FAQ

What is Adobe® Reader® software?: Adobe Reader is free software that lets you open, view, search, digitally sign, verify, and print PDF files. To date, more than 500 million copies of Adobe Reader have been distributed worldwide on 23 platforms and in 33 languages.
Why should I upgrade to Adobe Reader 9?: Adobe Reader 9 adds much in the way of new functionality, especially relating to collaboration, PDF file creation, security, and enhanced user experience. For more information, visit the reasons to upgrade page.
Is Adobe Reader 9 free?: Yes, Adobe Reader 9 is free software available on the Adobe Reader download page or wherever you see the Get Adobe Reader icon.
How do I download Adobe Reader?: Visit the Adobe Reader download page or the Adobe Reader main page on Adobe.com. You can also download Adobe Reader wherever you see the Get Adobe Reader icon. Once you have selected the link or icon, you will be asked to identify your language, operating system, and connection speed. Once you have completed this simple process, Adobe Reader downloads and installs automatically on your system.
Do I need Adobe Acrobat® software to use Adobe Reader?: No, Adobe Reader is a free, standalone application that you can use to open, view, search, digitally sign, verify, and print PDF files, such as those created by Adobe Acrobat or LiveCycle® ES software.
Can I create PDF files with Adobe Reader?: Acrobat.com (beta) now ships with Adobe Reader, which gives you the ability to create up to five PDF files.; You can also create PDF files using Acrobat.
What is Acrobat.com (beta)?: Acrobat.com (beta) is an exciting new set of online services from Adobe. With Acrobat.com, you can create PDF files online; create and coauthor documents with others; host live web meetings; upload and share PDF files and other types of documents and control who has access to them; and even embed a rich, interactive preview of your document in a web page. All of these services and more are provided online, so you can access them from anywhere. And you can find easy access points within Reader 9 through the Collaborate menu.; As an added convenience, Acrobat.com leverages Adobe AIR™, so you can interact with Acrobat.com from your desktop. Acrobat.com on Adobe AIR is a small application that is included with your download of Adobe Reader 9. It’s free, so sign up now.; Available in select languages. Learn more
Can I add comments to a PDF file with Adobe Reader?: PDF authors can enable this functionality using Adobe Acrobat Pro, Acrobat Pro Extended, or LiveCycle ES software. These enabled PDF files allow people with Adobe Reader to fill out forms, add comments and other markups, share files with others, and electronically submit a completed document.
Can I edit a PDF file using Adobe Reader?: No. You cannot make permanent changes to PDF files using Adobe Reader. However, you can perform many edit-like functions using Reader if the author has enabled these functions. For example, you can highlight text and add comments on electronic sticky notes. If you want to create and exchange documents, collect and compare comments, and tailor file security to distribute reliable and polished Adobe PDF documents, look into using Acrobat.
Why can't I make changes to my Adobe PDF file?: Adobe Reader is a standalone application that you can use to open, view, search, sign, verify, and print PDF files. If you want to create and exchange documents, collect and compare comments, and tailor file security to distribute reliable and polished Adobe PDF documents, consider Acrobat or Acrobat.com.
Does Adobe Reader support digital signatures and transactions?: Yes. You can use Adobe Reader to confidently sign, view, and verify the authenticity of PDF files. Reader can also be enabled by Acrobat Pro, Acrobat Pro Extended, and LiveCycle ES users to allow Reader users to complete forms, save data, act on information, and engage in more secure transactions.
Is the PDF file I'm reading secure?: A PDF file can be made uneditable by the author so that he or she can specify changes a recipient is allowed to make, such as filling in and signing forms. There are security settings to restrict editing, printing, and extracting content. PDF file authors can also add watermarks to communicate the nature of the document (for example, "confidential" or "draft"). Such features help prevent reviewers from making any permanent changes to a document that is still in review.
How can I control access to sensitive documents?: Access rights and security settings for a PDF file can be set in Acrobat, LiveCycle ES, or Acrobat.com. Once they are set, authors can expressly define who can open, view, print, copy, or modify a document. These capabilities help organizations protect the confidentiality of sensitive information.
Can I save an Adobe PDF form in Adobe Reader after I have filled it out?: Yes, team members both inside and outside an organization have access to and can interact with forms, provided your form has had the "local save" capability enabled with Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES software. You can easily open, fill out, and submit PDF forms, even from handheld devices and over wireless connections. However, if the "local save" capability has not been enabled in your PDF form, you will not be able to save the form data with Reader. Acrobat also enables Reader users to fill and save PDF forms locally.
On what operating systems can I read a PDF file with Reader 9?: Adobe Reader supports a multitude of platforms, including Windows®, Macintosh, Linux®, and Solaris™. For specific information on these platforms, visit the system requirements page.
How can my organization sign up to redistribute Adobe Reader 9?: Many organizations worldwide leverage the power of Adobe Reader as an organizational standard for document exchange and electronic form submission processes. To enable everyone within an organization to participate, Adobe grants organizations the rights to redistribute Reader on their internal websites and/or physical media such as CDs. Learn more about redistributing Adobe Reader.
What do I need to deploy Adobe Reader in the enterprise?: It is easy to deploy Adobe Reader in your organization. You can control deployments of Reader in the enterprise using a variety of tools including the Adobe Customization Wizard, IBM Tivoli, Microsoft System Management Server, Windows Group Policy Objects, or Active Directory. For more information about enterprise deployments, visit the enterprise deployment page.
What is Adobe Reader MUI?: Adobe Reader MUI is Adobe's Multilingual User Interface version. This product is capable of installing any combination of supported languages. So, for example, you can install French, German, and Spanish simultaneously and then have the capability to switch among those languages within Adobe Reader. The user interface changes to the appropriate language on the fly.

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