Download and Installation Instructions

The following directions will help you download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Web site. (You only need to do it once, then it will reside on your computer just like any other program and open whenever you click on a PDF document.)  We recommend you print these directions before beginning the download process.

Downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader  

1. Click on Adobe Acrobat Reader or the yellow "Get Acrobat Reader" icon above. This will take you to the Adobe website.
2. Read the information, fill in the "Language" and "Platform" then scroll down and click on the [download] button.
3. A "Save As…" box will pop up. Select the "Save this program to disk" selection. It will ask you where you want to save the installation file and folders. Either accept the default or save it to another location on your computer. Make sure you note where it will be. You will need this information later.
4. NOTE:  The Reader program is fairly large. If you have a slower modem connection, this download could take half an hour or more. (Faster modems and office connections usually take under a minute).

Installing Acrobat Reader

1. Disconnect from the Internet by closing your Web browser.
2. Find the downloaded file in the drive and directory where you saved it (last step, above). Double click on the file, click "yes" to the install prompt, and Acrobat Reader will automatically install itself on your computer.
3. Once the program is installed you will be able to read and/or print and PDF formatted documents on the masscfids.org Web site. Acrobat will automatically be pulled up whenever it is needed to read the files you access.

Warning:  Depending on the speed of your modem and the bandwidth of your Internet connection, a larger PDF document can take anything from a few seconds to half an hour to download. During that time it may appear that nothing is happening, or your browser may "time-out" (shut down) during the process. In some cases, you can just go back to the link, click to download it again, and it will finish the process. 

Depending on your computer's configuration, a PDF document may either open up "inside" your browser window, or it may open up as an external document, much like a downloaded word processing document.  If you're having difficulty opening up a PDF document, or if you want to save it to your computer, you can "right click" on the link to the document itself (or if you have a Mac, hover your mouse over the link and hold the button down to get the "save as" menu), then save it to your computer, and open it up in Acrobat Reader outside of the browser environment. 

Finally, unless you have the relatively rare complete Adobe Acrobat program (not just Acrobat Reader) on your computer, you will not be able to modify a downloaded PDF document on your computer.  If you are viewing PDF documents inside your browser, please use Acrobat's own "Print" icon, directly above the document, rather than the browser's print button.

NOTE:  Acrobat Reader does not allow you to edit or manipulate information in the document. If you want to edit or otherwise manipulate PDF files, you will need to purchase the complete Adobe Acrobat program. Ordering information is available from Adobe at www.adobe.com.