In order to change the default reader for PDF files (to not open PDF files with Firefox's internal PDF reader), follow these steps:

1. Go to Tools > Options (or Firefox > Options).
2. In the Options window, select the Applications tab.
3. In the Search field, type PDF. You should find Portable Document Format (PDF).
4. On the right handside you should find an Action column. Use that to select your favorite PDF reader. In order to view PDF files in Firefox, choose Preview in Firefox.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back soon.

As the website owner, I can't ask all of my site visitors to change their settings. I need to replicate the issue, so at a minimum I know who it is effecting.

I've had the same problem but do not know the exact fix unless it is Help/Repair Acrobat Installation. I've recently done this to fix the dreaded Web page problem with most (not all) text as garbled letters and hash marks. Try repairing - it takes some time. If all else fails, PDF995 works. Oddly enough, I tried to copy the garbled text from a PDF to this reply and it copies correctly.

Can your acquaintance copy some of the text from the PDF and paste it elsewhere (Word will do) to see if it comes out OK?

I know from his screenshot that he is using the built in Firefox viewer.

Log into your own site and view the same files with Firefox. Do you see the same corruption? Anyone else see the problem? Are you certain the files are not corrupted by Acrobat? If not, it's a Firefox problem and there's not much you can do about it. Strange this hasn't appeared before.

I'm having serious problems with Firefox 24 myself with Yahoo mail, hence my visit here. I had to go back to IE. Even here, I'm getting "page not found."

No, I can't replicate the problem. As I said in my question, I've tried three different OS versions running FF 24. I know it isn't an acrobat problem because he is using the PDF viewer built into FF 24, acrobat isn't involved.

BTW, if someone clicks on the PDF in my original question and gets results like what is in the screenshot, PLEASE let me know. And maybe detail anything strange about your system. I got to figure out the common factor.

I clicked on the screenshot and it's exactly the problem I had and it was fixed by Help/Repair Acrobat Installation.

How are your PDFs created to begin with?

My PDFs are created with LaTeX. You may have had a similar problem, however, he isn't viewing the PDF with Acrobat. You can tell from the screen shot that he is viewing it with the built in javascript PDF viewer.

Don't know LaTeX any more. Can you or your acquaintance view the PDFs in Adobe Reader as a test? Get one of your files from the Web site and download/run Adobe reader to make sure. If they're corrupted in Reader, they're corrupted by LaTeX. If OK, it's a bug w/Firefox.

They are viewable in Acrobat/Preview/Firefox/Chome/etc. The reason I posted the question is because *I can't* replicate the problem he is reporting. I'm hoping someone can replicate the problem and knows what causes it. But it is of note that he is using the firefox viewer and not acrobat.

Using either the Firefox viewer or opening an Acrobat 9.5 window to view the file, I get the same readable file with red links at the pages and cyan at Web sites. Opening the Web site and viewing the document from there via Firefox’s viewer gives the same readable file. You’re clean. I even printed the CV to PDF via the viewer and it comes out.

All that’s left is a problem at the user’s end unless others have the same problem. Can Firefox’s viewer become corrupted as Adobe Acrobat’s can on occasion? If so, he’d have to reinstall Firefox. Unless other people have the same situation, it’s limited to the one user.

I looked at the link that you have posted on your original question.

I am unable to load the document in Firefox, instead I am forced to download the PDF file. After it is downloaded it displays correctly in Adobe Reader.

Maybe a notice should be added to your website. Something like this:

Try to disable hardware acceleration in Firefox.

• Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

Also make sure that you select website fonts in Firefox and that downloadable fonts are enabled.

Make sure that you allow pages to choose their own fonts.

• Tools > Options > Content : Fonts & Colors > Advanced: [X] "Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above" (browser.display.use_document_fonts = 1)

It is better not to increase the minimum font size, but to use an extension to set the default page zoom to prevent issues with text not being displayed properly.

Check the gfx.downloadable_fonts.enabled pref on the about:config page to make sure that it is set to the default true.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

ComputerWhiz -

I can't replicate the problem, and given you can, I'd really appreciate it if you could detail a few things about your system. What version of the OS and browser are you running. Also, is there any extensions that you are running that potentially could do something to the PDF viewer?

Also could you try cor-el's suggestion regarding the hardware acceleration and fonts?

Thanks so much.

Here is some troubleshooting information about my computer system.

ComputerWhiz -

Is your:

browser.display.use_document_fonts

Set to zero, I couldn't find it in your screenshots.

Thanks!

browser.display.use_document_fonts should be 1 to make Firefox use embedded fonts.

I noticed that I pasted the wrong text above: colors should have been fonts

Make sure that you allow pages to choose their own fonts (browser.display.use_document_fonts = 1).

• Tools > Options > Content : Fonts & Colors > Advanced: [X] "Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above"

A possibility to try is to disable document fonts and see if it work with another default font, but Firefox may show an notification message in this case.

My browser.display.use_document_fonts setting is set to 1

I am having this same issue with my pdf's. and when i opened yours, it was garbled as well. the attached shows garbled text and the art in black comes through that shouldn't be there.

how can this be resolved across the board? it isn't just my computer. when the problem was first reported to me, i couldn't get it to replicate until I updated to FF 24.

and this problem doesn't occur in IE or chrome.