How to open a PDF without downloading it

When clicking on a PDF or PowerPoint on the web, it generally defaults to downloading it as a file. In order to avoid this, you may follow the instructions below depending on which browser you are using.

Opening a PDF

Google Chrome:

If your PDFs automatically download when clicking on them, you will need to turn off the Chrome PDF viewer. In order to do so, follow these steps:

1. Open up Chrome.
2. In the upper right corner of your browser, click the button indicated by three vertical dots and then click Settings.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of your Settings page and click Advanced.
4. Under the first section 'Privacy and Security', click on Content settings.
5. Scroll down until you find the section PDF documents and then click off the switch next to 'Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome'.

Mozilla Firefox

If you are using Firefox, you will need to disable the built-in PDF viewer. In order to do so, follow these steps:

1. Open up Firefox.
2. Click on the Menu button in the upper right corner of your browser indicated by three horizontal lines and then click Options. If you do not see the menu bar, press the Alt key. Then you may click the Tools button within the Menu bar and click Options. 
3. Locate the Applications section.
4. Under Content type, select the Portable Document Format (PDF). 
5. Click on the drop down arrow for the Action entry directly to the right of the PDF content type you just selected. This drop down should provide you with multiple options for opening up the file, including
   1. Use Adobe Reader: Select this option if you want the PDF to open in Adobe Reader instead of within the Firefox browser you are using.
   2. Use Other: Select this option if you want the PDF to open in a different application (i.e. Adobe Acrobat, Illustrator, etc). When clicking on this option, a separate window should pop up, allowing you to select the application you want it to open in. 
   3. Save File: Use this option if you decide you want to download the PDF file instead of opening them.

Internet Explorer

If you are using Internet Explorer, you will need to change your settings to have PDF files open in Adobe Reader or another PDF reader program. In order to do so, follow these steps:

1. Open up Internet Explorer.
2. Click on the tools button in the upper right corner indicated by the gear icon and select Manage Add-ons.
3. At the bottom of the Add-on Types on the left side, there should be a drop down labeled 'Show:'. Click on the drop down arrow and select All Add-ons.
4. Locate and select the Adobe PDF Reader (or other PDF reader) in the extensions list.
5. In the bottom right corner of the Manage Add-ons screen, click on the Disable button.