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Troubleshooting and FAQ
With another PDF extension installed (for example vscode-pdf), VS Code shows "There are multiple default editors available for the resource" the first time you open a PDF. Choose PDF Viewer (from PDF Tools) and confirm it as the default, or add this to your settings:
"workbench.editorAssociations": {
"*.pdf": "pdfTools.editor"
}To open one file with another editor, right-click it and choose Open With….
VS Code does not let extensions open the print dialog. PDF Tools opens a temporary copy of the document, with your unsaved form values, in your system PDF application, where you print it. On Windows, pdfTools.print.method: "windowsPrintVerb" sends it to the printer directly. See Printing.
The PDF uses an XFA form (made with Adobe LiveCycle/AEM Designer), which PDF Tools does not support. Open it in Adobe Acrobat or Reader.
The value contains characters the field's font cannot encode (for example ō, ū with the common non-embedded Helvetica font). The value is saved, and the field is marked to be redrawn (NeedAppearances); viewers that honor this show it, some simpler ones show the field empty until it is edited. See Filling and saving forms.
The PDF is probably a scan: it contains images of text, not text. PDF Tools has no OCR.
VS Code asks for it in an input box at the top of the window. A wrong password asks again. If you cancel, the editor shows a message instead of the document: close it and open the PDF again to retry.
Without unsaved changes, PDF Tools reloads it automatically and keeps your page and zoom. With unsaved changes, it asks whether to reload and discard them or keep yours.
The clipboard accepts the image only while the PDF editor has the focus. Click the page and try again.
Presentation mode uses VS Code's Zen mode for full screen. Ending the presentation always leaves Zen mode, even if it was on before. Toggle it back with View: Toggle Zen Mode.
Remote windows have not been tested. Printing there is not expected to work: the temporary copy is written on the remote machine, while your PDF application runs locally.
No. PDF Tools works offline: no telemetry, no network requests; PDFs are processed locally inside VS Code.
Write to ryadel.com/en/contacts with your VS Code and PDF Tools versions and, if you can, a PDF that shows the problem. The PDF Tools output channel (View → Output) may contain useful details.