PDF files via email attachments will only save as Txt files!

[Barney]

Hi all

New to this useful site and wondered if the community would be able to assist a technical novice?

Up until a couple of weeks ago where we thought it was a one off, we can no longer open up documents that have been sent through as PDF on email. This happens on both Gmail and AOL. We have Windows 10 64 bit.

We try to download/open up direct from the email but it only prompts to save as a Txt file (we tried this and it's a nice blank page!) If we try and save we also only get the txt option again.

If we try and save to Google Drive, the document is there BUT when opened up we cannot print to PDF and save on the PC. We get an error message "couldn't open PDF. Something's keeping this PDF from opening". If we try and download from Google drive, we get the txt file option again!

We have no problems opening up anything we have scanned and will happily open using the usual Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Reader Touch.

We have gone into Adobe settings/preferences/security (enhanced) and de-ticked enable protected mode at startup. No joy!

We are at our wit's end as I have a load of documents I need to print and store.

ANY suggestions would be gratefully welcome!

Thanks

 

[Trouble]

I cannot speak to AOL, but....
I just sent myself a .pdf document attached to an email from my Hotmail account to my Gmail account.
I opened my Chrome browser, clicked the link to Gmail (top right) found my email as sent, hovered over the attachment which produced the download arrow icon, downloaded it to my desktop which saved the document intact and as a .pdf document, so.....
My guess is, that there may be some restriction either within your browser preference settings or perhaps by your particular email provider.

Something you might want to try / test...…
Who ever is sending you the PDFs, ask them to try zipping them and sending them in compressed format.

 

[Barney]

We have noticed on the desktop there are two internet files. They are partial downloads of the documents we've tried to save so something is stopping the process.
We have switched off the security and tried again from Google drive but same error message result. When we close the screen it warns that it's still downloading but nothing happens. We have also experimented with a photo - same result!
This happens in chrome and edge. I am not sure the problem is with the email provider as a bit of a coincidence for it to happen on emails within both. Just don't know why it's happened except something has gone nuts on the PC!

 

[Barney]

Further update: we can access the pdf files via the mail program in Windows 10 ( we don't usually use this and log in directly to Gmail etc via edge of chrome) so we have a bit of a workaround but doesn't fix the problem. However we still cannot save/download any old or new pdf files on Google drive!

 

[Norton]

If you go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Choose Default Apps By File Type, then scroll down the alphabetical list on the left to .pdf. By default it should Microsoft Edge should be the default app recommended for Windows 10.
When the default Apps is opened You could also click on Reset (Apps) to Microsoft defaults.

 

[Barney]

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried and hasn't worked. Also tried the reset option too.
I have tried to open up a pdf document on a website today and I can not do this either, same error message! I look after my father's banking and now I find I cannot even download his statements. The process just hangs if I select open or save ie I click on either and nothing happens. The pc seems to be extremely slow. At my wits end now and do not want to go down destructive restore route.
Any other suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

[Barney]

If I may add, even trying to download a CSV file nothing happens. Something is stopping it and it's not the antivirus software. Thx

 

[Norton]

Well if you have a Windows 10 ISO you can install Windows over Windows and select "Keep Personal Files and data. Download and save the "MediaCreationTool1803.exe" file (version 10.0.17134.1) to your desktop, and run it. I prefer saving it to a USB (at least 8GB) then it's always on hand for these kind of situations. Just make sure you select the right architecture for (32 or 64 Bit) your PC.
You can download the MCT from here. If possible, create a backup of all your important personal files.
www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10