These forums are now Read Only. If you have an Acrobat question, ask questions and get help from one of our experts.

Covert to Adobe PDF crashes Word 2003

Forum Index > PDF Creation > Covert to Adobe PDF crashes Word 2003
2010-01-14 07:32:33
kbrown
Registered: Oct 22 2009
Posts: 18

Hello Experts,

We have Acrobat Pro 8.1.7 and MS Word 2003 running on XP Pro - all current patches in all products.

[b]1) Primary Symptom:[/b]
Converting a Word 2003 document to a PDF crashes Word. This happens with alarming frequency but not with all documents.

[b]2) Secondary Symptom(s):[/b]
[b](a)[/b] When Word crashes like this Windows Default Printer will have changed to "Adobe PDF" rather than remaining what it was.
[b](b)[/b] When Word and Acrobat do play well together we find that the first time we convert to PDF the process completes without crashing Word but does not actually create a PDF. The second time it does create the PDF. As long as Word is not closed subsequent documents can be converted to PDF successfully, until Word crashes.

[b]3) Description of Procedure Followed Resulting in Problem:[/b]

With a document open in Word 2003 we select "Convert to Adobe PDF". The process starts and then Word crashes.

[b]4) Actions Taken to Resolve Issue:[/b]
We have done a Repair installation of both Word 2003 and Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.1.7 with no positive effect.

Any and all pointers or recommendations to resolve this problem would be appreciated.

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 8.1.7, Windows
Top
2010-01-14 08:32:36
#1
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Are there any messages in the log file? C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\Distiller 8

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

Top
2010-01-14 13:11:51
#2
kbrown
Registered: Oct 22 2009
Posts: 18
Here are bits from the messages.log of two systems (same versions of s/w & o/s) - the error occurs more often on System #2.You'll see an error in System #1 below (5th line) but not in System#2

SYSTEM #1
=========
Acrobat Distiller 8.0Started: January 14, 2010 at 15:48:00 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

Error in PDFX4 2007.joboptions:/CheckCompliance out of rangeAcrobat Distiller 8.0Started: January 14, 2010 at 15:49:28 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

Error in PDFX4 2007.joboptions:/CheckCompliance out of range Start Time: January 14, 2010 at 15:49:28Source: PMtoDistiller_ID_2:Microsoft Word - Employment Contract draft.docDestination: C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr53.pdfAdobe PDF Settings: C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF\Settings\Open-w-Bookmarks.joboptionsC:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr53.logProcessing prologue.ps...Done processing prologue.ps.%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%%%[Page: 1]%%%%[Page: 2]%%%%[Page: 3]%%%%[Page: 4]%%%%[Page: 5]%%%%[Page: 6]%%%%[Page: 7]%%%%[Page: 8]%%%%[Page: 9]%%%%[Page: 10]%%%%[Page: 11]%%%%[LastPage]%%Processing epilogue.ps...Done processing epilogue.ps.Distill Time: 00 Hour(s) : 00 Minute(s) : 01.328 Second(s)**** End of Job ****

SYSTEM #2
=========

Acrobat Distiller 8.0Started: January 12, 2010 at 16:04:56 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

 Start Time: January 12, 2010 at 16:04:56Source: PMtoDistiller_ID_6:Microsoft Word - Employment Contract draft.docDestination: C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr164.pdfAdobe PDF Settings: C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF\Settings\Open-w-Bookmarks.joboptionsC:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr164.logProcessing prologue.ps...Done processing prologue.ps.%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%%%[Page: 1]%%%%[Page: 2]%%%%[Page: 3]%%%%[Page: 4]%%%%[Page: 5]%%%%[Page: 6]%%%%[Page: 7]%%%%[Page: 8]%%%%[Page: 9]%%%%[Page: 10]%%%%[Page: 11]%%%%[LastPage]%%Processing epilogue.ps...Done processing epilogue.ps.Distill Time: 00 Hour(s) : 00 Minute(s) : 00.812 Second(s)**** End of Job ****

The Windows Event Viewer Application has error messages related to Microsoft Office 11

Event Type:	ErrorEvent Source:	Microsoft Office 11Event Category:	NoneEvent ID:	1000Date:		12/01/2010Time:		3:30:20 PMUser:		N/AComputer:	DESKTOP-3Description:Faulting application winword.exe, version 11.0.8313.0, stamp 4a793d83, faulting module winword.exe, version 11.0.8313.0, stamp 4a793d83, debug? 0, fault address 0x008758ef. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: 41 00 70 00 70 00 6c 00   A.p.p.l.0008: 69 00 63 00 61 00 74 00   i.c.a.t.0010: 69 00 6f 00 6e 00 20 00   i.o.n. .0018: 46 00 61 00 69 00 6c 00   F.a.i.l.0020: 75 00 72 00 65 00 20 00   u.r.e. .0028: 20 00 77 00 69 00 6e 00    .w.i.n.0030: 77 00 6f 00 72 00 64 00   w.o.r.d.0038: 2e 00 65 00 78 00 65 00   ..e.x.e.0040: 20 00 31 00 31 00 2e 00    .1.1...0048: 30 00 2e 00 38 00 33 00   0...8.3.0050: 31 00 33 00 2e 00 30 00   1.3...0.0058: 20 00 34 00 61 00 37 00    .4.a.7.0060: 39 00 33 00 64 00 38 00   9.3.d.8.0068: 33 00 20 00 69 00 6e 00   3. .i.n.0070: 20 00 77 00 69 00 6e 00    .w.i.n.0078: 77 00 6f 00 72 00 64 00   w.o.r.d.0080: 2e 00 65 00 78 00 65 00   ..e.x.e.0088: 20 00 31 00 31 00 2e 00    .1.1...0090: 30 00 2e 00 38 00 33 00   0...8.3.0098: 31 00 33 00 2e 00 30 00   1.3...0.00a0: 20 00 34 00 61 00 37 00    .4.a.7.00a8: 39 00 33 00 64 00 38 00   9.3.d.8.00b0: 33 00 20 00 66 00 44 00   3. .f.D.00b8: 65 00 62 00 75 00 67 00   e.b.u.g.00c0: 20 00 30 00 20 00 61 00    .0. .a.00c8: 74 00 20 00 6f 00 66 00   t. .o.f.00d0: 66 00 73 00 65 00 74 00   f.s.e.t.00d8: 20 00 30 00 30 00 38 00    .0.0.8.00e0: 37 00 35 00 38 00 65 00   7.5.8.e.00e8: 66 00 0d 00 0a 00         f.....
Top
2010-01-14 22:04:04
#3
abhigyan
Expert
Registered: Nov 29 2007
Posts: 223
On the documents that this happens, does it happen consistently?
Top
2010-01-15 06:41:27
#4
kbrown
Registered: Oct 22 2009
Posts: 18
The behavior is not consistent - making troubleshooting more complex.

Sometimes converting a Word document;

a) will consistently fail on System #2 but will work on System #1.
b) will fail on System #2 but after a reboot will succeed.
c) will fail on System #2 sometime a reboot and after several other successful conversions of other documents.

What is consistent is that if Acrobat had not yet been run since the system started, the first time one tries to convert to Adobe PDF the process will run, appear to complete but the document does not pop up in an Acrobat window and will not have been created. But, on a second attempt to convert the document the process will complete,, pop up an Acrobat window displaing the document that was created.

It is also consistent that when the conversion process crashes Word that the Windows default printer will have been changed to Adobe PDF rather than what was the default.
Top
2010-01-15 10:37:41
#5
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Make sure that you are not using the PDFX4 2007 setting when creating your PDFs as Distiller 8 or 9 do not support this. This probably came from an install of CS3 where this setting can be used only if you export directly out InDesign or Illustrator.

Also, can you detail what your prologue and epilogue processes are?

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

Top
2010-01-18 08:13:13
#6
kbrown
Registered: Oct 22 2009
Posts: 18
Hello,

As far as PDFx4 2007 settings are concerned my system once had CS3 installed (System #1 in the examples). I never knowingly use PDFx4 2007 settings but I did find the file "PDFX4 2007.joboptions" in "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF\Settings".

Would you recommend deleting "PDFX4 2007.joboptions"?

We are using a the default prologue.ps and a modestly edited epilogue.ps (which will look familiar to you).

Prologue.ps
%%  prologue.ps%%  This file can be used to add custom PostScript code that you%  wish to have executed at the beginning of every PostScript job%  being distilled. If the option labelled "Use Prologue.ps and%  Epilogue.ps" is selected in the "Advanced" panel of the "Job%  Options" dialog, the contents of this file will be executed%  before the actual PostScript file is run. This file is executed%  when the "UsePrologue" parameter is set to "true" in the job%  options file. This file is usually located in Distiller's "Data"%  directory, but it may in fact reside anywhere in the same folder

%  or directory as the Distiller application. This file can be used

%  for a variety of purposes, including adding a cover page to a job

%  or for defining PostScript procedures for gathering statistics

%  while a PostScript job is executing.

%

 (Processing prologue.ps...\n) print flush %  Insert your custom PostScript here...

 (Done processing prologue.ps.\n) print flush %  End of file.

Epilogue.ps
%%  epilogue.ps%%  This file can be used to add custom PostScript code that you%  wish to have executed at the end of every PostScript job%  being distilled. If the option labelled "Use Prologue.ps and%  Epilogue.ps" is selected in the "Advanced" panel of the "Job%  Options" dialog, the contents of this file will be executed%  after the actual PostScript file is run. This file is executed%  when the "UsePrologue" parameter is set to "true" in the job%  options file. This file is usually located in Distiller's "Data"%  directory, but it may in fact reside anywhere in the same folder

%  or directory as the Distiller application. This file can be used

%  for a variety of purposes, including running PostScript procedures

%  for summarizing and printing job statistics collected during

%  distillation.

%

 (Processing epilogue.ps...\n) print flush %  Insert your custom PostScript here...

%  Next section from http://www.acrobatusers.com/blogs/lkassuba/setting-initial-view-property-your-pdfs

 [ /PageMode /UseOutlines

/Page 1 /View [/Fit ]

/DOCVIEW pdfmark

 % end of customization

 (Done processing epilogue.ps.\n) print flush %  End of file.

I'd really like to get this problem corrected.
Top
2010-01-19 07:36:06
#7
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
You can remove the joboptions settings but it shouldn't matter if you're not using it.

Have you tried renaming your Word Normal.dot file?

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

Top
2010-01-19 12:08:37
#8
kbrown
Registered: Oct 22 2009
Posts: 18
With respect to Word's Normal.dot - I have created a new "default" Normal.dot by first deleting the existing Normal.dot then firing up Word and saving a blank document and closing Word.

After that I called up a document in Word and tried to create a PDF from it - BOOM! Word crashed.

I have deduced that our customized Normal.dot is not a player in this problem.

Here's a record of what I did today to demonstrate the problem. First I made sure no Adobe or MS Office processes were running. I refreshed out Normal.dot and then did the following in sequence:


[b]Attempt #1[/b]

a) Delete Acrobat messages.log.

b) Start Word - acrotray.exe is NOT running. Call up Word document.

c) First attempt to create a PDF from the Word document;
Select -> Adobe PDF -> Convert to Adobe PDFd) RESULT - Word does not crash but PDF is NOT created. Acrobat messages.log says;

Acrobat Distiller 8.2Started: January 19, 2010 at 12:25:03 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

e) acrotray.exe is NOW running. Word document remains on screen.

[b]Attempt #2[/b]

a) Second attempt to creat a PDF from the Word document;
Select -> Adobe PDF -> Convert to Adobe PDFb) RESULT - Word does not crash and PDF is NOW created. As it PDF is being created acrodist.exe
start to run and finally Acrobat.exe starts to run and displays the PDF.

c) Now messages.log has added to it;

Acrobat Distiller 8.2Started: January 19, 2010 at 12:37:01 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

 Start Time: January 19, 2010 at 12:37:01Source: PMtoDistiller_ID_28:Microsoft Word - Will Spouse Trust and Short Form Family Trust PATH_20100119.docDestination: C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr117.pdfAdobe PDF Settings: C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF\Settings\Open-w-Bookmarks.joboptionsC:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr117.logProcessing prologue.ps...Done processing prologue.ps.%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%%%[Page: 1]%%%%[Page: 2]%%%%[Page: 3]%%%%[Page: 4]%%%%[Page: 5]%%%%[Page: 6]%%%%[Page: 7]%%%%[Page: 8]%%%%[Page: 9]%%%%[Page: 10]%%%%[Page: 11]%%%%[Page: 12]%%%%[Page: 13]%%%%[Page: 14]%%%%[Page: 15]%%%%[Page: 16]%%%%[Page: 17]%%%%[Page: 18]%%%%[LastPage]%%Processing epilogue.ps...Done processing epilogue.ps.Distill Time: 00 Hour(s) : 00 Minute(s) : 01.141 Second(s)**** End of Job ****  Start Time: January 19, 2010 at 12:37:04Source: PMtoDistiller_ID_29:Microsoft Word - Acr119.docDestination: C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr11A.pdfAdobe PDF Settings: c:\docume~1\USER\locals~1\temp\Open-w-Bookmarks.joboptionsC:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr11A.logProcessing prologue.ps...Done processing prologue.ps.%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%%%[Page: 1]%%%%[Page: 2]%%%%[Page: 3]%%%%[Page: 4]%%%%[Page: 5]%%%%[Page: 6]%%%%[Page: 7]%%%%[Page: 8]%%%%[Page: 9]%%%%[Page: 10]%%%%[Page: 11]%%%%[Page: 12]%%%%[Page: 13]%%%%[Page: 14]%%%%[Page: 15]%%%%[Page: 16]%%%%[Page: 17]%%%%[Page: 18]%%%%[LastPage]%%Processing epilogue.ps...Done processing epilogue.ps.Distill Time: 00 Hour(s) : 00 Minute(s) : 01.0 Second(s)**** End of Job ****

[b]Attempt #3[/b]

a) Close Word and Acrobat, kill acrotray.exe and acrodist.exe and try the above again.

b) Delete Acrobat messages.log.

c) Start Word - acrotray.exe is NOT running. Call up Word document.

d) First attempt to create a PDF from the Word document;
Select -> Adobe PDF -> Convert to Adobe PDFe) RESULT - Word crashes!!!! There is no Acrobat messges.log and the Windows
default printer has been changed to Adobe PDF.

f) Manually reset default printer to normal default printer.

g) Start Word again - acrotray.exe is NOT running. Call up Word document.

h) First attempt to creat a PDF from the Word document;
Select -> Adobe PDF -> Convert to Adobe PDFi) RESULT - Word does not crash but PDF is NOT created. Acrobat messages.log says;

Acrobat Distiller 8.2Started: January 19, 2010 at 12:49:53 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

j) acrotray.exe is NOW running. Word document remains on screen.

[b]Attempt #4[/b]

a) Second attempt to creat a PDF from the Word document;
Select -> Adobe PDF -> Convert to Adobe PDFb) Word does not crash and PDF is NOW created. As PDF is being created acrodist.exe
start to run and finally Acrobat.exe starts to run and displays the PDF.

c) Now messages.log has added to it;

Acrobat Distiller 8.2Started: January 19, 2010 at 12:54:13 Adobe PostScript software version: 3016.102CID support library initialization completed.

 Start Time: January 19, 2010 at 12:54:13Source: PMtoDistiller_ID_30:Microsoft Word - Will Spouse Trust and Short Form Family Trust PATH_20100119.docDestination: C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr121.pdfAdobe PDF Settings: C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe PDF\Settings\Open-w-Bookmarks.joboptionsC:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr121.logProcessing prologue.ps...Done processing prologue.ps.%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%%%[Page: 1]%%%%[Page: 2]%%%%[Page: 3]%%%%[Page: 4]%%%%[Page: 5]%%%%[Page: 6]%%%%[Page: 7]%%%%[Page: 8]%%%%[Page: 9]%%%%[Page: 10]%%%%[Page: 11]%%%%[Page: 12]%%%%[Page: 13]%%%%[Page: 14]%%%%[Page: 15]%%%%[Page: 16]%%%%[Page: 17]%%%%[Page: 18]%%%%[LastPage]%%Processing epilogue.ps...Done processing epilogue.ps.Distill Time: 00 Hour(s) : 00 Minute(s) : 01.172 Second(s)**** End of Job ****  Start Time: January 19, 2010 at 12:54:16Source: PMtoDistiller_ID_31:Microsoft Word - Acr123.docDestination: C:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr124.pdfAdobe PDF Settings: c:\docume~1\USER\locals~1\temp\Open-w-Bookmarks.joboptionsC:\DOCUME~1\USER\LOCALS~1\Temp\Acr124.logProcessing prologue.ps...Done processing prologue.ps.%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%%%[Page: 1]%%%%[Page: 2]%%%%[Page: 3]%%%%[Page: 4]%%%%[Page: 5]%%%%[Page: 6]%%%%[Page: 7]%%%%[Page: 8]%%%%[Page: 9]%%%%[Page: 10]%%%%[Page: 11]%%%%[Page: 12]%%%%[Page: 13]%%%%[Page: 14]%%%%[Page: 15]%%%%[Page: 16]%%%%[Page: 17]%%%%[Page: 18]%%%%[LastPage]%%Processing epilogue.ps...Done processing epilogue.ps.Distill Time: 00 Hour(s) : 00 Minute(s) : 00.859 Second(s)**** End of Job ****

[b]Observations[/b]

It does not matter if I use Word's default Normal.dot or the standard Normal.dot
we have developed here.

I notice that Acrobat's messages.log sometimes uses the full path and sometimes truncates the full path using the tilde (~).

I'm hoping that the experts out there can provide further help to rectify this problem.

Thanks!
Top
2010-01-20 03:46:06
#9
abhigyan
Expert
Registered: Nov 29 2007
Posts: 223
mmm.. long shot - but try changing your default printer to Adobe PDF printer and see if that makes a difference.

Also, I am wondering if this is specific to the custom job option that you are using. Can you replicate the same problem with Standard joboption.
Top
2010-01-20 05:54:17
#10
kbrown
Registered: Oct 22 2009
Posts: 18
UPDATE:

Changing the default printer to Adobe PDF makes no difference. Besides, that's not the default printer we want.

With respect to the default printer the behaviour should be that the default printer remains in place even if in the process of creating the PDF the default printer is temporarily changed by that process to Adobe PDF.

Secondly, the joboption is NOT the problem. The same crashing behaviour occurs using the standard joboption that comes stock with Adobe Acrobat Pro 8.x

Today I called Adobe support. They figured that Acrobat's plugins must be corrupt.

Therefore on one system we deleted Acrobat's plug_ins directory (C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat\plug_ins) and found that a repair install immediately commenced and replaced that directory. From that point on this system we found, in some brief tests, that "Convert to Adobe PDF" from Word 2003 worked.

I tried the same thing on the other system but had to initiate the repair install manually. When done Word continued to crash when converting.

I will completely uninstal Acrobat on the second system and reinstall. Hopefully there will not be a license problem in so doing. Then I will test again and get back to this forum.

[i]By the way, we have tried PDFXChange Pro v4 from inside Word and it will convert the same documents to PDF without issues and Without crashing Word. We'd prefer to continue to use Acrobat but if Acrobat cannot be made to work we will have to drop it in favour of a competitor's product that works without crashing word.[/i]

On the topic of "Convert to Adobe PDF" running the first time in Word (when it does not crash word) and yet NOT creating a PDF but on the second time successfully creating the PDF I was told by Adobe support that acrotray.exe must be running. Therefore I have set it to run at startup by putting a shortcut to acrotray.exe in the user's Startup folder. This seems to have resolved the first run issue.


ANy additional information and pointers, especially from Adobe people, would be most welcome.
Top
2011-05-31 05:10:21
#11
glenda@artworks...
Registered: May 31 2011
Posts: 1
I'm overwhelmed by all of this and I'm not a novice at computers. I upgrated to Acrobat 9 because Acrobat 8 would not work on my new Windows 7. Now after installing Acrobat 9 Standard, my problem is worse. Not only can I not create PDF files out of MSWORD files, now MSWORD does not open. It just hangs.


Top
2011-05-31 09:47:08
#12
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
[email protected] wrote:
I'm overwhelmed by all of this and I'm not a novice at computers. I upgrated to Acrobat 9 because Acrobat 8 would not work on my new Windows 7. Now after installing Acrobat 9 Standard, my problem is worse. Not only can I not create PDF files out of MSWORD files, now MSWORD does not open. It just hangs.
The first version of Acrobat 9 to support Windows 7 is version 9.2, so first download the updates to see if this corrects the problem.

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

Top