logo
Computer PDF Blank When Opened

PDF Blank When Opened? Here are Easy Fixes

By Achilles Hill | Last Updated

“My filled PDF opens blank. Where does my research data and result go? Is there any way to fix blank pages PDF issues?”

After double-clicking the PDF, you only see the blank white screen. What to do? Whether you're using Adobe Acrobat, a web browser, or another PDF reader, a blank PDF file is a frustrating problem. This guide will walk you through why PDFs open blank and how to quickly fix the issue, no matter what device or software you're using.

fixed-PDF blank when opened

Why Is My PDF Opening as a Blank Page?

There are several possible causes:

  • The PDF file is corrupted or incomplete
  • You’re using an outdated or incompatible PDF reader
  • Browser-based readers fail to render certain elements
  • PDF content is hidden or improperly encoded
  • The file was scanned or saved incorrectly

Fix 1. Repair Blank PDF with Professional File Repair Tool

When the PDF file is damaged or corrupted, you would see a blank page after opening it. In such situation, you can easily get it fixed with the file repair software, such as iSunshare XRepair Genius. This reliable file repair tool can repair the corrupted PDF without changing its content and structure. You can also take advantage of it to repair Word, PowerPoint and Excel files.

XRepair Genius boxshot

iSunshare Reliable Video Repair Software

  • Repair PDF cannot open or shows up blank issue.
  • Batch repair several PDFs at once.
  • Works with various file types, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Step 1: After installing the software on your computer, double-click to run it and select File Repair.

Step 2: Click the Add File button to add the blank PDF files.

hit Add File button

Step 3: Hit the Repair button and the software will scan and fix the corrupted PDF automatically.

hit Repair button

Step 4: Soon, the process ends. And you can see the repair result and click Save to export the repaired content.

save the repaired PDF files

Fix 2. Update Your PDF Reader

Using an outdated reader may prevent proper rendering. Outdated software often causes display issues, including blank pages. You can go to click Menu> Help> Check for Updates in Adobe Acrobat Reader or other PDF reader. Or directly download the newest version from its official website.

click Check for update

Fix 3. Repair or Reinstall Adobe Acrobat

If Adobe is glitching, open Adobe Acrobat, go to Help > Repair Installation, then follow the prompts to repair the installation. Or you can directly uninstall and reinstall the software.

click Repair installation

Fix 4: Disable the Fast Web View

When the blank page issue happens in viewing the large PDF document, you can try to disable the Allow Fast Web view option to fix the error.

Step 1: In Adobe Acrobat, click Menu and choose Preference from the drop-down menu.

Step 2:Find and click Internet on the sidebar.

Step 3: Uncheck Allow fast web view and Allow speculative downloading in the background two options. After that, click the OK button to apply the changes.

uncheck Allow fast web view option

Fix 5: Disable Protected Mode in Adobe Acrobat

Sometimes, security settings block PDF content from loading so that you can only see the blank pages. Thus, you can disable Protected Mode for trusted files.

Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat and then click Menu.

Step 2: Choose Preference from the context menu.

Step 3: Hit Security (Enhanced) from the left categories. After that, uncheck Enabled Protected Mode at startup option.

Step 4: In the pop-out box, click the Yes button to continue.

uncheck Enable protected mode at startup

Step 5: Hit the OK button and restart the app to check whether the PDF can view normally or not.

click OK

Fix 6. Set Always Use Overprint Preview

The incorrect overprint preview settings can lead to the PDFs displaying the blank pages. Therefore, you can set the Overprint preview to be always to fix the issue.

Step 1: Launch Adobe Acrobat and click Menu. Then select Preference from the drop-down list.

Step 2: Go to the sidebar of Preferences window, hit Page Display to continue.

Step 3: On the right pane, go to Page Content and Information section. Then set Always to use Overprint Preview. After that, hit the OK button and reopen the document to check whether it works normally or not.

set Always use Overprint preview

Fix 7. Open the PDF on Another Device

Still not working? Try accessing the file on a different computer, a mobile PDF viewer app (Adobe, WPS Office, etc.), or Google Drive or Dropbox PDF preview. This can help determine if the issue is with the file or your device.

Conclusion

A PDF opening as a blank page can be the result of anything from a minor glitch to file corruption. Thankfully, most issues can be fixed by updating your PDF reader, changing the viewing settings, or using a repair tool.

Related Articles: