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CM/ECF Tips and Tricks

CM/ECF Tips and Tricks

  • Audio Files - Listening to Audio Files

    An audio file is embedded as an attachment to a PDF document that is entered on the docket. Registered CM/ECF users who are attorneys of record on the case will receive a "free look" when the PDF is accessed through the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF). PACER fees apply when the audio is accessed through PACER.  Click here for detailed instructions for listening to audio files.

  • Blank Screen - No Bankruptcy or Adversary Headings

    If you can see Query, Reports, and Utilities, but not Bankruptcy or Adversary, you have not linked your PACER account with your CM/ECF account. Click here for detailed instructions.

  • Blank Screen - Bankruptcy/Adversary Headings But No Menu Items

    If you can see the Bankruptcy and Adversary headings but there are no categories underneath them, you may have been locked out for failure to timely pay filing fees. Go to Utilities > Internet Fees Due and pay for the overdue filing fees. Log out, refresh your screen and login.

  • Clearing Cache

    Pages you view on the internet (including CM/ECF screens and documents) are stored in temporary files for quick viewing.  If these temporary files are not deleted, they can create problems in CM/ECF.  Therefore, it is recommended that you regularly clear your internet browser cache and temporary files.  Click here for detailed instructions.

  • ECF Activity - Reviewing Activity in Cases You Are Involved

    Login to CM/ECF.  Go to Reports > Select Summary of ECF Activity Report.  Enter Activity Date, select either Summary Text or Full Text and Run Report.  The next screen displays filing activity in cases in which you are involved.  While there is no charge to view the report, PACER fees apply when clicking the hyperlink to view the document or docket report.

  • ECF Activity - Email Notifications in Cases in Which You Are NOT Involved

    If you would like to monitor activity in a specific case, add it to your ECF account. Login to CM/ECF. Go to Utilities > Select Maintain You ECF Account. Click Email Information...  In the Send notices in these additional cases field, enter the case number for which you would like to receive notifications. Click Return to Account Screen. Click Submit. You will receive email notifications when docket entries are made in the case.   Note: PACER fees apply.

  • Electronic Notifications - Determining Who Will Receive NEFs

    Use the Mailings report to determine who will receive electronic notices in a specific case. Login to CM/ECF. Go to Utilities > Select Mailings. Select Mailing Info for a Case. Enter Case Number > Click Submit. Review the Electronic Mail Notice List and Manual Notice List.  Note: While there is no charge to view these lists, PACER fees apply to view the Creditor List and List of Creditors.

  • Electronic Notifications - No hyperlink to a PDF

    Some docket events create "text-only" entries. A PDF is not attached and the docket entry itself serves as the official court record.

  • PDF - Checking Dimension of Scanned PDFs

    Any document which will be served by the court through the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) must not exceed 8.65" x 11.15", or it will be rejected by the BNC. It is important to ensure that your PDF conversion software and scanner are producing PDFs which do not exceed 8.5" x 11" inches. When the document is open in Adobe, the dimension appears in the bottom left of the screen. If a scanned document exceeds 8.65" x 11.15", Print to PDF to resize it. Select File > Print, and then change your default printer to Adobe PDF.  (Page Scaling should be “Fit to Printable Area”.)

  • PDF - Error Message "Document contains code which may cause external action..."

    Document contains code which may cause external action such as launching an application. PDF document can't be accepted.

    For security reasons, CM/ECF will not accept PDFs that contain JavaScript. If converting a word processing document to PDF, select File > Print, and then change your default printer to Adobe PDF.

  • PDF - eOrder Error Message "Your PDF document has one or more pages that exceeds the standard page size limit"

    FAILURE: Your PDF document has one or more pages that exceeds the standard page size limit and cannot be accepted until fixed.

    eOrders will not accept a PDF of an order that is not 8.5" x 11" in portrait mode.  When the document is open in Adobe, the dimension appears in the bottom left of the screen. To resize it, either: (1) Rescan the original document with a scanner configured to produce an 8.5" x 11" PDF; or (2) Print to PDF: Select File > Select Print, and then change your defaulted printer to Adobe PDF (Page Scaling should be “Fit to Printable Area”).

    If the error persists, contact the CM/ECF Help Desk at (808) 523-7373.

  • PDF - Error message "Cannot redisplay /tmp/XXXXXXXXX.pdf, it has already been shown once"

    Cannot redisplay /tmp/_________________.pdf, it has already been shown once.

    There is an issue with the Chrome browser that may cause a user to receive the error message above when attempting to view a document through a hyperlink contained in a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) using the Chrome PDF plug-in. To view the document, the user should change the Chrome browser settings to download the PDF instead of viewing it or switch to a different browser.

  • PDF - Maximum file size

    The maximum size for a single PDF uploaded in CM/ECF is 20 MB. To determine the size of a document, in Adobe Acrobat, click on File > Document Properties or press [Ctrl][D] and go to the Description tab. The File Size field is near the bottom of the screen.

    To keep the size of PDF files as small as possible for faster uploading and to keep within the required size limit:

    • After saving the completed PDF, click on File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.
    • Avoid scanning paper documents to PDF (which produces image documents). If you have an electronic version of a document, convert to PDF using an option within the program that created the document, or by opening the file in Adobe and saving as a PDF.
    • If scanning a paper document cannot be avoided, choose the scanner setting of black and white (not gray scale or color) and set the resolution to 300 dpi.
    • When using Word, use the Save as Adobe PDF option.

    To break a PDF document into smaller segments in Adobe, use Organize Pages > Extract Pages and save each set of pages with a different file name.

    When uploading documents, make sure each PDF is fully uploaded before attaching the next one.

  • PDF Headers - Turning on and off

    You will not see PDF headers on documents unless you select "Include PDF Headers"  when you run a docket report. You can also set it as your default setting under Maintain Your ECF Account.