FAQ

Q. What is Adobe® Reader® software?
Q. Why should I upgrade to Adobe Reader 8?
Q. Is Adobe Reader 8 free?
Q. How do I download Adobe Reader?
Q. How do I use Adobe Reader to conduct online meetings or web conferences?
Q. Do I need Adobe Acrobat® software to use Adobe Reader?
Q. Can I create PDF files with Adobe Reader?
Q. Can I edit a PDF file using Adobe Reader?
Q. Can I add comments to a PDF file with Adobe Reader?
Q. Can I mark up and review files in Adobe Reader?
Q. Why can't I make changes to my Adobe PDF file?

Q. If I want someone to review a PDF file, how can I be sure they will know how to do so when they receive the file?
Q. Does Adobe Reader support digital signatures and transactions?
Q. Is the PDF file I'm reading secure?
Q. How can I control access to sensitive documents?
Q. Can I save an Adobe PDF form in Adobe Reader after I have filled it out?
Q. On what operating systems can I read a PDF file with Reader 8?
Q. Can I read Digital Editions (formerly eBooks) using Adobe Reader 8?
Q. How can my organization sign up to redistribute Adobe Reader 8?
Q. What do I need to deploy Adobe Reader in the enterprise?

Q. What is Adobe Reader software?: A. Adobe Reader is free software that lets you open, view, search, digitally sign, verify, and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files. To date, more than 500 million copies of Adobe Reader have been distributed worldwide on 23 platforms and in 26 languages.

Q. Why should I upgrade to Adobe Reader 8?: A. Adobe Reader 8 enables you to securely view, print, search, sign, and verify the authenticity of Adobe PDF files. With Reader 8, you can easily collaborate on a document with the new Start Meeting conferencing button. Additionally, Reader 8 features a simpler, streamlined interface with customizable toolbars.; In addition to these features, authors creating PDF files using Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional or Adobe LiveCycle® software can activate special features in Adobe Reader 8 that enable you to review, mark up, and add comments to PDF files. Read more about the new features in Adobe Reader 8.

Q. Is Adobe Reader 8 free?: A. Yes, Adobe Reader 8 is free software available on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html or wherever you see the Get Adobe Reader icon.

Q. How do I download Adobe Reader?: A. 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, the Adobe Reader software downloads and installs automatically on your system.

Q. How do I use Adobe Reader to conduct online meetings or web conferences?: A. You can simply select the Start Meeting button in Adobe Reader to instantly link you to Adobe Acrobat Connect™ software, enabling you to conduct meetings in real time with individuals in a variety of locations. Acrobat Connect is based on proven technology that was previously developed and sold as Macromedia® Breeze®.

Q. Do I need Adobe Acrobat software to use Adobe Reader?: A. 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 Adobe LiveCycle software.

Q. Can I add comments to a PDF file with Adobe Reader?: A. PDF authors can enable this functionality using Acrobat 8 Professional or Adobe LiveCycle 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.

Q. Can I edit a PDF file using Adobe Reader?: A. No. You cannot make permanent changes to PDF files using Adobe Reader. However, you can perform many edit-like functions using Adobe Reader if the author has enabled these functions. For example, you can highlight text and add comments on electronic sticky notes. If you're looking to create and exchange documents, collect and compare comments, and tailor file security to distribute reliable and polished Adobe PDF documents, look into using Adobe Acrobat 8 software.

Q. Can I mark up and review files in Adobe Reader?: A. Yes, if the functionality has been enabled by the PDF author, you can add sticky notes; indicate text edits; and highlight, cross out, or underline text. You can also add premade or dynamic stamps. Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional or Adobe LiveCycle software lets PDF authors turn on special commenting tools in Adobe Reader on a document-by-document basis.

Q. Why can't I make changes to my Adobe PDF file?: A. Adobe Reader is a standalone application that you can use to open, view, search, sign, verify, and print PDF files. If you're looking to create and exchange documents, collect and compare comments, and tailor file security to distribute reliable and polished Adobe PDF documents, consider Adobe Acrobat 8.

Q. If I want someone to review a PDF file, how can I be sure they will know how to do so when they receive the file?: A. When the PDF author has enabled these capabilities in Acrobat 8 Professional or Adobe LiveCycle software, Adobe Reader 8 reviewers will be alerted that the document is enabled for review and markup. A “How To” pane will automatically open with instructions on how to use the commenting and markup tools to add comments to the file. You can always hide the How To pane if you do not need it. You will also notice a commenting toolbar. This toolbar will allow you to mark up and comment on the document as well as return your comments to the sender for efficient consolidation.

Q: Does Adobe Reader support digital signatures and transactions?: A. Yes. You can use Adobe Reader 8 to confidently sign, view, and verify the authenticity of PDF files. Reader 8 can also be enabled by Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional and Adobe LiveCycle users to allow Reader users to complete forms, save data, act on information, and engage in more secure transactions.

Q. Is the PDF file I'm reading secure?: A. Adobe Acrobat 8 supports encryption and password protection for added security. 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.

Q. How can I control access to sensitive documents?: A. Access rights and security settings for a PDF file can be set in Acrobat 8 Professional or Acrobat 8 Standard or in conjunction with Adobe LiveCycle products such as Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server. Using LiveCycle Policy Server, Adobe Reader 8 users can enforce or deny access to sensitive or out-of-date information contained in the file. They can apply digital signatures to PDF files, publish certified documents, and add controls that expressly define who can open, view, print, copy, or modify a document. These capabilities help organizations protect the authenticity of a document, the integrity of its content, and the confidentiality of sensitive information.

Q. Can I save an Adobe PDF form in Adobe Reader after I have filled it out?: A. 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. 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 Adobe Reader.

Q. On what operating systems can I read a PDF file with Reader 8?: A. Reader 8 is supported on Microsoft® Windows® Vista; Windows XP Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition with Service Pack 2; Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4; Windows 2003 Server; Mac OS X 10.4.3 to 10.4.9. Future versions of Reader 8 will also work on Linux, Solaris™ 10, HP-UX and AIX.

Q: Can I read Digital Editions (formerly eBooks) using Adobe Reader 8?: A: No, Adobe Digital Editions, which allows you to read the electronic edition of a favorite book, magazine, journal, newspaper, sheet of music, or newsletter, is now a separate product. Reader 8 features integration with the new Adobe Digital Editions solution. If you select the Digital Editions menu item under the File menu, or attempt to open a PDF digital edition that has been protected with Adobe Content Server, Reader will launch Adobe Digital Editions, if installed; otherwise, Reader opens the installation web page.

Q. How can my organization sign up to redistribute Adobe Reader 8?: A. 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 Adobe Reader software on their internal websites and/or physical media such as CDs. Learn more about redistributing Adobe Reader.

Q. What do I need to deploy Adobe Reader in the enterprise?: A: It is easy to deploy Adobe Reader into your organization. You can control deployments of Reader in the enterprise using a variety of tools including the Adobe Customization Wizard 8, IBM Tivoli, Microsoft System Management Server, Windows Group Policy Objects, or Active Directory. For more information about enterprise deployments, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/deployment.html.

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