Frequently asked questions

eDocs is a document repository that contains forms and documents in multiple languages. The eDocs search allows clients, county and tribal workers, providers, employees and other stakeholders to easily access current versions of documents.

To use eDocs, you must have one of the following supported browsers:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.x-11.x.
  • It is recommended that Compatibility View settings be disabled. To disable Compatibility View, go to Tools Compatibility View Settings. Then uncheck Display intranet sites in Compatibility View. In Internet Explorer 9.x, also uncheck Display all websites in Compatibility View.
• Mozilla Firefox 4.x or later
• Apple Safari 5.x or later
• Google Chrome 9.x or later

Mac users must have both a browser and Adobe Reader software installed. The most recent version of both the browser and Reader are recommended.

Mac users should not have more than one software version of Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat loaded on their computer because this can cause software conflicts when attempting to view PDF documents using any browser.

In most cases, no. Anyone who has Internet access and a browser can use eDocs. If you are prompted to enter a user ID and password, see "What should I do if I get the eDocs login screen?".

You might be getting the eDocs login screen for any of the following reasons:

• The link may be out of date. If you get a link to a document on eDocs from a co-worker or from another document, such as a bulletin, and clicking on it brings up the eDocs login screen, the link might be out of date. Go to the eDocs search page, type the document number or name in the Search box and click the Search button. The document you're looking for should come up in the search results.
• The document may no longer be in eDocs. Some users have created desktop or browser shortcuts to forms they use frequently. If the document is removed from eDocs and users click on an old shortcut, the eDocs login screen will pop up. To check if the document you need is in eDocs, use the eDocs search. To avoid this problem, use the eDocs search every time you need a document rather than bookmarking it.
• The document you are accessing is secure. In order to access secure documents, you must have a login ID. For DHS staff, your login ID is your PW number and network password. For all other users, a login ID must be created. If you need a login ID, contact the eDocs help desk.
• eDocs may be down. In rare instances, eDocs service must be interrupted for network maintenance or upgrades. In these cases, advance notice will be posted on the eDocs main page. If you do not see a notice and suspect that eDocs might be down, contact the eDocs help desk. If you have checked into the reasons listed above and are still getting the eDocs login screen, contact the eDocs help desk. To troubleshoot, take screenshots of error messages or the screen and supply your browser name and version and operating system (i.e., Windows 7, etc.).

Some preprinted documents on eDocs are available. There is an online bulk order site for documents. If you can't get to the bulk ordering website, if you forgot your password, or if you got an incorrect order, contact DHS Print Purchasing.

Check the version date in the upper right corner of the document. The version date is also displayed in search results. For counties that use DHS forms in their document management systems, DHS sends email updates to subscribers interested in knowing when a form changes. Update notices are for forms only, not brochures or other types of publications. Subscribe to get update notices.

DHS bulletins are not in eDocs, but two years' worth of bulletins are archived on this website.

If you receive a message "Please wait..." or "Error opening PDF form" when opening a PDF in your browser, this means your browser is using a non-standard PDF viewer to display the PDF (Read more on Adobe's website). In order to display forms correctly, all PDFs must be opened using Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Reader is available to download for free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

Solution 1 - Save the PDF

Solution 2 - Change the default PDF viewer

Chrome

Version 60 and newer

1. At the top right in Chrome, click "Customize and control Google Chrome"
2. Click "Settings"
3. At the bottom of the page, click "Advanced"
4. Under Privacy and security, click "Content settings"
5. Near the bottom, click "PDF documents"
6. Turn on "Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome"

Version 57-59

1. Go to Settings (Show advanced settings) > Privacy > Content settings > PDF documents
2. Check the box that says "Open PDF files in the default PDF viewer application."

Version 56 and older

1. Type chrome://plugins in the address bar and a list of Chrome's plug-ins will appear
2. Find Chrome PDF Viewer and click the Disable link
3. For Chrome version 41 and older only, find Adobe Reader and click Enable.

All future PDFs opened in Chrome will be downloaded to your computer.

Firefox

1. Choose Tools > Options
2. In the Options dialog, click Applications
3. In the Applications tab, type PDF in the search field
4. For Portable Document Format (PDF) content type in the search result, select Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox) from the Action drop-down list
5. Click OK
6. Restart Firefox
   
   

Safari (Mac)

You will need to change the default PDF viewer to Adobe Reader.

1. Download the PDF to your computer
2. CTRL+Click the PDF and select "Open With" and then "Other"
3. Find Adobe Reader in the application list and check the "Always Open With" checkbox
4. Click "Open"

You will only need to do these steps once. All future PDFs will open in Adobe Reader by default.

Other solutions

• If you are attempting to access a form PDF from a mobile or tablet device, it may not work. Instead, open the PDF on a desktop computer.
• You may be using an old version of Adobe Reader. Make sure to upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader.

If you have questions, contact the eDocs HelpDesk.

As long as you have a current version of Adobe Reader installed, you can save data in a PDF form. See PDF requirements for the DHS website.

To save data in a PDF form:

1. Save the PDF file to your computer before you fill in any fields.
2. Right click on the file and select Open With Adobe Reader (or Acrobat).

Note: If you are using Microsoft Edge browser, be sure to save the PDF file before entering data into the form. If you don’t, the PDF file will become corrupted, and you won't be able to save data in the form. If you open a PDF and see this error message when you try to save the file: "The document could not be saved. There was a problem reading this document (105)," it's because the PDF file is corrupted. If this happens, you will need to re-download the PDF to get an uncorrupted file.

If data does not save in a PDF form, contact the eDocs HelpDesk.