ATF Online - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

Problems with Viewing PDF Forms/Publications?

NOTE: You must use either Netscape or Internet Explorer browsers to access PDF files on our site. PDF files are not compatible with the AOL browser.

Uninstall all previous versions of Acrobat Reader, then reinstall the latest version of Acrobat Reader by doing the following: run from current location until the last option, then download to your desktop.

Click here to download the latest version: Get Acrobat Reader


If you are having problems viewing or accessing ATF forms or publications in PDF format on the ATF Online Internet Site, using Internet Explorer (versions 5.0 and greater) and Acrobat Reader (versions 4.0 and greater), here are some hints that will help you to be able to view/access these forms or publications:

Option 1

  1. Go to the links for the files that you are interested in, and RIGHT-click on the link for that file.

  2. Highlight the SAVE TARGET AS (in IE 5.0 and up) option and save the PDF file to your hard drive, and

  3. Open Acrobat Reader independently of your browser, locate and open the file you just downloaded.

Option 2

Start up your Acrobat Reader independently of your browser, then -

  1. Click on the File dropdown menu and highlight the Preferences then General options.

  2. Once there, remove the check from the WEB BROWSER INTEGRATION box (located in the bottom section of the General Options box), then click OK. (This should cause a window for a particular PDF file to pop up with the PDF file you want to view displayed - for IE5.0 and up).

Option 3

Use an earlier version of Adobe Acrobat Reader

Option 4

Use an earlier version of Internet Explorer

Option 5

Use the Netscape Navigator browser

Option 6

Convert the PDF file to text using ATF's PDF Conversion Engine.


If you are still having problems or none of the options indicated above work for you, contact the ATF Webmaster: webmaster@atf.gov.