More Troubles with Preview-Acrobat Docs

[Jack W]

!!! HELP PLEASE !!!!

More troubles with the Acrobat Reader / Apple Preview   CRAP !!!!!

I am newsletter editor for an Archeaology Club I belong to.

I create the doc in M$ Word X.

I frequently insert pictures in the newsletter.
When I am ready to email the newsletter, I create a PDF file using the 'Save as PDF' from the print menu so I can email it.

Now, when I print using the 'Save as PDF' from the print menu,

the CRAP Apple Preview, M$ Word, and Adobe Acrobat software has some of the inserted pictures grayed out in the resulting PDF file.

Please pardon my French!

If I 'Open with' the file using Preview, it works fine, and shows the pictures in-tact.
It also works fine if I open it with Adobe Acrobat v5.0.5, showing the pics fine.
But Reader is totally screwed up.

OSX 10.6.8
M$ Word X
Acrobat Reader 11.0.01

This is probably related to Acrobat Reader 11.0.01, since that is the only software that has been updated.

This NEVER gave me any problem before.

Would it help to delete plist files
Acrobat Reader ?
Preview
or ?

I need to email the doc to our members that don't get snail mail versions.

 

 

Jack

[jchuzi]

A couple of questions:

1. Have you tried this in a test account? If the problem doesn't occur there, it might be a preference file issue.
2. When you open a PDF, does it open in Preview or in Adobe Reader? (BTW, that's the correct name. Adobe Acrobat is a different program and Acrobat Reader was the old name for Adobe Reader.)

[Jack W]

QUOTE(jchuzi @ Feb 8 2013, 10:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A couple of questions:

1. Have you tried this in a test account? If the problem doesn't occur there, it might be a preference file issue.
2. When you open a PDF, does it open in Preview or in Adobe Reader? (BTW, that's the correct name. Adobe Acrobat is a different program and Acrobat Reader was the old name for Adobe Reader.)

Jon,
1) I will try that.
2) It's set up to open in Adobe Reader. You are correct, they changed the names.

It looks fine when I open the PDF file with Adobe Acrobat v5.0.5, and in Preview.
All pics show up.

So it sure looks like an Adobe Reader problem.

Might it help if I reverted to Adobe Reader 10?

Thanks for your rapid response.

You've given me some ideas to try.

Jack

P.S. to add:

• I deleted a bunch of old Reader plists.
• Tried it in another account --- WORKED FINE ---
• Saved it in other account.

Came back to my rgular account - no help
• And doc saved from other account also screwed up !!

So it looks like the problem resides in my Reader plist files.

Here are the current ones:

[attachment=2806:Adobe_Plist_Files.jpg]

I will delete more.

   

[Xairbusdriver]

Didn't Pages come with your OS? As you've been advised, Preview is not for creating anything, just like Adobe Reader. You may have grown accustomed to Word, which I fortunately never had. But Pages is designed for exactly what you are doing, laying out stuff on a page. (I only use the Blank page 'template' so I can put whatever I want, where ever I want. BTW, it's only $20, also.) I'm still not sure if Word is designed to do anything, specifically, or just attempt to do everything under the sun. Plus, You are asking a Microsoft app to let its proprietary code be converted into an Adobe document using an Apple function.

My only suggestion is to stop fighting the MS system and enjoy the work! Or, you can keep testing/switching/deleting/re-creating all sorts of plist files. At least it'll keep you off the street and out of traffic!

Truly I can't help with Word. Good luck, either way.

[Jack W]

Jim,

It is really pointing to adobe plist files now.

I've deleted a bunch more, and will reboot.

I'll be back later to report.

Jack

11:55am P.S. Edited to add:

No help.

Here's the pared-down plist:

[attachment=2807:Adobe_pl..._pared_1.jpg]

[Jack W]

FINALLY,

I deleted ALL Adobe. . .  plist files, and that fixed it!

Thanks Jon

And thanks to Paddy who has mentioned repeatedly about plist files being the culprit many times.

 

Jack

[jchuzi]

If you open the PDF in Preview (perhaps setting Preview as your default PDF viewer), does it work? As to the plists, if you are game to experiment, try this:

1. Create a desktop folder (name it whatever you like).
2. Quit all Adobe apps.
3. Move the Adobe Reader plist to the desktop.
4. Open the PDF in Adobe Reader and see what happens. If the problem is solved, trash the bad plist on the desktop and reset your AR preferences. If not, quit AR and put the plist back.

You can also experiment by creating a desktop folder (name it whatever you want) and move all those plists into the folder. Then, see if the problem is solved. If so, one of them is guilty. Quit AR and put half of the plists back.

Open the file in AR. If the problem is solved, one of the ones that remains in the desktop folder is the culprit. Experiment till you find it. If the problem is not solved, one of the ones that you put back is guilty. Experiment in a suitable manner.

Since the problem occurs in AR, that AR plist the most likely suspect. But, your trial with a test account only indicates that the culprit MAY be a plist. You could also try cleaning Adobe caches.

EDIT: I replied too late but the information above might come in handy someday. I'm happy that you solved this.

[Jack W]

QUOTE(jchuzi @ Feb 8 2013, 01:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you open the PDF in Preview (perhaps setting Preview as your default PDF viewer), does it work? As to the plists, if you are game to experiment, try this:

1. Create a desktop folder (name it whatever you like).
2. Quit all Adobe apps.
3. Move the Adobe Reader plist to the desktop.
4. Open the PDF in Adobe Reader and see what happens. If the problem is solved, trash the bad plist on the desktop and reset your AR preferences. If not, quit AR and put the plist back.

You can also experiment by creating a desktop folder (name it whatever you want) and move all those plists into the folder. Then, see if the problem is solved. If so, one of them is guilty. Quit AR and put half of the plists back.

Open the file in AR. If the problem is solved, one of the ones that remains in the desktop folder is the culprit. Experiment till you find it. If the problem is not solved, one of the ones that you put back is guilty. Experiment in a suitable manner.

Since the problem occurs in AR, that AR plist the most likely suspect. But, your trial with a test account only indicates that the culprit MAY be a plist. You could also try cleaning Adobe caches.

EDIT: I replied too late but the information above might come in handy someday. I'm happy that you solved this.

Jon,

See my post above this one.

Removing all plists adobe.   ... except for Photoshop Elements did the trick.

Created file opens in all apps:
• Adobe Reader
• Preview
• Acrobat 5.0.5

Thanks for your help!

I had tried removing Reader plist before to no avail, so it must have been a conflict with one of the others.

FYI, I also installed Adobe Air a couple of days ago, because it was needed for my National Geographic Collection DVDs.
I don't have the slightest idea which plist went with that.

Why do software vendors have to rely on Adobe slush to work.

I am thinking of removing Photoshop Elements.
Rant/ I find it very hard to use, and feel it is bloatware for my needs.
And don't get me started on Flash. With all it's vulnerabilities and problems.
/end rant

Now there is an issue with Discover Card PDF's which has been reported on MacInTouch.
That problem affects (effects?) me.
HOWEVER, I can open those docs in Adobe Reader, but not Preview. Will it EVER END ??

Thanks again for your help.

What would we do without your and Paddy's and a few others help??

Beam me back to Earth Scotty !!!

Jack

[Xairbusdriver]

The second biggest problem with Adobe is that there are so many files that are shared by many of their apps. Possibly even some of the plist files. So it's difficult to find the file that may be the culprit. And it's even worse if you simply delete a file that is needed by more than one app!

I highly recommend keeping things as simple as possible, creating the PDFs via the Print dialog and forget about viewing them in BOTH Preview (Mac ONLY) and Adobe Reader (for Mac). Even if they look the same on your Mac, you have no guarantee that they will on a Windows PC of unknown vintage with who knows which version of the OS. This is, basically, the problem with "designers" trying to make 'pixel perfect' web sites. The 'web' is not paper. Same for a PDF (although, hopefully to a lesser degree). A PDF is not paper, so stop trying to use it as such. You'll waste less time and have more hair!

[jchuzi]

Jack,

Interesting that you mention Discover Card. I saw the same thing and contacted their web support. I got the following message and the instructions work:

Thank you for your recent message about downloading your Discover® account statements through the Account Center. I wish to express my sincere apology for any difficulties or inconvenience you may have experienced with your Discover® account.

You can still download your current statement into PDF without downloading Adobe Reader on the Account Center on the "Recent Activity" link. To download your statement as a PDF file, please follow these steps:


1. Select "Manage Account" at the top of the page and click on "Activity & Statements."
2. Select the statement you want to download from the "Activity Period" drop-down list.
3. On the upper right side of your statement, click on "Save to PDF."
4. Select the layout you prefer.
5. Click on "Save to PDF

BR>
Once the new page loads, please select your current statement from the "Activity Period" drop-down list.


If you have additional questions, please reply to this message, or call our Web Support specialists at 1-877-742-7822 and select option 2. Web Support specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


We regret our failure to meet your expectations in this situation, and appreciate your feedback. It is comments such as yours that allow us the opportunity to better serve our Cardmembers.


I appreciate your business and the opportunity to be of service. Thank you for choosing to use Discover®.

Sincerely,



Ryan

We appreciate your feedback. Please Click Here to complete a short survey on your customer service experience today.

DISCOVER, CASHBACK BONUS and the other trademarks, logos and service marks used in this e-mail are the trademarks of Discover Financial Services or their respective third-party owners.




------- Original Message --------
Date : Jan 23, 02013 07:39 PM
Subject : Re: General Website Help [#1887120]


Message: You have changed your website so that I can no longer arrange transactions by date (or anything else) and I cannot read the Current Statement in Mac OS 10.6.8 Safari (version 5.1.7). I had to save the document and then open it in Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader has byzantine printing options that I finally figured out but I use that program only as a last resort. Why did you change your code to require Adobe Reader? It's a horrible program and I only use it if there is no alternative.

The old website was very friendly but your changes have made it worse, not better.

[Xairbusdriver]

Perhaps they watched this <TED Talk>? Sounds like it fits in the "broke on purpose" category.

QUOTE

3. On the upper right side of your statement, click on "Save to PDF."
4. Select the layout you prefer.
5. Click on "Save to PDF."

Good economy of resources there. Reuse the same button but have it do different things at different times! And it keeps the user awake, also!

[jchuzi]

The pity of it is that the Discover website had been quite friendly until someone decided to "improve" it.