Tutorial - Subject 02

Configuring Adobe Reader


Print out this page. [See Common Notes at end (CN) 1], and use it as a reference to guide you through the steps that you will perform on the screen to accomplish these steps.

Step 1: Go to the ARCOA Website by loading your browser and clicking on http://arcoa.org [CN 6]. Click on the 'Communications Center' tab as outlined here in red. If you are not already logged into the Communications Center, then you will be asked for your username and password. All members as of 7/15/2011 have been pre-registered, but may not yet have gotten a password. Contact admin@arcoa.org to receive your username and/or password. Enter your first and last names. Your username will be assigned and will use a shortened version of these two. You can enter any string of letters and/or numbers for password. It should be at least 8 characters long. Passwords and distinct usernames are the key to keeping your and other members personal information restricted from view to non-members, so design a password that YOU can remember, but that no one else would be able to guess.

<ARCOA Main Page>

Clicking on the 'Communications Center' tab on the main ARCOA website brings up this screen. This screen is what is presented to anyone trying to access the CC. It can be found through internet searches, but only registered ARCOA members with the correct username and password can enter it. [CN 2].

You can login directly from this screen by filling in the blanks below the message area where it says login or you can click on 'login' above this area and to the right.

<image 01>

Step 2: This is the login screen presented by using the second login method shown in the previous Step. Using either of these two options, you can check the 'Log me on automatically each visit' and you will automatically be logged in each time without having to go through the 'username/password' process.

<image 02>

The following screen will appear after a successful login. It will timeout and proceed to the next screen within a few seconds, or you can click on 'Return to the Index page' [CN 3] to proceed.

<image 03>

This is the main Index page for the CC.

You may examine the Tutorial Guide for category one, 'Member Lists&Newsletters' by using the following link. http://arcoa.org/Files/Newsletters.html [CN 4]. Some of the information presented here is duplicated there.

Other guides will be written as soon as possible.

<image 04>



Continue with Configuration

[Note: Although the Adobe Reader instructions are the same, this is a FireFox specific version and browser references steps and screen shots are from FireFox.
There will be one later for Internet Explorer.]

Step 1: Open Adobe Reader. You should see a screen with a top part like the image below. Click on 'Edit' at the top of the page, here circled in Red.

Step 2: A pull-down menu with 'preferences' at the bottom should appear. Click on 'Preferences' and a screen similar to the image below should appear. If it doesn't look exactly like this one, then click on 'Internet', as shown in the image circled in red and the exact screen should appear, as shown here.

Step 3: Make sure all the boxes are checked as shown in the image, and then click on the 'OK' button. There may be more or less boxes than what is shown here depending on what version of Adobe you are using. Check them all.

Step 4: Close Adobe Reader and load your browser. You should see a screen with the top part similar to the image below.

If you don't see the tabs, 'File', 'Edit', 'History', 'Bookmarks', 'Tools' and 'Help', then you probably see something like the next image. If so, then right-click on the blue area at the top and click on 'Menu Bar' and it should change to what is shown above.

Step 5: Click on 'Tools' and then click on the menu item 'Options'. The screen below will probably be one first shown. If it shows anything other then what is shown in the image after this one, you want to click on the 'Applications' tab to show the proper it.

Step 6: Look in the left-hand panel for 'Adobe Acrobat Document', click on it to highlight it, then if it doesn't say 'Use Adobe Reader' in the corresponding right-hand panel, click on the right-hand panel field and find that phrase. When you see it, click on it and it should then show in the right-hand panel corresponding to 'Adobe Acrobat Document' on the left. Once that is done, click on 'OK'.

Step 7: Use the browser to go to the ARCOA website. Go through all of the steps up to and including where you click on the attachment 'June2011.pdf'. You should then see the following Dialog Box as shown in the next image. If it doesn't say 'June2011.pdf' and the 'Open with' field doesn't show 'Adobe Reader' then something has gone wrong.

If it is correct, then click on OK and you should see the Newsletter.

Step 8: You should see on your screen a full page corresponding to the top part of the Newsletter shown in the image below.

Congratulations! You have made it.


Common Notes

  1. If you are printing in black and white, underline or otherwise mark on the printout all of the referenced links mentioned in the notes below which are not themselves shown on the screen so that you can tell what you need to copy to access those links or email addresses. Other than the 'TABS' to switch from one tutorial guide to another, none of the links shown in this documentation are 'live'. In other words, clicking on them here has no effect. Only the ones you see on your screen are 'live'.

  2. If you are not an ARCOA member, but wish to join, use this link http://arcoa.org/membership.html and your request will be forwarded to the membership committee. To obtain your username or password, Use this link http://arcoa.org/contact_email.html.

  3. All screens with the title 'Communications Center Index' below the logo are known by the term 'Index'. This term indicates 'a selection of reference links to other sections'. Technically, the login screen is also an 'Index' even though there is only the single 'reference'. Here the term refers to the first member-available Index, not the login screen.
    Links to various 'Index' screens are often sent to people to for various purposes. Each of these will present the login screen if the person receiving it is not registered and logged in.

  4. The phrase 'Members Lists' is used throughout the Communications Center as a synonym for Member Directory. It emphasizes that there are two different lists, one sorted by last name and one by first. Other informational lists may also be added at a later date

  5. The word 'Post' refers to any Message posted in the CC by members or Administrators. Posts and reply to posts are what make the CC able to provide information and instruction as well as to carry on conversations in the 'Discussion Topics' Forum.

  6. All links to webpages external to the tutorial guide system are shown in blue Email addresses are shown in red and may be used to send messages.

  7. If at any point in the sequence, you do not see what is expected, then copy the program below to your computer, save it on your desktop or your 'My Downloads'. Execute it and it will show a hand in the box list at the bottom right. With the incorrect result showing on your screen, click on the 'Prnt Scrn' (Print Screen) key on your keyboard. on 'File-->Save the picture' and save it. Send an email to admin@arcoa.org and attach the saved picture. This program is located at http://arcoa.org/Files/Printkey.exe

  8. 'Back-Arrow' refers to the left-pointing arrow at the top left of the screen.