Can't read pdf help file in Adobe.

The program to which the pdf belongs opens up the document via its Help tab.

I want to extract the file so that I may read it without running the program.

Adobe Reader coughs up the warning " ... could not open the file because it's either not supported or is damaged."

How can I overcome this?

 

Are you sure it's opening a PDF and not a .chm? I'm not sure what .chm stands for but they are usually opened in a browser or a browser "type" window, like some Windows help windows are.

I'm a bit confused; you say that Adobe gives an error message, yet you don't seem to have a copy of the file. The PDF is most likely somewhere in the program folder of the program it belongs to.

It's worth trying another PDF reader, if you are sure you have a PDF there and Adobe can't handle it. Foxit Reader is an option and you can download it from Major Geeks:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/foxit_reader.html

 

CHM stands for compiled HTML and usually opens in Microsoft's CHM reader. They're smaller files than regular HTML help files that would open in your default browser.

It is possible that the PDF file is corrupted and you need to re-download/re-install the app and file. Another PDF reader you could try is Sumatra PDF also available from MG's.

 

Yes, it's a pdf.

There are two pdf files in a folder labelled "Manual" within the software's program folder. One is the English, the other another language, Help file which is called up from the program's Help tag - which works.

But I can't read the file either by clicking on it in the program's folder or on a copy of it placed elsewhere.

I have Foxit Reader too, which also rejects it with a message similar to Adobe's.

The application is on a c.d. which contains the support software for a PC based test instrument.

 

And the help inside the program is definitely calling up the PDF and not a .chm? It's not unusual for a program to call a browser-based version of help from inside the program and still supply a PDF file, which usually(!) can be read from outside the program.

Check the program folder for any .chm files. If the program is calling .chm files, there is still the possibility of the PDF being damaged.

 

No, not a .chm file in sight.

Anyway, I found a way round it.

Opening up the User Manual from within the program, there is a "Print" facility.

I wondered if it would recognise a pdf printer, so I installed Bullzip PDF Printer.

I'm pleased to say that it works fine and I now have a readable pdf file separate from the program.

 

This is a known problem with increased security on Adobe Reader XI. It occurs when the '%PDF' constant is not at the beginning of the file.

You can set a registry value that reverts the Reader functionality to previous versions; however, the Adobe Helpx site is down right now, so I can't post that link.

I will do it tomorrow when the site is back up.

 

Interesting pwillener, thank you.

 

Here is the link: http://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/pdf-error-1015-11001-update.html

I also have a registry script that can set the registry entry described in the KB; see attachments.

• validate10.reg is for Reader X
• validate11.reg is for Reader XI

 

Why would the constant be missing? I can't say I know much about PDF creation but my guesses would be either incorrectly made by a poor quality program or older PDFs where security wasn't a consideration. Is the constant that thing that all files are supposed to have in the first bytes of a file to identify the type of file?

Clever! Good stuff.

Pwillener, would this perhaps have created a PDF file that included the constant?