# Pdf viewer activeX not showing file **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282 "2012-10-16T20:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/1 "2012-10-16T20:01:30Z")
Hi, I am facing a problem with pdf viewer. They day I developed a page with pdf viewer activeX control in it. It was working fine. What I had done is taking varbinary data from SQL and linking it with the viewer path. and when I hit run I was able to see pdf file properly. But later night I got pop up to update Adobe pdf , I clicked ok and it updated my Adobe. Next day when I run the same program I see the pdf viewer to be grey , not showing file at all. I thought that would be problelm with update ,so I uninstalled that version and re install old version. But still my pdg viewer is showing only grey. Is there some solution to this.? ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/2 "2012-10-16T22:13:54Z")
Try downgrading Adobe PDF viewer to version 9.5. This should be available from their website. See if that works. ---
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/3 "2012-10-16T22:19:45Z")
I have already downloaded 9.5. It doesn’t work ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/4 "2012-10-16T22:43:36Z")
Ok, is this the PDF viewer that is part of the Reporting Module or the Adobe PDF Viewer that is part of the ActiveX Module? ---
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/5 "2012-10-16T22:53:31Z")
Its Adobe PDF Viewer which is part of the ActiveX Module ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/6 "2012-10-16T23:01:38Z")
And what version and bit are you using of Ignition and Java? Are you able to see the PDF document in the client and not the designer? In most cases the PDF will not show in the designer, unless it is in runtime, but will show in the client. ---
**Author:** ![nathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nathan](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nathan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/7 "2012-10-17T10:12:51Z")
Try [this pdf viewer](http://inductiveautomation.com/forum/download/file.php?id=1745). This is version 1.0.0, so feedback is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/8 "2012-10-17T16:25:36Z")
Thank for your quick response. I am using ignition 7.3.4 Java 6 I am not able to see pdf doc both in client as well as designer. Both shows up blank. I tried to install the given module, It says faulted. Looking forward for reply. ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/9 "2012-10-17T16:31:57Z")
[quote=“jmehta”]Thank for your quick response. I am using ignition 7.3.4 Java 6 I am not able to see pdf doc both in client as well as designer. Both shows up blank. I tried to install the given module, It says faulted. Looking forward for reply.[/quote] That module is only going to work under Ignition 7.5. ---
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/10 "2012-10-17T16:56:02Z")
What can be other possible solution for me. The strange part is , it was working the day I implemented and there after not able to get it work. ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/11 "2012-10-17T18:24:55Z")
I think the update broke something. I spoke with another user who has a very similar situation. The PDF viewer worked fine, he updated Adobe reader, and now it doesn’t work. As stated in the users manual, the ActiveX module is provided as-is, with limited technical support. We are aware of the improvements that are needed. A possible solution is the PDF Viewer in the Reporting Module. The only downside is if you don’t currently have this module on your license. ---
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/12 "2012-10-17T18:34:10Z")
I do have reporting module. And when I try to put varBinary data in filename of PDF Viewer it shows java error. What I basically wanna do is , show the pdf varBindary data from SQL into ignition. ---
**Author:** ![dave.fogle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@dave.fogle](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/dave.fogle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/13 "2012-10-17T22:56:41Z")
I had no idea that the activeX pdf viewer was able to take raw varBinary/blob data and then display the pdf. Everything is usually passed by a file path that the component then loads and displays. If I'm understanding you correctly and you were able to pull blob data from your database and then get the activeX component to display the pdf then that is functionality I didn't know the activeX component had. There are two solutions that I see here. The easiest would be to upgrade and then use the pdf viewer module that was posted by @nathan. Option 2 would be read the blob data from your database, write it to disk as pdf file, and then try and use the Ignition pdf viewer to view the file. ---
**Author:** ![jmehta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@jmehta](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jmehta)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-viewer-activex-not-showing-file/5282/14 "2012-10-18T03:19:33Z")
Thanks, Yes I have implemented 2nd solution. I does not wanted to save file on disk, But then had to implement this to make it work. Yes I was able to pass blob data as string to filepath of adobe adf viewer.