Opening Downloaded Files

[Animals4me]

Please can anyone tell/help me with opening a file sent to me.It is attached to an email,have clicked on the file at the top and am asked if I wish to open or save or both.Have tried both but wish to open and read but just getting box telling me can't open and then numerous times it downloads after each time I click to open but not opening.I do have pdf installed and have been able to open files on this laptop before.Any suggestions please?
Have gone to pdf and also my documents and downloads but am having the same problem.

[Buenchico]

>>>I do have pdf installed

Can we assume, from that statement, that you know the attachment is actually a pdf file rather than (say) an Excel spreadsheet or a PowerPoint presentation? (i.e. have you checked the file extension?).

Assuming that the file is definitely a pdf, it's possible that Windows has lost the information telling it which program to use to open it. Try the following:
Save the file to your hard drive.
Go to it's location and right-click on it.
Select 'Open with'
Even if Adobe Reader (or whatever other pdf-viewing program you use) is actually listed there, DON'T click on it straight away.
Instead click on 'Choose program'.
THEN click on the relevant program AND put a tick next to 'Always use this program to open this type of file'.

Hopefully the file will then open properly and (because you ticked the box I referred to above) Windows will have the correct information to be able to open all pdf attachments in the future.

[Animals4me]

will try this.Have opened these attachments before and not done anything different so am baffled by this.I have pdf and adobe so as you say it should recognise it all.it is just a document I wish to read that has been sent as an email attachment.Thanks.

[Animals4me]

nothing is happening at all.

[Buenchico]

At which stage is 'nothing' happening? Have you got as far as selecting the program after right-clicking?

Assuming that you've managed to save the file to your hard drive, let's try doing things 'the other way round'. (i.e. instead of starting with the file and trying to open the program, we'll start with the program and try to open the file):
Go to Start > Programs
Click on 'Adobe Reader' (or whichever other pdf program you use)
When it starts, go to File > Open
Navigate to the location of the file and double-click on it.

[Wak]

You say "it is just a document I wish to read" but has it a .PDF or a .DOC at the end of it??
Your PDF reader will not read .DOC type files. You will need Open Office or Wordpad, etc to read a .DOC type file.

[Wak]

I don't know if you have solved your problem yet but I have just opened and printed a .PDF file for a relative. The file came from a town council and the file stated that an older version of Adobe would not open it. It also said that Foxit wouldn't open it but my Foxit certainly opened it OK.
So is your Adobe an older version and is the file from an official source??
Just a thought!

[Old_Geezer]

I trust you know and trust the person who sent you this ....

Could be a corrupted file.

[Wak]

Yes, thanks, O.G. it was from my granddaughter.