Google Chrome Won’t Display PDF files: Fix
Several users have reported an issue in which Google Chrome will not display Adobe PDF files in the browser. Users experiencing this problem may receive the error message: “The Adobe Acrobat/Reader that is running can not be used to view PDF files in a Web Browser. Please exit Adobe Acrobat Reader and exit your Web Browser and try again.”
Fix
This problem can generally be easily fixed by copying the Adobe PDF plug-in to the Google Chrome Plugins folder. You may need to create the Plugins folder yourself if one does not already exist. Follow these steps:
- Go to Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat(version number)\Acrobat\Browser
- Copy the file nppdf32.dll
- If you are using Windows XP, go to C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\Application\(Version Number)\. If there is not a Plugins folder there, create a new folder with the name “Plugins.” Paste nppdf32.dll into the Plugins folder. Quit and restart Google Chrome and retry PDF access.
- If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, go to (username)\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\. If there is not a Plugins folder there, create a new folder with the name “Plugins.” Paste nppdf32.dll into the Plugins folder. Quit and restart Google Chrome and retry PDF access.
Failing the above, use an alternative reader. One good choice is the free Foxit Reader. It tends to use fewer resources than Adobe Reader, and works well in Windows 7.
Filed under Google Chrome, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on May 11th, 2009. Comment. 
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Comments on Google Chrome Won’t Display PDF files: Fix
I tried…..No dice
thanks for taking the time anywhow-
Make sure you are copying to the right folder (you might have more than one username folder) and that you restart Chrome afterward.
This worked for me. Thanks!
Worked for me, thanks!
Worked for me! Folders maybe hidden, so be sure to unhide folders using Windows Explorer Tools>>>>>Folder Options>>>View>>>>under Advance settings>>>select “show hidden files and folders”, then apply and click ok.
If you have placed the file in the correct folder and restarted Google Chrome it should work.
Yes it worked perfectly well for – now I can read PDFs in Google Chrome browser. 10x
Thanks, It works great.
What you can do instead is choose not to open pdfs in chrome.
Open any pdf.
Click Edit (in the top toolbar.)
Click Preferences
Click Internet from left-hand Categories menu
De-Select Display PDF in Browser
Advantage to this approach is that one can close chrome, but pdf’s will stay open.
Awesome! Thanks!! That worked perfectly! I’ve been trying to fix that problem forever!
Thanks … Awesome solution solved problem in 10 secs!!
Great tip! Worked for me.
Thanks! Worked for me too!
Thanks!! It worked for me too
:):)
I followed the fix above. Does not display the pdf immediately. Only when I request the pdf file again, it displays. Anybody had the same experience? Works great though.
It worked! Thank you!
Thanks…
I’ve seen this issue with Chrome 3.0.195.27. You might also want to copy the nppdf32.xxx where xxx is the language you use (German, French, and so on)…
Many Thanks it worked for me too
This worked for me, too, but I had to remove Adobe Reader 9.2 that had been installed in addition to Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard as well. I’m not sure whether it was the DLL or removing the Adobe Reader that fixed the problem.
Thanks, it worked !! How come Google can’t sort this out?? Muppets
Great Mate!! Yes I can!!
I also had problems viewing pdf files on chrome. The above fix did not work for me.But what I did was simply update my google chrome and now I dont have any problem with either viewing or downloading pdf files.
You can easily update your chrome in “about google chrome” option in settings.
This totally worked for me. Thanks!
I also had two versions of acrobat and uninstalled on of them.
Worked! Thank you so much!
Tried exactly as you said, and Voila, it did work. Thanks a lot!!
ahhhhhhhhhh thank you that’s been bugging me forever!
Thanks a lot!!
BTY,it works well in opera,nice work!!
I am winXP user and it worked for me with one little change.
I didn’t create dir Plugins in ..\Application\(Version Number)\
but i created it right in ..\Application\
and it works…
Thank you for making my favorite web browser, chrome, work as intended
You rock man.
It also works for Adobe Reader 9.3. Thanks.
Using Win Xp and Chrome 4.0.249.78. The suggested fix didn’t work in my case. Still get the black crash screen.
Thanks, Worked for me..
awesome!! worked thanks!
Thanks! Worked great and it was an easy fix.
Worked for me, on XP. Thanks a lot.
Thanks!
now i can make Chrome my default browser!
Happy Happy Happy
It failed for me until I realized that I had an old broken installation of FireFox on my Windows XP with an old nppdf32.dll.
I used SysInternals FileMon to diagnose the problem.
Since I have removed the broken installation, it works well.
Awesome, looked everywhere for all sorts of fixes and this was the first that worked for me.
Thank you so much!
This fix didn’t work for me. However, there is a chrome extension you can get that opens PDF files via google documents instead.
Thank you to DSL for the answer. For all you people that are still having problems, check you his post up there. It helped me go to the right place. (All you have to do is check Display PDF in Browser and it will work!)
Thanks Bro!
Thank you very much. It works. you say in the best way .
Thaaaaaanks