Unable to Open PDF Files in Lotus Notes – Reasons & Solutions
All email service providers, whether it is Gmail, Outlook, or Lotus Notes, attachments, especially PDFs are always exchanged through them. However, sometimes it happens that the user is unable to open the PDF files that it got on its email client: Lotus Notes.
There are many reasons why the user faces this kind of error. But, let’s focus on the solution, rather than the problem.
Also Read: Save Attachments from Multiple Emails in Lotus Notes
Ways to Solve “Unable to Open PDF Files in Lotus Notes” Problem
Here is the list of top 4 solution to fix the Lotus Notes error:
1. When Adobe Reader is in your system and you are not able to open the PDF file using it
If you have got a PDF file on Lotus Notes and you are trying to view it using the Adobe reader, then you can face issues. This is because Adobe reader has an option to not let applications like an Open Client open files apart from a browser window.
If you are facing this kind of issue, then you can open the PDF in Adobe Reader using these steps:
- Launch Adobe Reader in your system
- In the Edit menu, click on Preferences
- In the Internet section, uncheck the Display PDF in Browser option
- Next, click on the OK option and quit the window
- Then, Open Client
- Go to the File and click on ‘Open from the toolbar’ or double click on the document. Do not select IDM View, your PDF document will still open in a browser window.
2. When you are opening the PDF file using Microsoft Edge
MS Edge is a default web browser and a PDF viewer of Windows 10. This default PDF viewer automatically opens the PDFs. However, it also gives the user trouble in viewing the PDF. This happens when there are already other PDF readers like Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Reader etc installed in your system. Then the error “PDF could not open in Edge” occurs as your try to open the files.
The reason behind it is that the already installed PDF viewing applications interrupt MS Edge and can also cause corruption errors in PDF files.
How to solve this problem?
a.) Make MS Edge’s PDF reader your default PDF viewer
To accomplish this, follow the steps below:
- Go to Control Panel, then Default Programs, and finally “Associate a file type or protocol with a program”
- Now, choose the PDF file option and then click Change program
- To open the PDF file, select the Microsoft Edge application from the new pop-up menu. Tick the boxes that say Always use this app to open PDF
- Finally, click OK to make your MS Edge program the default PDF viewer.
b.) Modifying The Default PDF Settings In Microsoft Edge
Change the setting from Microsoft Edge to Acrobat Reader X1
Instead of using MS Edge as the default PDF viewer, you must use Acrobat Reader X1.
This procedure is very simple to carry out in the steps listed below:
- Select the relevant PDF file, right-click it, and then select the Open with option
- Select Adobe Acrobat from the list of programme options by clicking Choose another app
- To make it the default PDF viewer, check the box that says Always use this app to open PDF.
Note: You can also change the default view of your PDF file by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties. Click the Change option against the file in the Open with section. Now, click on the PDF Viewer application (Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Edge) from the menu and hit the OK button. Finally, the default PDF Viewer application is changed.
3. Not being able to view PDF files because of problems in Lotus Notes itself
If you are neither able to view your PDF files directly from the Lotus Notes or download them from there. Then there is a huge possibility that the problem is within the Lotus Notes. The error which you will face here is ‘Unable to invoke the program’.
To repair this problem, delete your cache.ndk and bookmark.nsf and then restart the lotus notes application. Now try to launch your PDF, it will definitely work.
4. Use a Professional Solution
When you are not able to open your PDF files because of some problem in the Lotus Notes, then the best option is to back up the contents of Lotus Notes. This can be done using the NSF Converter. It saves all your data including the attachments in whichever file format you desire. The different file formats available are MSG, MBOX, vCard, and HTML etc.
Even if there was any corruption or error because of which you were not able to view your PDFs, it will also be repaired by the tool. This tool even gives you the option to export data directly from the HCL Domino server to PDF. It is mandatory to have Lotus Notes installed and configured on your system. There will be no file size limitations on the .nsf data that you want to convert to PDF.
Conclusion
There can be either problem related to Lotus Notes or any other problem that does not let the user open their PDF files. The problems and the ways they can be solved are discussed in this article in detail.
