PDF files not opening on a Chromebook? Check your settings, browser compatibility, and file format support.
PDF files not opening on a Chromebook? Check your settings, browser compatibility, and file format support.
I am trying to download a bunch of old tax documents on a website on my chromebook. When I do this, for some reason every single document shows 0 bytes after I downloaded each of these files. When I try to open the file on the chromebook, it shows an error and doesn't open. Even if it did open, there wouldn't be nothing there since it shows 0 kb. The thing is it's suppose to show some kb or mb or whatever amount for the size. Does anyone have a clue why I'm having these issues? I had spoken to the person in charge of the site and he said there should be no issues and maybe to allow popups. I did go and turn that on in chrome settings though I never ever had that issue ever whichever the default was. Does anyone know why I'm having these issues? I am using whatever is the default PDF file opener on chromebook. The thing is shouldn't the file I download have some kb or mb on it though no matter what? I had downloaded documents on my chromebook before from the site and it would show some kb on it.
I encountered a similar problem with an outdated browser. Recent browsers work fine, but older ones might face issues due to protocol changes or expired security certificates. Without direct access to the browser source code, it's hard to pinpoint the cause. For now, consider updating your browser or trying another one. If needed, download files on another device and then transfer them to your Chromebook. Good luck!
Website manager confirmed no problems. Using a chromebook, I powered it down and updated Chrome. The issue seems linked to the PDF viewer—even though the browser is current, it doesn’t have the right reader installed. The file appears to load quickly with almost zero size, but fails when opened, suggesting the PDF reader itself is faulty. If the download shows 0 kb yet the file isn’t accessible, the reader is likely the problem. For a Chromebook, consider switching to a different browser like Firefox or Edge, which often have better PDF support.