[brainout]

Don't know if you noticed, but Adobe products have become more and more glitchy with each iteration. I have to use pdfs or convert to pdfs every day, so it's been a major cause of problems, each update.

Here, on my Pentium 4 XP Pro machine, Mozilla actually wrecked one of my video uploads because I wasn't using Reader XI. It didn't tell me that was why. When I went into the add-ons, I learned the Java was disabled by Mozilla (so why didn't Java update get signaled instead), and that it refused to run my very stable Adobe 9.5. So, stupid person that I am, I upgraded the add-ons.

Finally was able to upload my video without Mozilla attacking its process, but then my Acrobat no longer worked, and my other pdf-converter software no longer worked. Machine hung, mouse hung, took hours to reboot and retry and reset, as we all go through -- until finally, I uninstalled XI from my machine by normal procedures.

But that left a mess behind. Cleaned the registry, and now my Acrobat 9 won't work properly, nor does my other pdf-creating software.

So, I switched to my Win7 machine, and while this time the mouse didn't crash, my PREVIOUSLY (month- ago) INSTALLED Adobe XI Reader itself wouldn't work. Kept on freezing at startup, all of a sudden. Couldn't get rid of the splash screen. And now my other pdf-creating software won't read Word doc hyperlinks in conversion.

In short, the problem with Reader XI varies by machine, but if you have other pdf creating software on that machine, suddenly you can't convert your hyperlinks in pdf, or that other software won't work, even if Acrobat.

Another variation: Acrobat suddenly can't convert quickly. In short, not only is its hyperlink conversion utility disabled, but it slows down to an all-night affair to convert a 150-page document.

I've still not been able to solve the problem. I hate to say it, but it looks like Adobe is introducing changes which disable competing pdf-creating software -- even its own earlier versions of kindred software like Acrobat. This is why I stayed on 9.5 of Reader, and will reinstall it again now. If I have to lose Mozilla Firefox in the process, too bad. I need to create pdfs for Government filings. The browser is dispensable. It's sick, that the browser will dictate to you what pdf converter you use. So the 'middle' alternative is to have no pdf reader capability within Firefox, so I can at least still use it for some things.

There are other reports on the internet about Reader XI freezing the machine, so I thought I'd post here in case anyone found a workaround. Thank you.

PS: computing shouldn't have to be this hard. What with the Win8 debacle, Corel and Adobe and Mozilla being progressively more glitchy, it's getting too hard to use a Windows-based machine. Mind you, I'm not even using Win8 yet.

This post has been edited by brainout: 22 January 2013 - 01:10 PM

[brainout]

brainout, on 22 January 2013 - 12:46 PM, said:

Don't know if you noticed, but Adobe products have become more and more glitchy with each iteration. I have to use pdfs or convert to pdfs every day, so it's been a major cause of problems, each update.
In short, the problem with Reader XI varies by machine, but if you have other pdf creating software on that machine, suddenly you can't convert your hyperlinks in pdf, or that other software won't work, even if Acrobat.
...
I've still not been able to solve the problem. I hate to say it, but it looks like Adobe is introducing changes which disable competing pdf-creating software -- even its own earlier versions of kindred software like Acrobat. This is why I stayed on 9.5 of Reader, and will reinstall it again now. If I have to lose Mozilla Firefox in the process, too bad. I need to create pdfs for Government filings. The browser is dispensable. It's sick, that the browser will dictate to you what pdf converter you use. So the 'middle' alternative is to have no pdf reader capability within Firefox, so I can at least still use it for some things.

There are other reports on the internet about Reader XI freezing the machine, so I thought I'd post here in case anyone found a workaround. Thank you.

CANNOT UNINSTALL IN WINDOWS 7. Sick program, Adobe Reader XI! Windows 7 Search function always retains a kernel of it, so you have to delete USER files in Local, Local Low, Roaming, and then in Program Files try to delete as much as you can, since you cannot disable Acroread or whatever it's called -- it loads at boot. So if you can disable the program so it crashes, then maybe it cannot reboot and you can delete the core programs.

THIS IS SICK, Adobe! Why would anyone want to buy your products, if your freeware is so incompetent and frustrating? Shame on you, Windows 7, for disabling the ability to uninstall because a program's kernal is in your search function, and I can't turn off indexing to get rid of it?

Now I'm glad I'm staying on XP.

This post has been edited by brainout: 22 January 2013 - 02:15 PM

[brainout]

WELL WELL WELL -- guess what? Adobe Acrobat and Reader cannot coincide on the same system. The latter destroys the former. Moreover, Acrobat 9 et seq. require you be hooked up to your computer at program installation, else it won't convert the MS Word bookmarks to hyperlinks. But that requires you to never have Reader on the same machine, or you still lose the ability to convert Word bookmarks to hyperlinks.

Adobe 6 is much better at that same job.

This post has been edited by brainout: 23 January 2013 - 03:30 AM

[brainout]

UPDATE: I finally was able to install XI again, but it disabled my mouse again. To get there, I had to uninstall and reinstall, and XI kept hanging with its stupid splash screen, so to even get to preferences you had to first open up some pdf on your computer, lol. Worse, to even get that far, I had to use a DIFFERENT COMPUTER to download the XI, because for awhile it only took me to the Spanish download. Then, when I downloaded from my other machine, then came back to this one on XP, and I tried to install the Reader for IE, not only did the installation crash, but the installer deleted itself from my flash drive. When I tried to then use the Firefox Reader, instead I got Flash Player, and the installation took a long time.

Which is weird, because for the first several times trying to download the dang thing using Firefox, it wouldn't download and hung up my machine. Only after going through ALL the above, was I able to even install the Reader in Firefox. Of course, Adobe insanely wipes out all your preferences, even though they are still stored on the machine, and imposes stupid default toolbar options, which now you have to elect INDIVIDUALLY. Gone is the handy 'all toolbar' option so you got a floating window and could just recheck or uncheck all the menu options for the toolbar. Way to go, Adobe. It just keeps getting worse and worse.

So apparently something in Flash Player interferes with the Reader in Firefox? Or Reader now requires Flash Player be installed anew in Firefox, in order for Reader's installation to work? Who knows. I'm so tired of spending my life on glitches in Windows, Adobe, Firefox, etc. Three days lost on this. If I didn't need pdf files for my job, I'd never use Adobe in my lifetime for anything.

THIS IS WHY PC SALES BOG DOWN. People are sick of the problems, and all the blamesmanship. STOP CHANGING THE INTERFACE, and STOP MAKING arcane changes that disable other folks' stuff. Be consistent with your prior version that WORKED, okay?

Sigh: now I've got to troubleshoot why Win7 Moviemaker 6.0 suddenly won't play any sounds when you're in the program. It was fine last week...

This post has been edited by brainout: 24 January 2013 - 07:32 PM

[brainout]

UPDATE: Reader XI kept on hanging up my XP Pro, was always glitchy whenever my mouse was over a pdf icon, unbelievable two weeks of nonsense. So, I finally had to uninstall Adobe Reader XI and get Fox-it, which is available both free and paid, click here. Fabulous alternative. And you can just CALL them as I did just now, to ask a question on usage. Someone answered the phone right away. Got my question answered in seconds. THIS is what I'll be using in lieu of Adobe, from now on!

Installation is quick and easy. They automatically put in add-ons for Firefox, Chrome, Opera. Nothing for IE. The configuration and defaults are intelligent, and you can change the 'skin' color of the Reader. I chose 'orange' (which is really a camel color and sorta golden brown). Very cheerful, easy to use, very like Adobe 9's structure, but with less hassle.

Feel like I've died and gone to heaven. Why didn't I try Fox-it sooner? Mind you, I just bought three more copies of Adobe Acrobat, since the version 6 is good for converting hyperlinks and Word bookmarks to pdf links. But honey, for more modern versions it's Fox-it for me. Their paid version which is like Acrobat comes in three 'Phantom' flavors: $25 Express, $80 Standard, $126 Business. All three offer 30-day free trials. To be able to read for compliant versions or to convert, you at least got to get Standard. The maxed edit and security features are in Business, which features look just like the Acrobat 9 I have. Maybe there are differences.

What a deal. So thanks to Reader XI being so nasty to my XP computre, I now know about Fox-it. Who said there weren't any silver linings?

[brainout]

Just made a short video on Fox-it, so you can see how it looks and works, what the company offers also as paid versions: click here.

[brainout]

brainout, on 06 February 2013 - 09:21 AM, said:

Just made a short video on Fox-it, so you can see how it looks and works, what the company offers also as paid versions: click here.

UPDATE: I can't get Fox-it's paid Business version to operate in XP. It won't convert Word documents, puts the print spooler into a hang each time. So I uninstalled Fox-it, deleted every program file I had which had 'Adobe' in the name, then reinstalled Adobe XI and NOW it works. So either they fixed the bugs, or there was some older Adobe code sitting on the machine which inhibited XI's installation.

Fox-it's nicer to use. But its free reader only offers a graphical image for pdf conversion, and the paid versions don't convert, so although they offer searchable text, you can't convert Word using them. At least, not using XP. I don't need but one Fox-it copy for the XP machine, as I have Acrobat for the rest. So I can't use it at all.

[LiveBrianD]

FWIW, I dumped Adobe Reader years ago because of the attacks and security flaws, and switched to Nitro PDF reader. (and Chrome's PDF reader, when I'm in my browser) That has been working pretty well for me so far. I think Firefox just added a PDF reader as well (haven't tried it though).

[brainout]

LiveBrianD, on 21 February 2013 - 09:28 AM, said:

FWIW, I dumped Adobe Reader years ago because of the attacks and security flaws, and switched to Nitro PDF reader. (and Chrome's PDF reader, when I'm in my browser) That has been working pretty well for me so far. I think Firefox just added a PDF reader as well (haven't tried it though).

I can't wait until you're old enough to enter the workforce; if I had a software firm, I'd hire you immediately; you're honest, creative, analytical, and can't be pushed around. Those are great qualities in an employee. HUMANITY NEEDS YOU. If you ever need a recommendation, just ask.

By contrast, seems like the current workforce, at least in programming, is afflicted with Win8 syndrome. Why? Read on.

BTW, I didn't yet try Nitro -- thank you for the advice, will try it -- but I did use Fox-it. Turned out Fox-it can't work with US Government pdf files, which is the main reason I need pdf. So I had to junk it. Had to junk Adobe Reader XI too, again this morning. Right in the middle of an important legal project. Been up now for almost two days! (Adobe Reader XI continued to trash my XP Pro machine, even after a now-updated Firefox won't even allow pdf files to be read in the browser. Its alternative pdf viewer doesn't work in XP, but does work in Win7. I hate it, and disabled it.)

So, I tried to reinstall my Acrobat 9, again. Turned out -- and I'm on the phone waiting for Adobe right now as I type -- get this: unlike every other piece of software on the planet, Adobe Acrobat requires you to DEACTIVATE it prior to uninstall. Else, when you reinstall, Acrobat thinks you're a thief, installing too many copies of the program (EULA allows two per license). How would anyone know that? (And to deactivate, you have to go into HELP, be online and deactivate within Acrobat. Would you think that was intuitive?) So that solves the problem!

The good news is, Adobe's employees were very helpful. Voice Support line (not sure it will work outside the US) is 800.833.6687.

But at least now, I have Acrobat 9 back. Bought three (four? Five?) copies of Acrobat 4.0-6.0 as well, which I prefer. No more Adobe Reader of any kind, pour moi. At least, not with XP. Win7 machines are unaffected.

Hope this experience here, saves someone else, time and angst.

This post has been edited by brainout: 27 March 2013 - 05:18 AM