"Can't open this file. There's a problem with the file format" when trying to print preview in TaxCalc using Windows 8/8.1

You might get the following error message instead of a pdf preview window when printing from TaxCalc using Windows 8 or 8.1: Can't Open this file. There's a problem with the file format

Can't Open this file There's a problem with the file format.

This could be caused by one of two issues:

If you don't have Adobe Reader installed, follow these steps to install it:

  1. Go to the Adobe website to get the correct version for Windows 8.
  2. Untick the optional offer – which is normally McAfee or Chrome.
  3. Click on Install now.

If you do have Adobe Reader installed, you may need to uninstall it and reinstall the latest version. This is because the installation doesn't always work correctly – especially if older versions of Adobe Reader are installed.

If you're still having problems, switch to the TaxCalc Viewer and read the Knowledge Base article How to enable the TaxCalc Internal PDF viewer.

NOTE: If you go to Options > PDF Viewing > Save First before printing the return, you'll be able to open the file in Windows 8 preview. The error message will still appear (if Abobe Reader isn't installed) so you'll need to fix this for future use.



Article ID: 2080
Last updated: 28 Oct, 2015
Revision: 16
Technical -> "Can't open this file. There's a problem with the file format" when trying to print preview in TaxCalc using Windows 8/8.1
https://kb.taxcalc.com/index.php?View=entry&EntryID=2080