, which isn't what I wanted.

Reply

Answer 9

vandan

Level 2

223 points

Dec 17, 2010 11:03 AM in response to Ray Haneski

Did you try removing the adobe pdf viewer plug in
from

library/internet plugins ?

I just did this and it still opens pdf files in Safari! I moved the plug-in to the trash, emptied the trash, and restarted. The plug-in is no longer there, but it still opens with Safari.

Reply

Answer 10

Uzinusa

Level 2

175 points

Dec 17, 2010 11:03 AM in response to vandan

Hi.
I'm also experiencing the issue of clicking on a pdf link, the new window only being white, and the SPOD coming on after a few seconds. Force quit is my only option. I've checked for the Adobe internet plugin but there's no files in this library folder. If anyone can help that would eb v. much appreciated.

PS: This issue only started a couple of months ago.
Cheers,
Uzinusa

Reply

Answer 11

Dec 17, 2010 11:04 AM in response to Uzinusa

I'm no expert, but there one thing you might check.

There are two libraries the affect you account. One, which is exclusively yours at: ~/Library

The other is a global (default) library at: /Library

For those more comfortable with Finder... One of the libraries is in you "Macintosh HD" and the other is in your user home account.

I believe the way it works, is it first check if you have a library preference in your user area, and if not, then uses the preference in the global library.

Reply

Answer 12

Uzinusa

Level 2

175 points

Dec 17, 2010 11:04 AM in response to C Webber1

Hi C Webber 1.

Thanks for that tip...I looked but it didn't solve the problem. Never the less you promoted me to re-install Adobe Reader which completetly solved the problem.

So a big thank you! Ta.
Uzinusa

Reply

Answer 13

Dec 17, 2010 11:04 AM in response to DavidJ

Just to confirm, I was in the same boat as David. For me, I recently installed the most recent version of Reader, and ever since, .pdf links open in a new Safari window, but it's actually Reader, inside Safari, and it takes forever. I get the beach ball for at least 2 to 4 minutes, then everything is fine. To get rid of that problem, remove the aforementioned plug-in. If you want Reader back in Safari, just update your Reader software. 🙂

Take care,
~Chris

Reply