preview app stopped filling out forms

I use Preview constantly to fill out PDF forms.

Open PDF in Preview, click on the field, get insertion point, type in information, save.

Last week this stopped working.

I open the PDF in Preview, click on the field, get the insertion point... and nothing I type shows up. I can type anything, and it acts like the keyboard isn't even connected.

I can Copy text from another document, open the PDF in Preview, click in the field, and Paste, and the copied text shows up, and the keyboard works fine in THAT FIELD only. If I click on another field, the Preview acts like the keyboard is unplugged again.

I can turn on Preview's Tool menu (click on the tool box) and insert a text field, and I can type into that text field.

But I just can't fill out PDF form fields any more!

I have even gone back to old PDF documents that I had previously edited with Preview, and I can't type into those, either. This indicates to me that a recent OS release may have broken something in Preview? I'm on MacOS 10.11.6, and Preview 8.1 (877.7).

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 12, 2018 1:02 PM

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3 replies

Feb 12, 2018 3:27 PM in response to VikingOSX

Grr. That totally worked.

Both in Safe Mode, and now that I have rebooted normally, in normal boot mode, as well.

(I also just realized that I use an HP 3005r Port Replicator to put two external monitors on my MacBook Air. And I have no idea when I last updated that software.)

Thanks for the help! I have no idea what changed this time, but it has changed, and is working again.

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Feb 12, 2018 3:27 PM in response to Christian Jacobsen

Fully updated (including the 2018-001 security update) OS X 10.11.6 with the same Preview 8.1 application. Downloaded a PDF tax form from the IRS, and had no issue clicking on any form field in it, and typing text into any of the form fields.

Boot your Mac into Safe Boot mode, try typing (not annotating) into the same PDF form field. Reboot normally. Same PDF and form fields. Any difference noted?

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,458 points

Feb 12, 2018 4:07 PM in response to Christian Jacobsen

You are welcome.

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preview app stopped filling out forms