Need Help Fixing a Problem with Firefox 1.5.0.3 and Adobe Reader.. Please help!

May 23, 2006 8:31 AM

Trouble with XP, Firefox 1.5.0.3, and Adobe Reader 7.0.7... I have reinstalled everything other than the OS. Firefox crashes every time it loads a PDF... How do I remedy this?

My dad's computer is a Dell Inspiron with 1G of RAM. When it was new, and even just a few months ago, the machine screamed along. However, in the past few months, every time it opens a PDF in Firefox, the browser crashes. Sometimes, when switching between tabs, it 'sticks' for maybe 10-20 seconds before switching.

I have uninstalled Firefox and Adobe, and reinstalled, to no avail. There are no extensions loaded in Firefox. The mouse wheel does not work in Firefox, though it works in every other application. I have AVG Free as AV protection and used to use Norton. Adaware shows no spyware, and other than Firefox/Adobe, the computer is running well.

Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks..

posted by seinfeld to Computers & Internet (12 answers total)

More of a work-around, but you might try Foxit Reader instead of Acrobat Reader?
posted by ed\26h at 8:39 AM on May 23, 2006

Response by poster: Bonus points for figuring out how to get the mouse back in Firefox.. I cannot figure this out for the life of me.. oy! =)
posted by seinfeld at 8:41 AM on May 23, 2006

Have you tried another version of firefox, maybe a beta, also try using foxit
posted by killyb at 8:43 AM on May 23, 2006

I've had this same problem on multiple computers, and in IE too. Reader just sucks sometimes.
posted by rxrfrx at 8:53 AM on May 23, 2006

I use an extension called PDF Download.

"Allows to choose if you want to view a PDF file inside the browser (as PDF or HTML), if you want to view it outside Firefox with your default or custom PDF reader, or if you want to download it!"
posted by Sallysings at 9:00 AM on May 23, 2006

Response by poster: Yes, I've tried everything mentioned except foxit. I'd like to fix the problem, not use a work around. Granted foxit is better than having Reader crash, but ideally, I am hoping someone can help provide a solution.

Different versions of Firefox do not fix it. Is there a utility that will completely wipe out all Mozilla and Adobe settings in the registry and allow me to start fresh, w/o reinstalling the OS?
posted by seinfeld at 9:13 AM on May 23, 2006

I second the recommendation for PDF Download. It's one of the first things I add to a fresh Firefox install. Sure, it's a workaround, but personally I prefer to save the file down and open it in standalone Reader anyway.
posted by dammitjim at 9:55 AM on May 23, 2006

Have you tried deleting the acrobat temp files?

posted by IvyMike at 10:33 AM on May 23, 2006

Have you tried changing the settings in Firefox so the PDF is downloaded and opened in Acrobat Reader, instead of opening in FF? If you go to Tools -> Options -> Downloads in FF, click on View & Edit Actions under "Download Actions". There you can change what FF does with PDFs.
posted by geeky at 11:36 AM on May 23, 2006

Also, have you tried the Standard Diagnostic steps for FF, including removing the installation directory?
posted by geeky at 11:41 AM on May 23, 2006

Here's the problem—Acrobat Reader 7.x starts up a whole lot of plugins and the like that you don't actually need. This bloat has been referenced in other Adobe threads, as a lot of their latest products do this. There are ways to remove those from a folder within the C:\Program Files\Adobe hierarchy such that they don't all try to start up when you click on a PDF, and thus don't crash your browser.

Ultimately, though, I decided to just use Acrobat Reader 5.0.5, which you can get here at OldVersion.com. It starts up so much faster than Acrobat 7.x, and displays new PDFs just fine. What you want to make sure to do, though, is uninstall 7.x before installing 5.0.5, 'cause if not, your computer will default to using 7.x. (Though if you really want to keep both for some reason, see the first comment on my question here.)

Let me know if you need any more pointers if you choose to go this route—I'll be happy to help you troubleshoot.
posted by limeonaire at 12:31 PM on May 23, 2006

limeonaire- Adobe Reader opens much faster than Acrobat Reader used to. Aside from the occasional hanging on opening, it's really fast.
posted by rxrfrx at 12:46 PM on May 23, 2006