Adobe Acrobat

2008-05-13 03:21:18

PaulFarrar

Registered: May 13 2008

Posts: 4

Hi,

I have a problem that I have tried to search for on this forum but cannot really find a resolution.

I have a SharePoint library (on a MOSS 2007 platform) that hosts PDF documents for review. The SharePoint library already has permissions set to allow saving and editing of any files within it so I know that this is not the issue (e.g. the users can edit and save a Word document ok in this library)

We have a number of users that need to use the 'Review and Comment' mark-up tools within Acrobat Reader (7.0 and 8.0) to comment on the document and mark-up any amends required.

The problem I have is that the document is already enabled for commeting using the 'Enable for commenting in Acrobat Reader' on the Acrobat Pro 8.0 toolbar. When I comment on the document, or make amends using the Review and Comment options it saves my entries fine (the document is saved back to the SharePoint library).

However when one of my colleagues tries to save their comments or annotations it will allow them to make the change but does not save them? (i.e. they can appear to make a change but when they close the document and re-open it the changes are not there!)

The users are mainly on Acrobat Reader 8.0 but as mentioned one of them is on Acrobat Reader 7.0.

I am not trying to set up a review area as in the case of a shared review as we just want the commenting enabled in the document because SharePoint is then going to take over using the built in workflow functionality to control the documents path. The idea is that the document always stays in the SharePoint library and the user checks it out for commenting. Once they have finished they then check it back in.

We want to standardise using the PDF format as the material for this library comes from a number of sources (agencies, in-house etc)

I am lost for an answer as I have scoured the net to find one but have so far come up blank. You guy's are my last hope...

I am quite new to this process but need a solution for a particular business process that is becoming more important as the days go by.

You help is appreciated (please go gentle on me as this is my first post :))

Thank you,

Paul.

2008-05-28 09:53:52

lkassuba

Registered: Jun 28 2007

Posts: 3636

So, you're saying that the end-users with Reader 7 and 8 can make comments within the Comment-enabled PDF but cannot save the PDF to SharePoint, correct?
Can the end-users save their PDF w/comments to other locations (i.e., locally)?

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

2008-06-03 03:53:54

PaulFarrar

Registered: May 13 2008

Posts: 4

Hi,

Thanks for your reply and sorry for not getting back earlier!

I have since set up an 'Attach for Email Review' to see if the review of a PDF document could be done seperate from SharePoint.

This process was acheivable when saving the document locally. However when we asked the user to save the document back to the SharePoint library it said that they could not save to this destination and to try another location (permissions?)

In the SharePoint library we are able to get them to comment/change/mark-up 'Word' documents ok (and use the SharePoint workflow facility to manage the process) so it would seem that they have the permissions to write back to this library? However they cannot do the same with a PDF document!

They currently have full permissions to this library just to make sure (although they really only need Approve/Contribute permissions going forward).

Someone who works at my location and uses a Mac environment said that they had similar issues and needed to change the system permission settings? They claimed that it could be a 'Windows' permission issue as opposed to a SharePoint one? Not too sure what they mean but I thought I would mention it.

All we want to do is store a number of PDF documents in a SharePoint library and use the SharePoint workflow to send these around a number of individuals who can then comment and mark-up the document and potetially 'Approve/Reject' using SharePoint. The issue really is with not being able to write back to that SharePoint library.

The document has of course been enabled for commenting in the full version before being added to the library.

Sorry for the long reply but I wanted to include as much detail as possible.

I really appreciate your help in this matter and hopefully somebody else has come across this issue before?

Our infrastructure is as follows (just in case it is required):

Windows Server 2003 for SharePoint install
Windows XP for all desktop clients
Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.0 Full Version
Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0

Thanks,
Paul.

2008-09-19 09:52:27

kuzdas

Registered: Sep 19 2008

Posts: 1

Hello,

We are encountering a similar issue, but I believe I can explain a few things further to help resolve the issue. I have discovered that when opening a file from sharepoint, it defaults to a read only copy...this can be averted by changing the code in the hyperlink or by opening it in explorer view in sharepoint....however, the error of not being able to save it has to do with a certain flaw in reader and or sharepoint permissions. If you do not have the delete permission in sharepoint, you cannot save the file using acrobat reader....and if you do have the permission, and you open the file directly as mentioned above, you can then save it, but it causes loss of metadata in sharepoint.... the reason for this is because reader, when using the markups ability, actually deletes the old file and replaces it with a new one after saving the document with markups. This is why you get the error when you try to save it without the correct permissions...Sharepoint uses the read/write permissions of windows to protect its files and to organize access rights, which might explain your friends comments about the mac.....anyways, since reader completely creates a new file, it destroys all previous versions of the sharepoint file and its metadata....making it useless with sharepoint....therefore, reader cannot be used to comment a file in sharepoint with this design (I have tested everything using acrobat pro 7 and reader 8.1).

This causes us, who have a business charter not to spend additional money on this project, to have to use other software than the current Adobe software, since sharepoint is by far more vital in the process. If Adobe would like to continue receiving the hundreds of licences that my corporation purchases, they need to assist us by explaining how to use the reader function (for the thousands of employees without pro) for comments WITHOUT having to replace the original file upon saving....

please assist...

thanks,

Ken

2008-09-22 00:45:06

PaulFarrar

Registered: May 13 2008

Posts: 4

Thank you for your reply Ken.

This at least makes more sense now! If i read correctly you say that we can use the document ok if we open it in explorer. Does that also allow us to save back any annotation/comments?

I really need to get this to work and have been told that Office 2007 works ok the way we would like (we are currently on Office 2003 and have no plans to roll out 2007 until next year!) Could you confirm that it is Office 2003 that you are using so that I know whether or not 2007 actually does work?

Once again thanks for your help. Good luck with Adobe...

Paul

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Saving comments problem!