Reports, Payroll reports, and linking to the wrong version of Adobe Acrobat

Let's set the new PDF reader as the default program, wmldwilly.

This way, all your reports and paychecks will use the new Acrobat reader. I'll show you how:

1. On your keyboard, click on the Start menu and select Settings.
2. Choose Apps, then select Default apps.
3. Next, choose which default you want to set and select Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
4. To select a default app by file type, scroll down, and select Choose default apps by file type.

For visual reference, check out this article: Change default programs in Windows 10.

In case you want to use the 

To reset the Display PDF In Browser preference, follow these steps:

1. In Reader or Acrobat, right-click the document window, and choose Page Display Preferences.
2. From the list at left, select Internet.
3. Deselect Display PDF in browser, and then click OK.
4. Try to open the PDF again from the website.
5. Re-enable Display PDF in browser to reset functionality, and then click OK.

The resolution should help to get you the PDF viewer to work.

Let me know how these troubleshooting steps work for you. I’m here to make sure this issue is taken care of. Have a good one!

Thanks for that...but I'm using the Mac OS version of Quickbooks Desktop...

Thanks for getting back to us, wmldwilly.

To set Adobe as your default PDF reader on Mac, you can follow these steps:

1. Select any PDF file.
2. Control-click top open the menu and select Get Info.
3. From the Open with: section, select Adobe Reader.
4. Click Change All and select Continue.

If the same thing happens, we can update the release and do the Verify and Rebuild process. This will fix any data issue and ensure that QuickBooks works with other programs.

Here's also an additional link that might work for you: Fix common problems and errors with the QuickBooks Desktop Tool Hub.

Let us know how this goes so we can further assist you.

I understand the process of telling MacOS and the Finder what application should handle what file type, but that didn't change my issue.  Let me give the step by step;

in QuickBooks for Mac desktop edition:

1) open the payroll module, in my case with the "add payroll" button in the main tool bar, and log in.

2) click the "Payday" tab.

3) look to the right of the navigation bar under the tabs and click "Paycheck List".

4) check the box next to any one or multiple paychecks.

5) click the "View & Print" button.

it's at this point that the payroll module throws the generated PDF file specifically to Adobe Reader 9

no matter what the Finder or MacOS in general has been told to use to handle PDF files.

So here's where I'm going to escalate this to a bug and say Quickbooks Mac desktop version is HARD LINKED to Adobe Reader, and there's little guarantee that Adobe Reader 9 will continue to run on MacOS, and indeed has various problems simply operating under MacOS Mojave (let alone Catalina...is it even 64bit?)

I archived the earlier version of Adobe Reader (and any other earlier version I had) and have only the current Acrobat product installed to handle PDF files.  In any other instance, mac applications all happily hand off any generated PDF files to my one and only PDF handling product, the current release of Acrobat in the Adobe Creative Suite.

So now in following the step-by-step above, when one clicks "View & Print" in step 5, Quickbooks (again - I'm doing this in the PAYROLL module, in case THAT is where in the code this hard-link has been written in...), one is presented with the error modal dialog I've attached in an image.  Any subsequent attempts to view and print after that first error present a second error dialog box indicating "there is still a file being generated...wait for that file to complete or close and refresh the module".

So there you have it.  TL:dr - the payroll module in QuickBooks for Mac desktop edition is unable to generate various reports or paystubs without passing thru an old version of Adobe Reader, and appears to be hard-linked to a specific "Adobe Reader" application title rather than respecting the Finder's or the operating system's tagged application for handling PDF files.  This needs to be corrected.

Happy bug fixing!

PS - I may be wrong, but I believe the version of Acrobat Reader (version 9.x) that's hard linked is 32bit application code and will not run at all if one updates to Catalina.  Another reason to UNlink this hard link and figure out how to make the payroll module respect the OS's tagged handler for PDF files.

Hello there, @wmldwilly.

Let me share some information about Adobe Reader Acrobat in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

First off, operating system or Adobe reader updates can affect on how QuickBooks generate your PDF file. To help fix this, we can update your Adobe reader. 

Here's how:

1. Open Adobe Reader. 
2. Click the Help drop-down menu and then select Check for Updates.
3. Choose Yes and if you've set a security preferences on your computer, enter your Username and Password.
4. Enter your information and click Install Helper.
5. Select Ok once done.

Then, restart your computer to apply all the specific updates.

Also, you can check out page 229 of this user guide for more info about printing forms in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac: User Guide for QuickBooks for Mac.

Fill me in if you have other queries. I'm here to help as soon as I can. Keep safe and healthy.

I have this same problem using Quickbooks 2019 Desktop for Mac.  I haven’t been able to resolve the issue. I cant view, print or file any tax forms or paychecks. Help!

My 2019 Desktop Quickbooks for Mac will not let me view and print paychecks or tax forms.  I just get a message that reads: Unable to find Acrobat reader; you should obtain this for best results in opening PDF files.  

I have already bought and updated the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.  I have cleared my history from Safari and selected Adobe as my default browser by control clicking a PDF file, all to no avail.  Now what?

Let's do the troubleshooting below, chrystij.

Here’s how:

1. On your keyboard, click on the Start menu and select Settings.
2. Choose Apps, then select Default apps.
3. Next, choose which default you want to set and select Adobe Acrobat Reader.
4. To select a default app by file type, scroll down and select Choose default apps by file type.

To reset the Display PDF In Browser preference, follow these steps:

1. In Reader or Acrobat, right-click the document window, and choose Page Display Preferences.
2. From the list at left, select Internet.
3. Deselect Display PDF in browser, and then click OK.
4. Try to open the PDF again from the website.
5. Re-enable Display PDF in browser to reset functionality, and then click OK.

Let me know if this works for you. You can always leave a reply if you need further assistance.

Hi,

Are these instructions for Mac and Safari?  I'm not understanding your directions.  I have an icon on the bottom of my screen to get into apps.  Then what....

Hi!  Thank you for your clear and thorough post.  After following all the recommended actions in this thread with hopes that it would work for me where it did not for you, I still have the same problem. I am convinced you are right.  I just updated to the latest version of Catalina and now I can't view or print any pdf files in payroll.  I am not very computer savvy and am crying at my desk.  Luckily I work from home.  Quickbooks keeps giving me instructions for Windows. Ugh!

I know this isn't an easy process for you, chrystij.

I appreciate you for performing some troubleshooting steps to fix the issue of being unable to view and print paychecks or tax forms in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac. The error that you've encountered means that you'll need an  Acrobat reader installed on your Mac computer. Thus, I recommend contacting Apple support to be guided with the process.

As for the steps shared by my colleagues, thank you for letting us know that those are for Windows. I'll have them check their answers.

For more information about printing forms in QuickBooks, I encourage you to check out page 229 of this guide: User Guide for QuickBooks for Mac.

Additionally, I've included an article that'll help you make sure your W-2  form aligns correctly with the boxes on a preprinted form. This is to ensure that all the details are in place while printing the form: W-2 Print Test.

Please let us in the comment section below if you have other printing concerns in QuickBooks. This way, we'll be able to assist you.

Hi,

You may have noticed that I have already stated that I purchased and downloaded Adobe Acrobat and it works with all other programs on my computer except Quickbooks payroll.  Page 29 of the manual was no help, and shift clicking the paycheck just brings me to the same message that it cannot find Adobe.  Could you please have somebody fix this bug or provide me with a contact number to speak with a live agent?  

Thanks for keeping us updated, chrystij.

I also appreciate all the troubleshooting processes that you've done just to get this issue rectified. 

At this point, I'd recommend getting in touch with our technical supports so we can look into your account in a secure session and investigate this unexpected behavior. You can go to this link to connect with us: Contact QuickBooks Desktop support.

Once you're in, please scroll down to the bottom part of the page. Then, select Start a QuickBooks Desktop for Mac chat from the How to message us outside of the product section.

If you ever wondered if you could print checks or other forms all together in a batch, you can read this article to be guided in doing it.

I also recommend FAQ page to know more about the tips and tricks in printing checks with QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

Feel welcomed to reach out to me again with any QuickBooks-related concerns or questions you may have. I'll always have your back.

Did this ever get resolved?  I am having the same problem.  Quickbooks keeps stating that I do not have acrobat but I do. Acrobat is also set as the default, and quickbooks still isn't recognizing it. I can print regular checks but not payroll checks form intuit payroll. Only the payroll portion is giving me issues.

Hi there, @Cquinn.

I want to make sure this is taken care of, and I'd like to redirect you to the best support group available to get this addressed right away.

I can see that you've already performed some troubleshooting steps, like setting up the Acrobat Reader as the default, to fix the issue. Since you won't still be able to print payroll checks in your QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, I highly recommend contacting our support team. This way, they can further investigate this matter further and provide other troubleshooting steps to get this resolved. They can also create an investigation ticket if other users are experiencing the same.

To reach them, you can follow the detailed steps shared by my peer KlentB above. 

You might want to read this user guide to learn how to handle transactions in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac: User Guide for QuickBooks for Mac.

Please know you can continue to reach me here with any additional questions. I'll be around to provide further assistance. 

A possible temporary work-around for you Mac / Intuit Payroll users: instead of "launching" Payroll from within the QB-for-Mac application, go directly to your browser (Safari/Firefox/etc) and log in to Payroll there (at iop.intuit.com).  You should now find that your browser launches whichever PDF viewing app you use, per its normal behavior.  Thus the problem does seem to be with Quickbooks' implementation of Safari-within-the-app.  Wouldn't it be nice if they'd give us a Preference setting where we could choose our PDF viewer?

You're a freakin Godsend - thank you for this!!! I've already burned through way too much time with this (yet another) kink in QB.  Again - I can't thank you enough for this workaround - genius!

I'm about to try the payroll-directly-thru-the-web solution here and hopefully it works...because in the latest and presumably final release of QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2020, the hard-link to some specific version of Acrobat Reader is still there, and I'm ***unable to print my employee's W2s***!!!!!!

I'm going to go as far as to upgrade to 2021 and HOPE the developers that focus on the payroll area and how it hooks "safari as a service" and how it hooks helper apps maybe has been corrected....because now it's getting serious.

Wish me (and the rest of the payroll using customer base) luck!

wmldwilly,

I’m using QB21 for Mac, and this problem is definitely NOT fixed.  So save your $ if that’s your only motivation.

Alright...that worked...thank heavens!

The payroll module when used via the browser itself doesn't hand the PDF files off to your local copy of Acrobat, but it does happily pull them up in Safari's own PDF viewer just fine.  Whew!

Hopefully if that's the way we're going to have to use the payroll module from now on until the Acrobat thing or whatever gets fixed, I hope there isn't some kind of live exchange issue between quickbooks and the payroll module when it's *not* being accessed via Safari-as-a-service within the main application.

Let us know if and when the software wizards fix it!

WM

---

@seanpies wrote:

wmldwilly,

 

I’m using QB21 for Mac, and this problem is definitely NOT fixed.  So save your $ if that’s your only motivation.

---

Oi vey.  Thanks for letting me (and everyone) know.

Psst...hey...product manager and software peeps...

...we can't give your our NEXT 400 bucks until you nail this one down, mm'kay? :)

---

@Rubielyn_J wrote:

Hello there, @wmldwilly.

 

Let me share some information about Adobe Reader Acrobat in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.

 

First off, operating system or Adobe reader updates can affect on how QuickBooks generate your PDF file. To help fix this, we can update your Adobe reader. 

 

Here's how:

1. Open Adobe Reader. 
2. Click the Help drop-down menu and then select Check for Updates.
3. Choose Yes and if you've set a security preferences on your computer, enter your Username and Password.
4. Enter your information and click Install Helper.
5. Select Ok once done.

Then, restart your computer to apply all the specific updates.

 

Also, you can check out page 229 of this user guide for more info about printing forms in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac: User Guide for QuickBooks for Mac.

 

Fill me in if you have other queries. I'm here to help as soon as I can. Keep safe and healthy.

---

Hi there.  Thanks for your input.  Let me share some information with YOU about Adobe Reader 9, the version that is hard-link called by the payroll module in quickbooks desktop mac 2020, especially if you've updated to Catalina or further to Big Sur:

It doesn't work. At all. It's a 32-bit application.

So all the explanations in the world aren't going to speed up some software engineer sitting down to UN-hard-call a specific version of a helper application that doesn't run on one's mac anymore, unless of course one has remained two operating systems in the past. :)

Thanks though.  Your explanation was very thorough. :)