We are deploying Acrobat 7 to our enterprise and ran into a problem with the Adobe PDF printer. Our users are do not have local admin privledges on their pc's. When attempting to setup a new page size via the Adobe PDF printer properties dialog, the users are prevented from adding a new page size. Does Anyone know how to resolve this issue without giving the user full administrative privileges?
I hate to say this, but this is not a problem with Adobe/Acrobat/Adobe PDF printer per se, but a design limitation of MS-Windows.
The information regarding papersizes and such things is secured from change by Windows security.
There are a couple of way's around this.
You can add the additional paper sizes needed to your Acrobat build when you deploy it. Unless there are some signifigant business constraints, I've found this to be a non-issue for most users.
You can create a .REG file with the added paper sizes and deploy it as part of your software update process (which 1) you should have) 2) has Admin access to apply the updates). Hint: Even sneakernet updates, while a bit inefficient, is a valid process.
You can try to find a way to allow printers to be fully managed by Users/PowerUsers without giving away the keys to the kingdom by making them all Admin's. I have no knowlege on how to do this one, or if it is even possible. I am not a Windows security expert.
The first two may be your bet bet. Why? You still retain control over what paper sizes they are using. Once the paper has been added to a specific machine all users of that machine will have access to them -- they are global in nature.
Now, where to store this stuff....
The media types for a particular printer are stored in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\Adobe PDF\DsDriver\printMediaSupported
If you do a registry export to the above you will find this in the .REG file
"printMediaSupported"=hex(7):4c,00,65,00,74,00,74,00,65,00,72,00,00,00,54,00,\
61,00,62,00,6c,00,6f,00,69,00,64,00,00,00,4c,00,65,00,64,00,67,00,65,00,72,\
00,00,00,4c,00,65,00,67,00,61,00,6c,00,00,00,45,00,78,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,\
74,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,00,00,41,00,33,00,00,00,41,00,34,00,00,00,41,00,32,\
00,00,00,31,00,31,00,20,00,78,00,20,00,31,00,37,00,00,00,53,00,63,00,72,00,\
65,00,65,00,6e,00,00,00,41,00,4e,00,53,00,49,00,20,00,43,00,00,00,41,00,4e,\
00,53,00,49,00,20,00,44,00,00,00,41,00,4e,00,53,00,49,00,20,00,45,00,00,00,\
41,00,4e,00,53,00,49,00,20,00,46,00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,20,00,41,\
00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,20,00,42,00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,\
20,00,43,00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,20,00,44,00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,\
00,48,00,20,00,45,00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,20,00,45,00,31,00,00,00,\
41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,20,00,45,00,32,00,00,00,41,00,52,00,43,00,48,00,20,\
00,45,00,33,00,00,00,41,00,31,00,00,00,41,00,30,00,00,00,4f,00,76,00,65,00,\
72,00,73,00,69,00,7a,00,65,00,20,00,41,00,32,00,00,00,4f,00,76,00,65,00,72,\
00,73,00,69,00,7a,00,65,00,20,00,41,00,31,00,00,00,4f,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,\
73,00,69,00,7a,00,65,00,20,00,41,00,30,00,00,00,49,00,53,00,4f,00,20,00,42,\
00,35,00,00,00,49,00,53,00,4f,00,20,00,42,00,34,00,00,00,49,00,53,00,4f,00,\
20,00,42,00,32,00,00,00,49,00,53,00,4f,00,20,00,42,00,31,00,00,00,43,00,35,\
00,00,00,4a,00,49,00,53,00,20,00,42,00,34,00,00,00,4a,00,49,00,53,00,20,00,\
42,00,33,00,00,00,4a,00,49,00,53,00,20,00,42,00,32,00,00,00,4a,00,49,00,53,\
00,20,00,42,00,31,00,00,00,4a,00,49,00,53,00,20,00,42,00,30,00,00,00,39,00,\
32,00,20,00,78,00,20,00,39,00,32,00,00,00,53,00,6c,00,69,00,64,00,65,00,20,\
00,37,00,2e,00,35,00,20,00,78,00,20,00,31,00,30,00,00,00,33,00,30,00,78,00,\
34,00,30,00,00,00,32,00,30,00,78,00,33,00,30,00,00,00,50,00,6f,00,73,00,74,\
00,53,00,63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,20,00,43,00,75,00,73,00,74,00,6f,00,\
6d,00,20,00,50,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,20,00,53,00,69,00,7a,00,65,00,00,00,00,\
00
This can easily be edited (or at least determined) by a hex editor. A nother method is to just edit in regedit and re-export.
The information regarding a specific form is stored in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Forms
The easiest way to add/delete/manage forms is throught he Print Server Properties -
Start | Printers and Faxes
File (menu) Server Properties.
Once they are in there it's a simple matter to add/remove them to a particular printer by adding or removing them from the printMediaSupported list.
Hope this helps.
Thanks
-Doug
Douglas Hanna is a member of the Production Print Technology team at Aon.
www.aonhewitt.com