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Rakesh A asked in Computers & InternetInternet · 2 decades ago

When I download a pdf file, it opens in the MS Word format. This means that the data is garbled.?

I remember selecting the MS WORD option from a list of programs to open one particular pdf file and the problem has stuck ever since. How can I change the use of MS Word as the default for opening pdf files? What is the program that should have been selected? Thanks in advance.

9 Answers

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  • Favorite Answer

    First, you need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. That's the software you need to download to read PDF files. In that case, I guess filetype for PDF will get automatically associated with it.

    If you already have Acrobat installed, or even after installing it open in MS Word, right click on any PDF file. Go to 'Open With'. If it prompts you to choose from list, do so. A list iof software will be presented. Choose Adobe Acrobat Reader. Then you'll find a checkbox at the bottom of the list saying 'Make Default' for this file type. Check that. After this, all PDFs will open in Acrobat, and will be displayed properly.

    Source(s): Downlaod Adobe Acrobat - http://www.adobe.com/
  • the_dt
    Lv 4
    2 decades ago

    You have changed the file associate of a PDF file from Acrobat reader to MS Word.

    When you get the option to select a program, you should ensure the "use this program always" button is unchecked if you are associating the file with the application for a one-off.

    You can correct this by right-clicking a PDF file and selecting Properties. On the General tab there is a section which says "Opens with" and there is a button marked "Change..." which you can then select the appropriate application to open it with (eg Acrobat reader).

  • 2 decades ago

    The correct program for pdf (portable document format) files is Adobe Acrobat (or Adobe Reader). You can change the associated file in Windows by opening a folder (any folder), and selecting from the menu:

    Tools>Folder Options...

    then the "File Types" tab. Scroll down to PDF, click the "change" button, and set it to open with Adobe Reader. If you don't have the reader, you can download it free of charge from the link below.

  • 2 decades ago

    You probably should have selected what most Windows PCs have on them. Adobe Acrobat Reader. Or you downloaded it Foxit PDF reader is good.

    What you did was make a file acciociation. I'm not sure(not hugely technically minded) but you can try accessing either Acrobat or Word to turn the defaults, or you can try in reverse what you did.

    If not you'll have to put an icon on the desktop, and instead of click you'll have to drag and drop on the icon of the PDF reader.

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  • 2 decades ago

    At first u Install in ur pc Adobe Acrobat 7.0 and u select ur .pdf file and Open with Acrobat and select the Option( Always use the selected program to poen the kind of file )

  • 2 decades ago

    You must open it with Adobe Reader

    If you have this program, Right-Click on the PDF file and choose Open with>Choose program...

    then choose Adobe Reader and check the checkbox under the programs list then click Ok.

    If you havn't Adobe Reader download it from

    http://www.download.com/Adobe-Reader/3000-2378_4-1...

  • 2 decades ago

    .pdf files are in Portable Document Format and those files, if you are trying to open them in Ms_word those data will be lost,it is better to open that in Adobe - Adobe Reader, that is the best application for those files, if you want to change the default application,

    in properites of that file(you can find that in right-click on that file) then is a command button with lable change, at opends with,

    there you can do that,

  • 2 decades ago

    open the adobe reader , go to option or preferences ... u can find an option for chosing acrobat reader and a default player for pdf file

  • Anonymous
    2 decades ago

    Right click and go to open with.

    and select the program.

    Try adobe reader

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