Whether you’re experienced with using PDF Viewers in OnBase or not, you’re bound to need to do some troubleshooting here and there.

The video below and this blog will give you 8 tips to try out next time troubleshooting is needed with PDF Viewers.

Troubleshooting Tips for PDF Viewers in OnBase

8 Tips for Troubleshooting PDF Viewers in OnBase

1. Ensure Compatibility

Verify that a compatible third-party PDF viewer is installed on the local workstation. The PDF viewer we’ll be focusing on during this blog is Adobe Acrobat Reader. This installation is crucial for viewing PDF documents within both the OnBase and Unity client interfaces.

2. Update Your Viewer

Keep your PDF viewer application up to date to ensure smooth functionality and compatibility with OnBase. Outdated versions may lead to errors or incompatibility issues.

3. Check Web Browser Render Mode

Starting with OnBase Foundation EP1 through 22 and higher, the Unity Client will use the built-in PDF viewers provided by the default web browser if there’s no other desktop PDF viewer application installed. To get around this and ensure that PDFs render correctly within the Unity Client, set the ‘Web Browser Render Mode’ in the Unity Client Configuration file (obunityexc.config) to Chromium or Edge.

4. Single PDF Application

To avoid conflicts and ensure a consistent experience, it’s recommended to have only one PDF application installed in the operating system. This prevents other applications from taking over as the default PDF handler.

5. Errors Upon Opening a PDF

If you encounter an issue when opening a PDF, first, you will want to check the following:

• Determine whether a desktop application for PDF viewing is installed OR…
• If you’re using the Unity Client, whether the webBrowserRendermode configuration is set to either Chromium or Edge.
• Lastly, ensure that the installed PDF viewer application is up to date.

6. Troubleshoot Adobe Errors

If you encounter errors with Adobe Acrobat Reader, there is a problem with Adobe Acrobat Reader. If it is running, try exiting and trying again. Then, try disabling the protected mode feature and launching the client again. You can find those settings directly within the Adobe product under Edit > Preferences > Security Enhanced > Enable Enhanced Security. You’ll want to uncheck it, say “ok”, and relaunch the Unity Client.

7. Resolve Chrome Compatibility Issues

If you find that PDF documents aren’t opening within the Web Client and you’re using Chrome, this is a known issue within Chrome and Adobe compatibility. It will need to be resolved using browser changes. To fix it, consider using Internet Explorer or adjusting Chrome’s settings by enabling the Download PDF files instead of opening them automatically. This can bypass these compatibility problems.

8. Resolve Issues of PDFs Not Opening in the Web Client

When opening or importing a PDF document, the following message is displayed: “The ‘Hosted HWND must be a child window of the specified parent,” this error can be resolved by adjusting settings in Adobe Reader or the Unity client configuration file, depending on your specific version of OnBase Foundation:

• Foundation EP1 or earlier: Disable protected mode in Adobe Reader
• Foundation EP2-EP5: Set the value of webBrowserRenderMode to chromium in the Unity Client configuration file
• Foundation 22.1 or later: Set the value of webBrowserRenderMode to edge in the Unity Client configuration file

9. Seek Further Assistance

For any troubleshooting issues that go beyond these tips, don’t hesitate to contact your Naviant support team. They’re equipped to handle a wide range of PDF viewer-related problems within OnBase. Check out the 5-minute video below to get information on your options for contacting Naviant customer support.

Contacting Naviant Support

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to PDF Viewers troubleshooting, but hopefully, it’ll give you a helpful head start next time there’s a need for troubleshooting.

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