Best PDF Reader for Windows

Terry98

I have used Adobe and then Foxit.

Foxit seems a bit bloated now and it appears I have now got to get an additional plugin for PDF's to display in Opera although Chrome displays PDF's without adding a plugin.

Are there any free lightweight readers that just work?

somersethillbilly

Take a look at Sumatra.

RumRat

I use PDF X-change viewer.... http://www.techradar.com/downloads/pdf-xchange-viewer
No problems with it thus far.

spud17

RumRat wrote: »

I use PDF X-change viewer.... http://www.techradar.com/downloads/pdf-xchange-viewer
No problems with it thus far.

I've used PDF XChange for ages after Foxit started bundling Open Candy, with no opt out.
One day discovered that it would not display a Dell service manual correctly, text was fine, but had no text for numbered items in pictures.

I believe Open Candy is no longer bundled in with Foxit, so might try it again.

Big_Graeme

Terry98 wrote: »

I have used Adobe and then Foxit.

Foxit seems a bit bloated now and it appears I have now got to get an additional plugin for PDF's to display in Opera although Chrome displays PDF's without adding a plugin.

Are there any free lightweight readers that just work?

You want lightweight yet want it to open PDF's in a browser?
FoxIT is fine when you just let it open PDF's all by itself.

RumRat

spud17 wrote: »

I've used PDF XChange for ages after Foxit started bundling Open Candy, with no opt out.
One day discovered that it would not display a Dell service manual correctly, text was fine, but had no text for numbered items in pictures.

I believe Open Candy is no longer bundled in with Foxit, so might try it again.

Strange......Opens all my manuals perfectly....Just shows you can never have 100% in the world of tech....;)

Quiet_Spark

Terry98 wrote: »

Are there any free lightweight readers that just work?

Nitro PDF Free works for me.
It integrates in to MS Office as well as IE and FF, and installs a virtual PDF printer if you want to save stuff.

Terry98

Big_Graeme wrote: »

You want lightweight yet want it to open PDF's in a browser?

A lot more links these days are PDF files which, I assume, can only be opened in a browser. I would only open a PDF link if I was directed to it from a trusted source. Perhaps I am wrong but I always thought PDF's were more liable to malware and virus threats than just an ordinary link.

A couple of times in the last two weeks I have had to open them in Chrome because Opera, my preferred browser, will not open the PDF's. I have tried to find out why Opera will not open them and it now appears you need a plugin which I am sure wasn't needed before the latest update.

spenderdave

Opening pdf files in the browser (via a plugin) is the way people get infected. You should always select to download the file to your computer hard disk (right click option or in the case of Opera an option on the popup that should come up) then open it directly in your pdf reader. And yes, pdfxchange is excellent.

Terry98

spenderdave wrote: »

Opening pdf files in the browser (via a plugin) is the way people get infected. You should always select to download the file to your computer hard disk (right click option or in the case of Opera an option on the popup that should come up) then open it directly in your pdf reader. And yes, pdfxchange is excellent.

It's not always evident that the links are PDF files.

Here are a couple of examples:

http://www.bathpanelstore.co.uk/fitting-instructions-4-w.asp

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/6783.htm

Wouldn't I have still got infected even if I had saved them to my hard drive? I suppose you are saying I could then scan them before opening.

spud17

RumRat wrote: »

Strange......Opens all my manuals perfectly....Just shows you can never have 100% in the world of tech....;)

Manual opened fine, all readable.
Missing the the text part of key to diagrams for front panel etc,strangely, would show number.
e.g If On/Off switch was item 1, it would just show as
1.
Instead of
1. On/off switch