Support Database  Document 313692
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Product
Acrobat Exchange, Acrobat Reader 

Platform
Windows 

Last Edited
06/25/99 

Filename
78c6.htm 

What's Covered

Using the Navigator Plug-in
Configuring Navigator to Use Acrobat as a Helper Application
Downloading a PDF File to Your Hard Drive

You can display PDF files within Netscape Navigator 2.x, 3.x, or 4.x by using Adobe Acrobat's Navigator plug-in, or by using Acrobat Reader 3.0x or Acrobat Exchange 3.0x as a helper application. When you use the Navigator plug-in, Navigator displays PDF files within its browser window. When you configure Navigator to use your Acrobat viewer as a helper application, PDF files display within a separate Acrobat viewer window.

Adobe recommends that you use Navigator 3.0 or later, which supports Acrobat 3.0x and later features such as page at a time downloading (byte-serving) and online form submission.

Using the Navigator Plug-in

When you install an Acrobat 3.0 or later viewer on a computer on which Navigator 2.x or 3.x is installed, the Acrobat installer automatically copies the Navigator plug-in file (Nppdf32.dll for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT, Nppdf16.dll for Windows 3.1x) into the Netscape\Navigator\Programs\Plugins folder. When you're using Navigator 4.x, which is included with Netscape Communicator, you'll need to manually move the Nppdf32.dll file or the Nppdf16.dll file from the Acrobat3\Reader\Browser or Acrobat3\Exchange\Browser folder into the Netscape\Communicator\Program\Plugins folder.

If you select a PDF file while the plug-in is installed, the file will download to Netscape's Temp folder, and then Navigator will open your Acrobat viewer to display the file within the browser window.

If a PDF file you select does not display within the Navigator 3.0 or later browser window, see Related Records.

To prevent Acrobat from displaying PDF files in the Navigator browser window, move the Navigator plug-in file out of the Netscape\Navigator\Programs\Plugins folder or the Netscape\Communicator\Program\Plugins folder to the Acrobat3\Reader\Browser or Acrobat3\Exchange\Browser folder. 

If you install Navigator 4.0 and keep a previous version of Navigator on your system, you may need to reinstall your Acrobat viewer to use the plug-in in both versions. Otherwise, Navigator 4.0 may use your Acrobat viewer as a helper application.

Configuring Navigator to Use Acrobat as a Helper Application

When you configure Navigator to use an Acrobat viewer as a helper application, Navigator starts the viewer in a separate window and then displays PDF files within the separate Acrobat viewer window. 

Acrobat 4.0 viewers include an option in their preferences that enables you to specify whether your viewer is used as a helper application. To configure an Acrobat 4.0 viewer to be used as a helper application in Navigator:
1. Start your Acrobat 4.0 viewer.
2. Choose File > Preferences > General.
3. Deselect Web Browser Integration in the Options section and then click OK.
4. Exit from the Acrobat 4.0 viewer.
5. Restart Navigator. 

Note: The next time you select a link to a PDF file in Navigator, a dialog box will appear that asks what you would like to do with the file. If you select "Open it," Navigator will open the PDF file in your Acrobat viewer as a helper appliction. If you select "Save it to disk," Navigator will save the PDF file to your hard disk, from where you can open it later.

For more information about the general preferences in your Acrobat 4.0 viewer, refer to the Acrobat 4.0 User Guide or the Acrobat Reader 4.0 User Guide.

Acrobat 3.0x viewers must be manually configured as helper applications. Use the following instructions to configure an Acrobat 3.0x viewer as a helper application.

Note: Make sure that the Nppdf32.dll file or the Nppdf16.dll file is not installed in the Netscape\Navigator\Programs\Plugins folder or the Netscape\Communicator\Program\Plugins folder. The Nppdf32.dll or Nppdf16.dll file should be installed only in the Acrobat3 folder. If the file is installed in any other folder, Navigator will open the Acrobat viewer as a plug-in and cannot use the viewer as a helper application. 

To configure Navigator 4.x to use an Acrobat 3.x viewer as a helper application:
1. Choose Edit > Preferences.
2. In the left pane, select Navigator and then select Applications.
3. Click New Type.
4. Type the following information in the text fields: 
- For the Description of Type, use "Portable Document Format." 
- For the File Extension, use "pdf." 
- For the MIME Type, use "application/pdf." 
5. Click Browse, then locate the Acrobat Reader 3.0x or Acrobat Exchange 3.0x application file and click Open.
6. Click OK to close the New Type dialog box. 
7. Restart Navigator.

To configure Navigator 3.x to use an Acrobat 3.x viewer as a helper application:
1. Start Navigator.
2. Choose Options > General Preferences and then select Helpers.
3. If "application/pdf" is listed in the File Type scroll box, select it and go to step 7.
4. Click Create New Type.
5. Type "application" in the Mime Type text box.
6. Type "pdf" in the Mime Subtype text box and then click OK.
7. Click Browse.
8. Locate and select the Acrobat Reader 3.0x or Acrobat Exchange 3.0x application file, and then click Open.
9. Type "pdf" in the Extensions text box.
10. Select Launch Application and then click OK.
11. Restart Navigator.

To configure Navigator 2.x to use an Acrobat 3.x viewer as a helper application:
1. Start Navigator, then choose Options > General Preferences.
2. In the General Preferences dialog box click the Helpers tab.
3. If Application/pdf is listed in the File Type scroll box, select it and go to step 6.
4. Click Create New Type.
5. Type "application" in the Mime Type text box, type "pdf" in the Mime Subtype text box, and then click OK.
6. In the General Preferences dialog box, click Browse.
7. Locate and select the Acrobat Reader 3.0x or Acrobat Exchange 3.0x application file, and then click Open.
8. Select Application from the list of Actions and then click OK. 
9. Restart Navigator.

Downloading a PDF File to Your Hard Drive

You can download PDF files to your hard disk either from a Web page's link or using an Acrobat viewer's Save As command. After you download a PDF file to your hard disk, you can copy text, distribute the file, or save the file to a disk. 

To download a PDF file from a link:
1. Right-click the link to a PDF file, then choose Save Link As from the pop-up menu.
2. In the Save As dialog box, select a location on your hard disk, then click Save. 

To download an open PDF file:
1. Choose File > Save As.
2. In the Save As dialog box, select a location on your hard disk, then click Save. 

Related Records

PDF Pages Appear Blank Inside Web Browser Window Configuring Internet Explorer for Mac OS to Display PDF Files Configuring Netscape Navigator for Mac OS to Display PDF Files Configuring Internet Explorer and AOL for Windows 95 and NT to Display PDF Files PDF File Is Blank in Netscape Navigator After Clicking Link to File