Doc Viewer Troubleshooting

Trouble Displaying Documents in the Lexbe eDiscovery Platform (LEP)?

This troubleshooting guide discusses a number of things to check if having trouble opening a document in LEP. Problems arise from a number of different causes and may be associated with specific configuration issues in the user's browser, add-ins (e.g., Acrobat Reader) or computer.

Reboot the Computer

It is not unusual for a reboot to solve a problem. There are many ways for a computer to get out of state or run low on memory. This can cause strange behavior.  A reboot is much faster than an extended troubleshooting session.

Need for Current Browser Upgrade

LEP supports the latest versions of Chrome, and Firefox for Windows, and Safari and Firefox for the Mac. It is important to upgrade to a recent version of any of the supported browsers regularly as the best security is usually in the most recent versions. Also, some of the most advanced functionality in LEP will work only in the most recent versions of supported browsers. Lastly, we cannot specifically address support issues that involve non-supported browsers or versions. 

Benefit of Trying Alternative Browsers

If having a problem in a particular browser, try installing and using a different supported browser.  As an example, if using Internet Explorer on the PC, try installing Firefox or Chrome or vice-versa. If using Safari on the Mac, try installing Firefox or vice-versa. If the problem exists on only one of the browsers, it is likely due to some specific configuration of that browser, and not something involving the user's Internet connection or LEP servers.  Similarly, if the user has access to another computer, try logging in and trying the same procedure there.  If the issue does not repeat, then the problem can be localized to something computer or browser specific.

Large PDF Documents Will Not Open or Open Slowly

For viewing large PDF documents, Page view is much faster. We also offer a Text Mode in the viewer, in which text will lose formatting but will display more quickly. See Unusual & Large Files for more information.  Slow Internet connection will make document review slower and more difficult.  

PDF Document will not Open or Opens Outside of the Document Viewer

These issues are often involved with configuration issues in Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on the user's computer. When viewing PDF documents, LEP makes use of the PDF file viewer installed on the user's computer and associated with the PDF file extension. This is usually the free Acrobat Reader, but could be Acrobat Professional or another PDF viewer. When the Reader or viewer is installed it sets a preference on the computer to use it to open a saved PDF document, but also to open PDFs within a browser. This last setting by default is to open PDFs within the browser window. 

If PDFs instead pop out on a PC, then the setting needs to be changed.  If using Acrobat the simplest solution is usually to uninstall and re-install Acrobat.  This will usually fix the problem.  If it does not, there will be a setting in Acrobat or the user's browser that will control how PDFs open in the Browser. The location can vary by system. It will usually be in Preferences, Options or Categories and may refer to PDFs displaying inline or in-browser.

Opening Documents From the Browse and Search Pages

If the user clicks on a document from the Browse page, the document will open under the most recent tab the user used. For example, if in the Document Viewer->Original tab and end that session, the next time the user logs into LEP and clicks on a document from Browse, the file will be displayed under the Original tab, unless the user switches to a different one.  

If the user clicks on a document from the Search page, the file will open in the Document Viewer under the Hits tab.  If the user switches to a different view (e.g. PDF, Text) that tab will persist for the next document reviewed in the Document Viewer. 

Data-Related Issues

Some file types might be partially or totally corrupted, resulting in failure to display the proper number of pages, redaction or contents under the Document Viewer tabs.  This is an issue with the original document, not LEP. Files can corrupt or partially corrupt for a number of reasons prior to the document going into the case. If corrupt or partially corrupt, the indexing may be partial or there may be no indexing. Partially corrupt files sometimes will display in viewers and sometimes will not. The fact that a file can open and print locally does not mean that it is not partially corrupt. It requires manual manipulation to fix a corrupt file as outlined below.  

Solutions to Data-Related Issues:

Get a better original (if one exists) and replace in LEP.

Download the original currently in LEP, manipulate, and re-sample (save) using PDF editing software (e.g., Acrobat Pro) to re-sample and save. Possibly use multiple editors or methods if needed as different editors can give different results. This is a manual iterative process and the time to work with any document can vary.

Download the original and, if it opens properly in Acrobat or another PDF viewer, print and re-scan. Then re-upload the new version. This approach works best for smaller documents. After completed, re-upload to LEP and check that it is properly indexing and paginating.

To see if other documents have similar issues, perform the following for additional quality control:

Go to Browse and filter on the documents in question.

Show the Ext (extension), Pages, Words, and Size fields.

Sort on Pages and look for documents with one or a small number of pages, but large Word or Size values.

This can also be done from Excel by using the Export to Excel feature.  

The above procedures can be done by users in the case or Professional Services (billable hourly)  

Mac Specific Problems

Safari and Firefox may not show PDFs inline and instead require a download or open outside of the LEP document window.  If this is the case, a Mac plug-in available here which will allow PDFs to render inline.  Chrome has a built-in PDF inline viewer that is disabled by default.  The user can enable.  See Mac Support for more information.  

Document Viewer Opens in a new Window

When the user clicks on a document link on the Browse or Search pages, the default behavior in most browsers is for the new window to open in a new tab.  If instead, the document opens in a new window, it is usually because a setting on the browser has been changed. For some systems, right clicking on a document link will give the option to open the document in a new tab or new window.

For additional questions contact Professional Services.