Fixing the “Please wait…” PDF Error

Applies to: All CRL staff  |  Category: Applications & Files  |  Est. time: 5 minutes

The problem

You try to open a PDF and see this message instead of the document:

“Please wait… If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document.”

Why it happens

This appears when a PDF — usually a fillable form, including many government forms — is opened in a web browser’s built-in viewer instead of a dedicated PDF reader. These forms need Adobe Acrobat (or Adobe Acrobat Reader) to display correctly.

The fix

1. Right-click the PDF file and choose Open with > Choose another app.
2. Select Adobe Acrobat (or Adobe Acrobat Reader) from the list, then choose Always to make it the default for .pdf files.

Your PDFs will now open in Adobe Acrobat, and this error won’t come back.

Alternative: you can set the default for all PDFs at once in Settings > Apps > Default apps — search .pdf, click the current default, and choose Adobe Acrobat.

Opened from a website? If the form opened inside your browser, you can also download the PDF first (save it to your computer), then open the saved file — it will launch in Adobe Acrobat.

Still having trouble? Contact the CRL IT Team.

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