I cannot open a PDF attachment in Mac Mail

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Suzy2014 Author

Level 1

116 points

I cannot open a PDF attachment in Mac Mail

I can see the attachment that arrived but I cannot open it on the Mac. I have no issues opening it in webmail under Windows.

As if this would not be enough I am running into something else hard to understand. On the Mac I could not post this question, it never allowed me to go beyond entering the title for the question. I am now submitting from Windows.... Obviously I was logged in on the Mac. This is like a bad joke, having to report a Mac issue by using Windows because the Mac doesn't even allow me to report the problem...

Any help for both issues would be appreciated.

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Jan 27, 2015 9:20 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 27, 2015 9:30 PM in response to Suzy2014

1. Do you have Adobe Reader installed on the Mac? If not, it is free from Adobe's web site.

2. Not being able to post is bizarre....are you able to respond to this on the Mac? You do, of course, need to be signed in.

Barry

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Answer 2

Suzy2014 Author

Level 1

116 points

Jan 27, 2015 9:37 PM in response to Barry Hemphill

Thanks.

1. I do have Adobe Reader and I used to be able to "see" PDF attachments (meaning that they were displayed as part of the Email's body). Yesterday I got an Email w. plane tickets that showed up partially in the Email's body. Obviously that's not usable. I printed them from Windows... Today I cannot see or access the PDF attachment in question. Luckily I do have a Windows PC that causes no problems whatsoever.

2. I am now replying from from the Mac. I have had this strange problem a while ago and just gave up on trying to ask a question from the Community as there is no way to get help if I cannot post.. Obviously I was signed in.

I do not know what to believe that is happening.

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Answer 3

Jan 27, 2015 9:49 PM in response to Suzy2014

#2, for whatever reason, seems to be gone.

i Suggest you have someone send you a PDF file as an attachment to an E-mail and see if it is readable. If it is, there was some unknown problem with the one you referenced.

As you might guess, remote diagnosis (no hands on) is a mix of art and science 😉

Barry

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Answer 4

Suzy2014 Author

Level 1

116 points

Jan 27, 2015 10:18 PM in response to Barry Hemphill

Thanks.

I will try to see if I can initiate and complete a post to the forum. If so, then the problem is gone (at least for today). I am wondering if anyone else encountered a similar problem.

On a PC I successfully opened and printed the PDF that would not open on the Mac, so the file was not corrupted. Regardless I will send another PDF to myself from the PC.

Does the Mac mail always display an attachment in the body of the Email with no capability to save the attachment as a file?

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Answer 5

Jan 27, 2015 10:25 PM in response to Suzy2014

Pictures frequently appear in the body of the mail. I have had PDFs appear gat way as well, although I am able to save them and have not had problems opening them.

Barry

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Answer 6

tbirdvet

Level 6

17,903 points

Jan 28, 2015 4:51 AM in response to Suzy2014

Can you right click on the pdf file and open with preview?

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Answer 7

Suzy2014 Author

Level 1

116 points

Jan 28, 2015 11:42 AM in response to tbirdvet

I sent myself 4 attachments (PDFs). Two came across as Icons, two were embedded in the Email. I was able to open and print them all. So maybe there is something "strange" about the one I cannot see/open on the Mac, only on the PC....

Why is that some PDFs some PDFs come in as icons others are embedded?

================================

Going back to the other topic I had in this thread: I can go back to this thread on the Mac. I tried to post again a new question from the Mac and I CANNOT do it. It doesn't do anything beyond allowing me to enter the subject.

I am wondering if there is an administrator for this form who can provide help in the is case. It is really not a good thing for Apple to require that I use a PC to get help for other problems for the Mac.... I do know that this is a user community but it does run under Apple's site, so I would assume that they moderators, administrators, etc like for other user communities who can help in a case like this one. Does anyone know how to access help for the forum? Thanks

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Answer 8

Jan 28, 2015 12:49 PM in response to Suzy2014

Suzy2014 wrote:

I sent myself 4 attachments (PDFs). Two came across as Icons, two were embedded in the Email. I was able to open and print them all. So maybe there is something "strange" about the one I cannot see/open on the Mac, only on the PC....

Why is that some PDFs some PDFs come in as icons others are embedded?

================================

Going back to the other topic I had in this thread: I can go back to this thread on the Mac. I tried to post again a new question from the Mac and I CANNOT do it. It doesn't do anything beyond allowing me to enter the subject.

I am wondering if there is an administrator for this form who can provide help in the is case. It is really not a good thing for Apple to require that I use a PC to get help for other problems for the Mac.... I do know that this is a user community but it does run under Apple's site, so I would assume that they moderators, administrators, etc like for other user communities who can help in a case like this one. Does anyone know how to access help for the forum? Thanks

I agree that the one is an anomaly. I have no idea why some are embedded and some are icons.

When you attempted to post and start a thread, did you go to "new?" That would bring up a template for starting a thread. IMHO, if you are able to post at all, there is no impediment to beginning a thread.

Barry

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