General FAQ

 

1. What is a PDF transcript delivery?

• PDF Transcript Delivery is an electronically delivered official Indiana University transcript sent over a secure network to the e-mail address of the recipient you designate.

2. Are PDF transcripts official?

• Yes. PDF transcripts issued by Indiana University are considered official documents and are certified by a digital signature and special security characteristics. In addition, each page of the transcript contains the signature of the Registrar and the university seal.

3. How can the recipient tell that a PDF transcript is authentic?

• The recipient will receive instructions on how to authenticate the official PDF transcript. This will include steps the recipient must take to acquire an access code so that the transcript may be viewed.

4. Are all students eligible for PDF transcript delivery?

• Because records prior to 1965 are in a different format, students who attended IU prior to 1965 are not eligible for PDF transcript delivery.

5. Who accepts PDF transcripts?

• PDF transcript delivery is becoming increasingly common. However, before requesting PDF transcript delivery, you should verify that the recipient will accept an electronic transcript. Additionally, it is important that you verify the appropriate e-mail address for transmission of the transcript.

6. Are there any system requirements for downloading a PDF transcript?

• The recipient will need Adobe® Acrobat version 6.0 or greater, or Adobe® Reader version 6.04 or greater. The current version of Adobe® Reader is available free of charge and can be downloaded at http://www.Adobe.com. This information is mentioned in the e-mail notification that is sent to each recipient.

7. Can I forward a PDF transcript to someone else?

• Each transcript issued in PDF format has warnings that the document is intended for the recipient only. In addition, the e-mail notification to the recipient states the same. Indiana University will not certify the authenticity of any PDF transcript that has been replicated or forwarded to any person or organization other than the intended recipient.

8. How do I order a PDF copy of my official transcript?

• When you order your transcript, choose “Electronic PDF via e-mail” when selecting your delivery option. 

9. Will I be notified when my PDF transcript is sent?

• If you are sending the transcript to a third party, a courtesy e-mail notification will be sent to you when the recipient has received their download instructions. Note: If the requestor is a current IU student the courtesy e-mail will be sent to the student’s IU e-mail address.

10. Will I be notified when the recipient has downloaded my PDF transcript?

• If you are sending the transcript to a third party, a courtesy e-mail notification will be sent to you when the recipient has downloaded the PDF. Note: If the requestor is a current IU student the courtesy e-mail will be sent to the student’s IU e-mail address.

11. How long does the recipient have to download my PDF transcript?

• The recipient has 90 days to download your PDF transcript before it expires. Recipients who have not downloaded your PDF transcript receive a reminder e-mail a few days prior to expiration.

12. What if the recipient does not receive the e-mail required to download the PDF transcript?

• Please have the recipient check their junk mail for the e-mail.

Basic Document Download and Opening Questions

 

1. What is a certified PDF?

• A certified PDF is a document that has been digitally signed and therefore contains special characteristics. If this official transcript has been issued by the school and is viewed using Adobe® Acrobat version 6.0 or greater or Adobe® Reader version 6.04 or greater, it will reveal a digital signature that has been applied to the transcript. This digital signature will appear in a pop-up screen or status bar on the document.  It will display a blue ribbon and declare that the document was certified by the school with a valid certificate issued by GeoTrust CA for Adobe®. The document certification can be validated by clicking the Signature Properties button in the blue certification bar of the document. The blue ribbon symbol is your assurance that the digital signature is valid, the document is authentic, and the contents of the transcript have not been altered.

  If the transcript does not display a valid certification and signature message, reject it immediately. An invalid digital signature display means either the digital signature is not authentic or the document has been altered. The digital signature can also be revoked by the transcript office if there is cause, and digital signatures can expire. A document with an invalid digital signature display should be rejected.

2. What do I need to open a certified PDF?

• In order to open a certified PDF, the free Adobe® Reader must be installed. Click here to download the latest version of the free Adobe® Reader.

3. What are the possible restrictions on a certified Adobe® PDF?

• As an authentic PDF, this document has embedded restrictions specified by the creator that may or may not allow for the following:

  • Printing of the document
  • Alteration of content
  • Copying and extracting content
  • Limited viewing privileges

  It is important to note that the use of this document may be monitored and that the rights are subject to revocation.

  To learn more about secure PDFs, please visit www.Adobe.com.

4. Why am I receiving blank e-mails?

• This is caused by the security settings in some mail applications, such as Microsoft Outlook. The e-mail is not actually blank; rather, the mail client is suppressing the image in the e-mail and displaying a large, blank box instead.

  Solution 1:

  Scroll down and the e-mail text will appear.

  Solution 2:

  Right click on the blank image box and select Download Pictures. You can also select Add Sender to the Safe Sender’s List so that future e-mails will appear correctly. The image will appear in normal size and the e-mail text will be visible.

  5. I’m getting the message, "This computer must be connected to the network in order to open this document. Your permission to open this document offline has expired. Make sure this computer is connected to the network and the Adobe® LiveCycle.”

  • You are likely behind a firewall (a device designed to restrict potentially unsafe content from reaching your computer via the internet) that is preventing the PDF from contacting our security servers. One resolution is to try to open it on a separate network, such as a home network.

  6. When I print, the graphics appear as a big black box.

  • Make sure when printing to use the grayscale option rather than black and white by following these steps:

    • Click File and select Print Setup.
    • In the Print Setup dialogue box, select the printer you intend to use from the Name drop-down menu and click Properties.  A second dialogue box will open.
    • Click the Color tab and check the box next to Print in Grayscale.
    • Click OK.  The second dialogue box will close.
    • Click OK in the Print Setup dialogue box.
    • Click File again, and select Print.  Click OK.

   

  7. When I print, the quality of the black and white PDF makes it difficult to read.

  • The PDF transcript is a color document.  It is the same color(s) as the official paper transcript produced by Indiana University.  The PDF transcript is an official document and should not be altered in any way, including the color(s) of the transcript.  For best results, you should print the document to a color printer.

Basic Document Download and Opening: Microsoft Windows

 

1. How do I save a document to my desktop?

• Use the following steps to save the PDF document to your PC:

  1. Follow the instructions contained in the delivery e-mail to access the document on the secure download site.
  2. On the download page, click the Download button.
  3. A pop-up window will open, prompting you for a filename. Save the file to your desktop.
  4. Locate the file on your desktop.  Double-click to open it.

 

2. I upgraded Adobe® Reader and am getting an error when trying to open a PDF.

• You need to restart your computer then try again.

3. What If Adobe® Reader is not installed as the default PDF viewer for my browser?

• You will need to do the following:

  • Right-click the Download button and choose to save the PDF to your hard drive (see FAQ 1 for detailed instructions).
  • Locate the PDF on your hard drive and choose to open it with Adobe® Reader.
  • If Adobe® Reader is not installed, you will need to download and install it.
  • Restarting your computer is usually required for new settings to take effect.

 

4. Every time I try to open the PDF, I get the following error message: "The document cannot be opened because it is protected by a security policy from a server that is on your list of blocked web sites. (Manage site access with the Trust Manager Preferences panel.)”

• Screen shots: Windows

  The PDF transcript is protected by a Rights Management Policy; therefore, Adobe® Reader needs to connect to the Rights Management Server when the document is opened. By default, Adobe® Reader will prompt you to allow access however this setting may have been changed to block access.

  (Note: These steps may vary depending on the Adobe® Reader version.)

  1. Open Adobe® Reader.
  2. Choose Edit, then select Preferences
  3. Select Trust Manager on the left. (Screen shots of the process: Windows)
  4. In the Internet Access from PDF files outside the web browser section, click the Change Settings button.
  5. Select Let me specify a list of allowed and blocked web sites.
  6. Select Always Ask for web sites that are not in the above list.
  7. Hit OK and close the Preferences dialog.
  8. Try opening the transcript.  You should be prompted to allow or block access to the Rights Management Server (aps.avowsystems.com).  Select Allow.  The document should open.
  
  

  Note: Alternatively, in the Preferences dialog box, you can explicitly allow access to the server by adding the "aps.avowsystems.com" web site to your Allow list.

5. When I open a PDF, a security pop-up box appears and prevents me from doing anything.

• In older versions of the Adobe® Reader, a large dialog box containing security information is displayed when opening a certified document. On certain screen resolutions (like 640x480), this may obstruct the rest of the application.

  Press Alt-F4 to close the pop-up dialog box. The user should now be able view the transcript unobstructed.

Basic Document Download and Opening: Mac OS

 

1. When I open the document, one or more of the pages are blank.

• An application called Preview will generally be the default PDF viewer on your Mac. Preview is a great application for viewing PDF files; however, it will not open a certified PDF document. You must use the free Adobe® Reader to open a certified PDF.

2. How do I save a document to my desktop?

• Use the following steps to save the PDF document to your Mac:

  • Follow the instructions contained in the delivery e-mail to access the document on the Secure Download site.
  • On the download page click on the Download button. A pop-up window will appear and show the progress of the download.
  • Once the download is complete, it will now be in your download folder.

Notes on locating your downloaded file:

• One way to locate the folder where your file was downloaded is to open up the preferences panel in Safari:
  • Click Safari in the upper left corner, then click Preferences.
  • A dialogue box will appear. Click the General tab.
  • About halfway down, you will see a setting called Save Downloaded Files To. This location is where your downloaded files will be saved. If you want to change the default folder from Downloads to another folder (e.g., Desktop) then click the drop-down menu and choose a different folder.
    


• If a dialogue box does not pop up when you click Download:
  • Navigate to Safari->Preferences...
  • A dialogue box will appear. Click the General tab.
  • About half way down you will see a setting called: Remove download list item. Click the drop-down and you will see three options (Manually, When Safari Quits, or Upon Successful Download). If the box next to Upon Successful Download is checked, the dialogue box will automatically disappear when you click Download. If you change the setting to Manually or When Safari Quits, the dialogue box will not disappear on its own.
  
  
• Locate the file on your desktop using Finder (the blue smiley face in your dock). By default, Safari puts downloaded files in the Download folder. There will be a shortcut to this file on the left side of your Finder window.
  

3. What If Adobe® Reader is not installed as the default PDF viewer for my browser?

• You will need to do the following:

  • Click the Download button and choose to save the PDF to your hard drive.  (See FAQ 2 above for detailed instructions.)
  • Locate the PDF on your hard drive (use Finder) and open it with Adobe Reader.
  • If Adobe® Reader is not installed, you will need to download and install it.
  • If you chose to make Adobe® Reader the default PDF viewer for Safari, you will need to quit Safari (Apple+Q or click Safari in the upper left corner of the screen and select Quit Safari) and reopen it for the new settings to take effect.

4. I upgraded Adobe Reader and am getting an error when trying to open a PDF.

• You will need to quit the application (Apple+Q or click Adobe Reader in the top menu bar, then click Quit Adobe Reader) and reopen it.

5. Every time I try to open the PDF, I get the following error message: "The document cannot be opened because it is protected by a security policy from a server that is on your list of blocked web sites. (Manage site access with the Trust Manager Preferences panel.)”

• Screen shot
  
  The PDF Transcript is protected by a Rights Management Policy and therefore Adobe Reader needs to connect to the Rights Management Server when the document is opened. By default, Adobe Reader will prompt you to allow access; however, this setting may have been changed to block access.

  (Note: These steps may vary depending on the Adobe Reader version.)

  1. Open Adobe Reader.
  2. Click Acrobat Product, then Preferences (the shortcut is Apple+*).
  3. Select Trust Manager on the left (screen shot of the process).
  4. In the Internet Access from PDF files outside the web browser section, click the Change Settings button.
  5. Select Let me specify a list of allowed and blocked web sites.
  6. Select Always Ask for web sites that are not in the above list.
  7. Hit OK and close the Preferences dialog box.
  8. Try opening the transcript.  You should be prompted to allow or block access to the Rights Management Server (aps.avowsystems.com).  Select Allow.  The document should open.
  
  

  Note: Alternatively, in the Preferences dialog box, you can explicitly allow access to the server by adding the "aps.avowsystems.com" web site to your Allow list

6. How do I set Adobe® Reader as the default PDF viewer for Safari?

• If you are installing Adobe® Reader for the first time:

  1. Download Adobe® Reader.
  2. Follow the installation steps and make sure to choose to set Adobe Reader as your default PDF viewer.
  3. If Safari is open, quit the application (click Safari in the top left corner, then click Quit Safari) and re-launch it.



• If you have Adobe® Reader installed:

  1. Launch Adobe Reader.
  2. Open the Preferences panel by clicking Adobe® Reader, then Preferences or by holding Apple+*.
  3. In the left column, choose Internet.
  4. Make sure the box is checked next to Display PDF in browser using. Also make sure the latest version of Adobe Reader is selected in the drop-down menu. (Screen Shot)
  5. Click OK.
  6. If Safari is open, quit the application (click Safari in the top left corner, then click Quit Safari) and re-launch it.

 

7. How do I install Adobe® Reader on my Mac?

1. Go to Adobe's website to start the download.
2. Choose the type of download you need.
   Note: To see what version of OS X you are running click on the Apple logo in the very top left corner of your computer screen and select About this Mac. A pop-up box will appear telling you what type of computer you have (Intel or PowerPC) and the version of OS X you are running.
3. Click the Continue button, then click the Download button that will appear below.
4. A Safari pop-up window should appear showing you the progress of the download. This may take a while depending on the speed of your internet connection.
5. Locate the downloaded file in your finder named: AdbeRdr.........pkg.zip.
   (Note: See FAQ 2 if you need help locating the file.)
6. Double-click on the file so it unzips. You will now have a file called: AdbeRdr.........pkg.
7. Double-click the .pkg file to start the installation. Proceed with the installation steps.
   Note: You will be prompted for your system password. You will also have to choose an install location. We recommend choosing all default settings, such as hard drive C for the default install location.
8. Once you are finished installing, locate the program on your hard drive. It will be in the Applications folder and called Adobe Reader. Double-click the Adobe Reader.app file to launch it.
9. You will be prompted with several questions, such as, “Do you want Adobe Reader as the default PDF viewer?”  We recommend choosing Yes in response to this question. You will also most likely be prompted to run updates, which we also recommend.
10. Quit and reopen Safari for the default PDF reader changes to take effect.

 

8. When I open the document, one or more of the pages are blank.

This behavior is most likely due to using a non-Adobe PDF viewer. The free Adobe® Reader (or Acrobat) is required to view the secure document. Use the following steps to save the PDF document to your computer and then open it with a supported Adobe Reader. These instructions assume that you have already downloaded and installed Adobe® Reader (or Acrobat) v6.04 or greater.

1. Follow the instructions contained in the delivery e-mail to access the document on the secure download site.
2. On the download page, click the Download button.
3. A pop up window will open, prompting you for a filename. Save the file to your desktop.
4. Locate the file on your desktop.

5. Right-click on the file, choose the Open With option and select the Adobe® Reader (or Acrobat).

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