Here you will find a list of some common questions and answers related to our PDF eBooks!
To log into the PDF version of your eBook, enter your GCU username (do not add @my.gcu.edu) and password. Once you are finished entering your username and password, click the Log In button; pressing Enter on your keyboard will not log you into the eBook. If the pages of your eBook say they are protected, this means your eBook has not been successfully unlocked.
To view your PDF eBooks, you will need Adobe Reader. Check out our articles on Installing Adobe Reader for PC and Installing Adobe Reader for Mac.
Yes, in order to log into your eBook, you must be connected to the internet. After it has been unlocked for the first time, you may select Automatically sign me into this document in the future. This will allow it to remain unlocked without an internet connection when you reopen the eBook. The latest version of Adobe Reader is recommended in order to utilize this feature; for further assistance with Adobe Reader, please refer Installing Adobe Reader for PC or Installing Adobe Reader for Mac.
Yes, each time you download an eBook on a different computer, it will have to be unlocked using your GCU username and password.
By default, Sticky Note and Highlighter tools are available in Adobe Reader. These annotation and markup tools can only be used in an eBook if the publisher has enabled them. In Adobe Reader, choose Add Sticky Note or Highlight text from the Toolbar. The ability to highlight or comment in your eBook requires Adobe Reader XI or later. To keep these changes, you must save the PDF file to your computer. If you close the document without saving, all changes made will be lost.
If you see the letters and numbers in your password instead of asterisks (*), your eBook is not opening in Adobe Reader. To set your eBooks to always open in Adobe Reader, check out our article on setting your default applications!
Our licensing agreement with the eBook publishers allows students to print one (1) copy of the eBook for personal use. Other printing problems can have various causes.
- If you receive an error saying, THIS PAGE IS PROTECTED, enter your username and password before attempting to print the document.
- Some eBooks have publisher restrictions that prevent you from printing, editing, or copying content in the document.
Can you print a test page?
Try printing a test page from another document. If you can't, follow these steps to check your connection to the printer:
- Ensure the cable connecting your printer to your computer is securely plugged in.
- If your printer is plugged into a USB hub, unplug the printer cable from the hub. Then, plug the printer cable directly into a USB port on your computer.
- Turn off your printer. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn it on again.
You may copy content in Adobe Reader, unless the eBook publisher has applied security settings that disallow copying, which is common for most eBooks.
Confirm that content copying is allowed
- Right-click the document, and choose Document Properties.
- Click the Security tab, and review the Document Restrictions Summary.
Copy specific content from a PDF
- Right-click the document, and choose Select Tool from the pop-up menu.
- Drag to select text, or click to select an image.
- Right-click the selected item, and choose Copy.
The following error message occurs when the default Chrome PDF Viewer prevents the eBook from opening in Adobe Reader. "Chrome PDF Viewer: There is a problem with this protected pdf document. It may be damaged or has been tampered with. Please contact the publisher for a clean file. Message Code: 013". For more information on how to fix this error check out our article on Disabling your Browser's PDF Viewer!
Like Chrome, Firefox also has a built-in PDF viewer which can prevent eBooks from opening in Adobe Reader. This can cause two issues: (1) the user is unable to type in the Username and Password boxes, or (2) the user can type, but clicking the Log In button will not unlock the eBook. For more information on how to fix this issue check out our article on Disabling your Browser's PDF Viewer.
The following error message occurs when the username or password is entered incorrectly on the login page of a PDF eBook:
An error occurred during the submit process. Cannot process content of type application/json; charset=utf-8.
If you are unsure that you are using the correct login credentials, try resetting your password or recovering a saved password. If you are still unable to unlock the eBook after resetting your password, try downloading the eBook again and log in with the new password.