Document Imaging: Trouble Opening PDF Documents

Users see a blank screen when opening documents in Perceptive, or the document flashes open but disappears.

Environment

Document Imaging System; Perceptive Content; MPathways Financials and Student

Issue

When attempting to view PDFs stored in the Document Imaging system, the PDFs either do not open, display an error or open for a brief second and then disappear.  These issues are caused by the user either:  being logged out of Adobe, a Chrome Extension that needs to be disabled, or a Chrome setting to open PDFs in Chrome needs to be set.  This error occurs most often when attempting to view documents from another application such as the MPathways Financial or Student systems.

Error is "An error occurred. An error was encountered while processing the file.  Some features might not work." 

Resolution

Here are three possible corrections:

Log into Adobe

1. Open Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader on your computer.
2. Click the "Sign In' button located in the top right corner.
3. Enter your umich.edu email and click Continue.
4. U-M's Weblogin will appear where you can enter in your uniqname and password.
5. Try to open/view the document again in the system where you were trying to view it, and the document should now display as expected.

Disable the Chrome Extension

1. Click on the Adobe icon in the upper right corner of the Chrome browser.
   • The Adobe icon is a fancy A on a red background.
2.  Select the toggle switch next to the words "Use Acrobat in Chrome" to turn off this extension.
3. You may then see another error "Failed to load PDF document".
4. Close the current tab and return to the screen where you selected to view documents.
5. Click the view documents link again, and the documents should now display as expected. 

Check the Chrome setting for PDF

1.  Click the three dots (More) in the top right corner of the Chrome browser and select "Settings".
2.  In the left-hand menu, select "Privacy and security". 
3.  Click on "Site settings". 
4.  Scroll down and click on "Additional content settings". 
5.  Click on "PDF documents". 
6.  Here, you need to select "open PDFs in Chrome".
7.  Try to open/view the document again in the system where you were trying to view it, and the document should now display as expected.

Additional Information

If you do not see the Adobe icon in the upper right corner:

1. Select the puzzle icon instead to view all Chrome extensions.
2. Find the Adobe Acrobat extension and click the Details button.
3. On the next screen, select Extension Options.
4. A new screen appears where you can then select the toggle switch next to the words "Open PDFs in Acrobat".
5. Click Save preferences.
6. Close your current tabs and return to the screen where you selected to view documents.
7. Click the view documents link again and the documents should now display as expected.

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.