Troubleshooting: PDF Errors

What's in this article:

Nothing happens when you click the download button
I don't see a "Download PDF" button
I see a "404" Error when I try to view my article
The PDF says "failed to load"

Downloading a PDF not going as expected? This page has a list of errors you might see when you've clicked the "Download PDF" button, but something has gone wrong.

You click the download button and nothing happens:

The PDF document should open in a new window automatically. Once it has opened, you should be able to select the print and save icons in the upper right hand side of the page. If your PDF doesn't open, try right clicking on the "Download PDF button" and either:

saving it to your desktop by choosing "save target as"/"save link as"
or opening it in a new window

If your PDF still doesn't open, make sure your pop-up blocker isn’t blocking the new window from popping up. We have a post on how to change your browser settings to allow pop-ups from the JSTOR website.

You may also need the most recent version of Adobe Reader to download documents. This software is available for free on Adobe's website.

I don't see a "Download PDF" button:

You can download PDFs on JSTOR under a number of circumstances. If the content is free or open access, if you're part of a subscribing school, or if you've purchased an article directly from the site, you should see a blue "Download PDF" button on article, chapter, or research report pages that you are able to access:

Download PDF button

You aren't logged in to your subscribing institution's account (We have an article that will help you log in: "Need Help Logging in to JSTOR?")
You are logged in to their account, but they don't subscribe to this content (Here's how to tell whether you're logged in: "How to tell if you're logged in to JSTOR")

If you are not a member of an institution or if your institution does not have access to the article you want, you have a few options. Look at the blue buttons to the right hand side of the article:

If there's a that button says “Download” and lists a price in parenthesis, you may download the article for the price listed.
If there's a button that says “Read Online Free”, that means the article is part of the Register & Read program and can be read online after creating a free individual JSTOR account.

Some articles may have both or only one of these options. Each option has its own process. You can learn more in the JSTOR: how to make an account and get free articles and the Publisher Sales Service: buying an article/issue a la carte sections.

I see a "404 Page Loading Error" when I try to download an article

If you see a "Page Loading Error" when you try to download a PDF, take the following steps to make sure that the browser is optimized:

Check to make sure you're using one of our supported browsers
Once you're sure you're using a supported browser, then clear your cookies and cache
Then, try to download the article again

If you still get a "404 Page Loading Error" after taking these steps, check JSTOR Support's Twitter account. There might be a site-wide error, and when we're aware of errors like this, we post live updates there.

If you don't see any messaging on our JSTOR Support or the JSTOR Support Twitter, email us with a screenshot of your error at support@jstor.org.

I download the article, but it says "Failed to Load"

If you see a "Failed to Load" message when you try to download a PDF, take the following steps to make sure that the browser is optimized:

Check to make sure you're using one of our supported browsers
Once you're sure you're using a supported browser, then clear your cookies and cache
Then, try to download the article again

If you still get a "Failed to Load" after taking these steps, check JSTOR Support's Twitter account. There might be a site-wide error, and when we're aware of errors like this, we post live updates there.