Scrambled PDF when viewed

[janeserky]

Hello
I am using an iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB memory. OS X is El Capitan 10.11.14. I usually use Apple's Preview app without a problem but since upgrading to El Capitan something is amiss!
I often receive bills etc as PDFs and download them from the internet to keep a copy. I also use the inbuilt tools to annotate various information eg - date of payment etc. When I open some PDFs now they look like machine language (or empty squares). I have done some testing:
1. download from website and file auto saves as XXXX.pdf
2. double click to open => views OK in Preview.app
3. 'get info' shows file is a PDF document
4. double click filename in Finder to rename
5. double click file to open => views OK in Preview.app (YYYY.pdf)

1. double click XXXX.pdf to open in Preview.app
2. choose file 'save as' and rename file
3. double click to open => scrambled in Preview.app

1. double click YYYY.pdf => views OK in Preview.app
2. edit with tool to add text
3. save and close
4. double click to open => scrambled text in Preview.app

1. open YYYY.pdf in Adode Reader
2. edit with tools to add text
3. save and close
4. double click to open in Adobe Reader or Preview.app => views OK

What is happening? How do I get Preview.app to work correctly?
Thanks

 

[MacInWin]

I am also on 10.11.14, but when I tried your steps they don't match what Preview is showing me. It's Preview 8.1 and there is no "save as" option. To rename a file, there is a "Rename" function under the "File" menu and it worked perfectly. Adding text also worked fine. So what version Preview are you using?

 

[IWT]

Well, it seems both of you are away ahead of the rest of us - running 10.11.14 - I've only got 10.11.4 - just teasing, sorry.:Blushing:

I have only one genuine point to make: In Preview there is a "Save As" function. Click on File and hold down the Option key.

This "trick" of holding down the Opt key works in most of Apple's own apps (Pages, Text Edit and so on).

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

Ian, you aren't in the advanced,advanced, advanced pre-pre-pre-pre beta beta beta team?

 

[janeserky]

Hello
I think that the OS X versions mistake is just showing that I'm at the end of my tether with this upgrade as I've had problems with almost every app! The Preview version is 8.1 - and yes I'm accessing "Save As" by pressing the Option key.
And I think you're right about not being able to replicate the problem - it depends on the file. I tried another PDF I downloaded from the Internet and could not replicate the problem either.
How do I upload an example?

 

[janeserky]

Am wondering if anyone has had any more thoughts regarding this as it's still a problem! At the moment I am managing by remembering which downloaded 'pdf' files I can use with Preview.app and which one I have to use with Adobe.

Hoping there is an easy solution for this. Thanks!

 

[chscag]

I don't know if this will help you resolve the PDF viewing problem or not but what I've found about PDFs is: PDF files that are downloaded from some sites such as government sites are usually created with Adobe Acrobat Pro and don't always display properly with Preview. I've run into this several times which is why I also keep a copy of the latest Adobe Reader along with Preview. Not much you can do about it but keep both viewers handy.

 

[janeserky]

Thanks for the feedback. This is exactly the problem I am having - and it's a real pain in the butt as it means that my workflow is really inefficient.

I edit/annotate PDFs to keep a record of relevant information eg - when a bill has been paid. Unfortunately, the PDFs all view OK in either app (with the annotation and after saving) - the problem only manifests itself after re-opening the pdf. This means I have to guess which app to use, make my changes, save it and then re-open the file. If it has become scrambled, I have to redo these actions.

Not very user friendly!

 

[janeserky]

I don't know as I can't remember when I installed Adobe Reader. I didn't even know this problem existed until I needed to refer to a historical file. You can image my surprise to see that it was goobledegook!

I guess it's possible though - it is worth uninstalling Adobe Reader and re-retesting the PDFs?

 

[janeserky]

Hello everyone
response #9 doesn't make sense as someone kindly replied after response #8 but there was a problem with the database so the information I was lost. I have pasted their response here:

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
Did this happen before Adobe Reader was installed?
***************