Electronic PDF Form - Troubleshooting Guide: General Information
Electronic PDF Form - Troubleshooting Guide: General Information
GENERAL INFORMATION
The forms function best when they are completed using the most recent version of Adobe
Reader. Adobe Reader version 8.1 or higher is the minimum requirement to complete the
forms. If your version of Adobe Reader does not meet this minimum requirement you will be
prompted to update your version. If you do not update your version of Adobe you will have
difficultly in displaying the forms correctly or they may not display at all.
If you are using a Mac or Linux system, please save the forms and open them in Adobe
Reader, rather than your system's default PDF viewer.
For other issues regarding Adobe please visit the Adobe website.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Unable to Open the Form
1. Save the PDF Form to your computer and re-open from that location.
This will resolve the form opening in an incompatible PDF reader.
2. Restart the computer and try opening the PDF Form again
Sometimes restarting can resolve common issues.
3. Download the PDF Forms again (if applicable)
Try to download the PDF again from the website. If the PDF was sent to you, try having the
person send it to you again.
4. Update Adobe Reader
Adobe releases regular security updates for Adobe Reader. It's likely that the latest update
patch can fix a problem with your system.
Open Adobe Reader. Choose Help > Check for Updates.
5. Install the latest version
Try uninstalling Adobe Reader, making sure that you remove all versions. (In Windows, use Add
or Remove Programs.) Then install the latest version from the Adobe website.
6. Ensure that the operating system can recognize the PDF and that it is opening in Adobe
Reader
Opening PDFs on the desktop requires that the PDF file is associated with Adobe Reader.
Windows users
Windows 10 Users
You may experience difficulty opening or submitting the form when using the default web
browser - Microsoft Edge. You will need to use Internet Explorer to use the form which can be
accessed by clicking on your start bar and searching for “Internet Explorer”.
Mac OS users
To configure Mac OS X to open PDFs with Adobe Reader, rather than the default program
(Preview), do the following:
1. Click the PDF file's icon in the Finder to select it.
2. Choose File > Get Info.
3. Click the triangle next to Open With.
4. Choose Adobe Reader from the Open With menu (if it's not on the list, choose other to
select it).
5. Click Change All.
7. Adobe Reader not installed.
It is important that Adobe Reader 9.1, (not Adobe Acrobat) or above is installed.
If you are able to find and open Adobe Reader then it should be installed.
8. Check the Version (Adobe Reader)
1. Open Adobe Reader
2. Select Help from menu toolbar, and then click About Adobe Reader.
3. The About window should display - Read the full product name and version number. The
version for Adobe Reader X is displayed in the bottom left-hand corner of the About
window.
9. Chrome
Applicants using Chrome as their web browser may be prompted to download Adobe Reader
despite it already being installed on their computer. If you see this error message you can ignore
it and download the form but ensure you open the form with Adobe Reader.
10. Repair Adobe Reader
Adobe Reader could be damaged. Repairing the installation is a quick troubleshooting
safeguard.
Repair Adobe Reader Using Control Panel (Windows)
Although you can repair your product installation by choosing Help > Repair Installation, the
Control Panel method sometimes provides better results.
1. Close Adobe Reader.
2. Click Start > Control Panel.
3. Do one of the following in Control Panel, depending on your version of Windows:
(Windows 7/Vista) Click Programs, and then click Programs and Features.
Adobe PDF Viewer for Mac OS X requires the following system requirements:
• Safari 4 for Mac OS X 10.5.8 and Mac OS X 10.6.4
• Safari 5 for Mac OS 10.6.4
• Acrobat and Adobe Reader via AdobePDFViewer Safari plug-in are 32/64-bit (64-bit
available in Safari 10.6)
This link to the Adobe website provides further assistance to applicants who are having trouble
opening the form.
If you are still having problems with the electronic PDF form contact your designated helpdesk
for more information.