Arcobat Reader will not read

Using AR v5.1 with W98. I receive these two pop-ups should I want to read a pdf file while using IE v6.0:
'Acrobat plug-in
An internal error has occurred.
Could not find Acrobat external window handler.'

While using AR v4.0 I never had this problem, AR automatically launched and displayed the document on the screen.
What am I missing out or should I just rather use Foxit?

 

Hi Grandad,

I don't know anything about the error you're receiving, but I do know about Foxit.
I installed it on my PC and tried it out. What a change in opening PDF's.
Since that time Adobe Reader is no longer installed on my system and I think it will stay this way.

I hope this helps.

 

Hi Eldar,

I've just followed you and Acrobat Reader now past tense.

Salutjes

 

Please let us know how you like it after a fair trial. This is the first I had heard of it. I ran a search and found nothing in the last 6 months.
Jerry

 

Hi Jerry

Have a look at Foxit, it's completely free.

 

Thanks, the price is sure right. I have always HATED Acrobat. It is so cumbersome and slow.
I realize that there are reasons for it, but would like to find a way to read PDF in a little faster and less cumbersome way.
Maybe Foxit is the way.

Jerry

 

It sure is Ron.

 

I have Acrobat 7.0. Do I disable it so that it will not open instead of Foxit? How do I disable Acrobat?

Jerry

 

You'll have to open your Explorer, go to Extra -> Folder Options -> File Types.

Go down the list and find PDF and change the option to open it with Foxit, instead of Acrobat Reader.

 

Eldar,
Many thanks for the help. Have you found any disadvantages to not using Adobe?

Jerry

 

Hi Jerry,

My pleasure.
So far I haven't found any disadvantages compared to Adobe.
PDF's open really fast and it offers about the same functionality as Adobe.
Look at the size of that program, it's not that big.
For me, same as Grandad, Adobe is history.

 

Hi JerryM,

I revisited the site where I had the original problem with AR and Foxit opened the same pdf in seconds.
If you need a “pdf reader” you’re home and dry with Foxit, nothing less and nothing more. Their wording “small, fast & clean” is no marketing ploy, it is true. The only small diff I picked up is that you cannot select & copy a graphic from within a pdf file, text no problem. But with so many other progs that can achieve this simple task I’m very happy to just be able to open pdf files faaaast without going into a frenzy because AR is hanging my system again. Obviously I can take the “troubleshooting steps” route, start in Safe Mode, identifying incompatible Start-up items, change win.ini file, etc, etc. Only then to find that now something else no longer running.
Keeping it simple must be the better route.