How to open web-based PDF in Adobe when iMac wants to use Preview

[SpiceGrrl]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I have Adobe Acrobat 9.4.2 installed on my new iMac and cannot figure out how to USE it to open a PDF that is located online. I searched in Help for "opening PDF" and did not find anything relating to when the PDF is online. Every time I try to open an online PDF, the iMac uses Preview, not Adobe, which is a problem because some PDFs cannot be read in Preview.

Related question: I sometimes write Word docs then convert them to PDF and post them online for others to read. How can I make sure my documents are readable to others using Preview?

Appreciating all clues!

 

[SpiceGrrl]

It's been 2 days, 69 people have viewed this thread and nobody has posted a response. Please, someone? I really need help with this. I have checked the Preferences options on both Adobe and Preview, and nowhere did I see an option to make Adobe my default browser when reading PDFs. Also checked system preferences, looked carefully at the category and options, and did not see anything addressing software preferences.

How do I tell the computer to use Adobe, not Preview, to view PDFs?

 

[nyma96]

select a file, get info, open with, set to adobe, press change all..

 

[boris42]

How do I tell the computer to use Adobe, not Preview, to view PDFs?

Find a PDF in Finder, Choose File/Get Info in Finder's menu or type Cmd+I. At the "Open with:" section choose Adobe Acrobat and click Change All button below. This will associate PDF files with Acrobat from now on.

 

[RRmalvado]

Go to a PDF saved on your computer, right click the file and click on Get Info. Under Open With, make sure Adobe is selected and click on Change All.

That should do it. Let us know how it goes.

 

[SpiceGrrl]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the help. The instructions worked OK for files that are actually on my computer, but did not work when I was trying to open a PDF located on a website, in other words without storing the PDF on my computer first. Anyone know how to make Safari use Adobe to open PDFs directly from a website?

Appreciating your help.

 

[decksnap]

When you installed acrobat, it should have installed or asked to install a browser plugin. I haven't installed it in so long I can't remember where that option is, but that should point you in the right direction. Fwiw acrobat has a few features that preview doesn't but generally it's just way way slower and annoying.

 

[brucem91]

Have you actually stumbled across a PDF that didn't work in preview or are you speculating in case? Since dec 2008, I've only stumbled across 1 PDF that didnt work in preview, but only because a special lock screen was made telling the reader to use preview because of a password protection. However, that PDF was weird.

As for using word to make a PDF, simply go to file -> print -> PDF and navigate through those options. I've personally found that PDFs work great no matter how they are viewed/created.

 

[SpiceGrrl]

Have indeed stumbled across actual example.

 

[dirt farmer]

Does this rather ancient tip help??