Why won't my PDF open?

A PDF that will not open is frustrating but usually fixable. Work through the likely causes from most to least common.

Check the basics first

• The download finished — a truncated file will not open.
• It really is a PDF, not a renamed file.
• Your reader is up to date.

It might be encrypted

Password-protected PDFs prompt before opening. If you were not expecting that, you may need the password from the sender.

It might be damaged

Files corrupted in transfer can sometimes be recovered by re-downloading or re-saving through a tool that rebuilds the structure.