Information on Acrobat Reader

Acrobat Reader is a "software" that is used to view and print "Portable Data Format" files. These files have a .PDF extension (filename.pdf). The prime property of the PDF file is that it will show and print the same on MAC, IBM PC running on DOS or Windows, and even some UNIX platforms, hence the name "Portable."

When the software is successfully installed, you can use it just like any other software. To give an example, the MS Word, word processing software is used to open files that have a .DOC extension, and when you open your MS Word application, it looks for files with .DOC extension. The Acrobat Reader software, when activated, looks for files with .PDF extension.

In order to use the Acrobat Reader on the Web, you need to take the following steps:

Download the Acrobat reader Program:

Using your Web browser , you can download the Acrobat Reader for your Operating System (MAC, DOS, Windows...) by clicking on the appropriate option at the following site:

Adobe Home Page

While at the above site, please take a look at the "System Requirements" for the Reader you are downloading.

The automatic download process will save the installation program on your computer's hard disk. (You need to make a note of where on you hard disk you are saving this file). You are now ready to install your software. If you are using a Modem connection t o the Web, you should disconnect the connection before you proceed with the installation on Acrobat Reader.

Install the Acrobat Reader on a Macintosh and/or Windows:


Installing Acrobat Reader on a Macintosh:

After you have downloaded the file from Adobe Hompepage to disk, double-click on the AcroRead.sea or AcroRead.mac icon and follow the installation instructions that appear on the screen.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: The files for MAC on the internet are encoded in either BinHex (HQX extension) or MacBinary (.bin extension) format. Before you can use them you must decode the BinHex or MacBinary file. Your Web Browser might have an option to automatically do it for you. If your browser does not "decode" the files automatically (if the file you have downloaded form Adobe does not say AcroRead.Sea or AcroRead.mac, that means you browser HAS NOT decoded the file), you should ask your Systems Administrator for a copy of the BinHex or MacBinary utility). Alternatively, you can download one of the following public-domain files

stuffit-expander.hqx
stuffit-expander.bin
binhex.hqx

that are available on many of MAC ftp archives, such as on:

gopher://gopher.archive.merit.edu (or its many many mirror sites)


When you encounter a PDF file on the Web, here are your options (It is assumed that you use Netscape, but the procedure is fundamentally the same for most other Web Browsers):

When you click on the PDF file, Netscape will bring a window up that tells you:

No Viewer Configured for the File Type: application/pdf
How would you like to handle this file?
Save to Disk? Cancel Transfer Configure Viewer
If you click on Save to Disk it will download the PDF file to your desktop and then you can use the Acrobat Reader to open the saved file and view it.

If you choose Configure Viewer, it will let you set up you Netscape so that it will automatically activate the Acrobat Reader anytime you click on a PDF file while browsing the Web. To set up the Acrobat Reader in this process, after you have hit the Configure Viewer option, the window that opens allows you to go thru your desktop and find the Acrobat Reader application and double click on it.

You can also set up the viewer by choosing preferences from the option menu on your Netscape browser. Choose Helper Applications from the pulldown at the top of the Preferences dialog and click on New. Enter application in the Mime type field and pdf in the Mime subtype and hit OK. Click on the Browse in the Preferences dialog and search for the Acrobat Reader application and click Open. Type pdf in the Extensions field and select PDF using the File Type pop up. Then, click on the Launch Application radio button, and OK the process. Make sure you save all these steps by selecting Save Options.


Installation Instructions for Windows:

The installation process is controlled by the Acrobat Installer application. This installation will create a program group named "Adobe Acrobat" and install the new Acrobat Reader 2.1 application and support files in the c:\acroread directory.

The installation process does not install ATM, edit any INI files on your system, and a does not force a restart of Windows after completion.

To Install Acrobat(TM) Reader 2.1:
1. From the Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.
2. Type: [drive]:\acroread.exe (This is the file you have downloaded from Adboe Home Page)
3. Follow the instructions on your screen.
Installation requires approximately 4 MB of free hard disk space.

You are now ready to use Acrobat Reader

When you encounter a PDF file on the Web, here are your options (It is assumed that you use Netscape, but the procedure is fundamentally the same for most other Web Browsers):

When you click on the PDF file, Netscape will bring a window up that tells you:

No Viewer Configured for the File Type: application/pdf
How would you like to handle this file?
Save to Disk? Cancel Transfer Configure Viewer
If you click on Save to Disk it will download the PDF file to your desktop and then you can use the Acrobat Reader to open the saved file and view it.

If you choose Configure Viewer, it will let you set up you Netscape so that it will automatically activate the Acrobat Reader anytime you click on a PDF file while browsing the Web in the current session. To set up the Acrobat Reader in this process, after you have hit the Configure Viewer option, the window that opens allows you to go thru your hard disk and find the Acrobat Reader application (located at c:\acroread\acroread.exe) and double click on it.

You can also set up the viewer, permanently, by choosing preferences from the option menu on your Netscape browser. Choose Helper Applications from the pulldown at the top of the Preferences dialog and click on New Type. Enter application in the Mime type field and pdf in the Mime subtype and hit OK. Click on the Browse in the Preferences dialog and search for the Acrobat Reader application (c;|acroread\acroread.exe). Double click on acreoread.exe. Next, type pdf in the Extensions field hit OK. This will program your Netscape to launch Arobat Reader whenever you encounter a pdf file on the net.


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