Solution for only first page of PDF loading in Chrome

Solution for only first page of PDF loading in Chrome

Source of the issue

If a student or an instructor notices that when using Chrome attempting to open a PDF from Blackboard that only the first page of a PDF loads, this is most likely a setting associated with the PDF itself. The setting, called "Optimize for Fast Web View," results in only the first page of a PDF loading, as Chrome displays PDFs with this setting unusually. To confirm that this is the issue at hand, try logging into Blackboard and opening the same document with Firefox.

Please note that this is not a Blackboard-specific issue. This display problem relates to an interaction between document settings and the web browser being used.

Below are recommendations for workarounds and a solution by editing the PDF itself.

Option 1: Switch to Firefox as a workaround

All pages of the PDF should be visible in the browser while using Firefox.

Option 2: Modify Chrome settings as a workaround

Modify Chrome settings to download the file instead of viewing it in your browser:

1. Click three vertical dots in upper right corner of Chrome and select "Settings."
2. Use search bar and type in "PDF."
3. From search results, select "Site Settings." Then, scroll down to bottom of the list and click "Additional Content Settings." It will expand
4. and then click on "PDF Documents."
5. The option on the page will read "Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome" with a toggle switch on the right side of the page. Click on this toggle switch.
6. Return to Blackboard, refresh your page, then click on the PDF. The PDF will download instead of being displayed through the browser.

Option 3: Instructor edits the PDF using Adobe Acrobat

If you are the instructor in the course, you can edit the PDF to remove the "Optimize for Fast Web View" setting and replace the PDF to resolve the issue.

1. Open PDF document in Adobe Acrobat
2. Go up to File > Print
3. Where you see 'Printer' section, select 'Adobe PDF' from the drop down menu
4. Click 'Properties' to the right of the drop down menu
5. Next to 'Default Settings' click 'Edit'
6. For 'Auto-Rotate Pages,' select 'Off.'
7. Uncheck 'Optimize for fast web view'
8. Click 'Save As.' This will take you to a page that has a line that says 'Adobe PDF Settings Files (*.joboptions).' Right above that, for File Name, you can type OptimizeWebViewOff. Then press 'Save.'
9. Now click 'OK.' Back in the Adobe PDF Document Properties, please confirm that the 'Default Settings' drop-down menu now reads 'OptimizeWebViewOff.' Now click 'OK.'
10. On the right side of the box, please make sure that your PDF is not cut off at all; if it is, you may want to select 'Shrink oversized pages.'
11. After confirming that your dimensions are correct, press 'Print.'
12. Rename your file (so that you can distinguish this from any others by similar names) and choose your preferred location to save on your computer. Then press 'Save.'

This will correct the issue for this PDF and when you replace it in Blackboard, you should be able to see all of the pages of the PDF without issue. For any of the other PDFs that you need to edit, the steps will be a little bit faster.

1. Open PDF document in Adobe Acrobat
2. Go up to File > Print
3. Where you see 'Printer' section, select 'Adobe PDF' from the drop down menu
4. Click 'Properties' to the right of the drop down menu
5. In the drop-down menu next to 'Default Settings,' select 'OptimizeWebViewOff.' After confirming that the 'Default Settings' drop-down menu now reads 'OptimizeWebViewOff.' Now click 'OK.'
6. On the right side of the box, please make sure that your PDF is not cut off at all; if it is, you may want to select 'Shrink oversized pages.'
7. After confirming that your dimensions are correct, press 'Print.'
8. Rename your file (so that you can distinguish this from any others by similar names) and choose your preferred location to save on your computer. Then press Save.

Please note that SUNY Online Support Services is unable to provide further support for programs outside of Blackboard. If you are unable to edit the PDF using these directions, or if you do not have access to Adobe Acrobat, please contact your campus administrators or campus Help Desk for additional information and resources.

If you need further assistance or have additional questions please contact:
SUNY Online Support Services Help Desk
1-844-673-6786 or 518-320-1300 | sunyonlinehelp@suny.edu