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Fill Form not working

Forum Index > Security > Fill Form not working
2011-02-25 06:40:27
mdmommyof3
Registered: Feb 25 2011
Posts: 4
Answered

I have been trying to add text in a form in Adobe Reader X, but I keep getting an error saying the settings have been changed. When I view security preferences it states that Filling of Form Fields is now allowed. Though when I open it in Acrobat, the security settings say allowed. Any ideas, on how to make it allowable in Reader?
 
Thanks.

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2011-02-25 10:48:32
#1
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
I think that Reader is telling you that the Enabling on the form has been invalidated. If you have Acrobat Pro you can re-enable the original form. Or even save the current form as a copy to strip off the enabling. Then re-enable.


Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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2011-02-25 11:49:45
#2
mdmommyof3
Registered: Feb 25 2011
Posts: 4
How would I do that with Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard?

Thanks.
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2011-02-25 12:11:17
#3
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
I'm not sure, I don't have Acro8 std installed. Can you "Save As Copy"? This is the feature that strips Reader Enabling.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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2011-02-26 07:40:30
#4
mdmommyof3
Registered: Feb 25 2011
Posts: 4
Ok, I was able to "save as copy" and can fill in the fields. But now I can't save the form with the completed fields in reader.

I think it has something to do with an update to reader. Because it worked fine with previous Reader versions.
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2011-02-26 10:50:05
#5
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
The form can't be saved from Reader because the Reader Enabling has been stripped out. But it may have stopped working in the first place because of a Reader update. It could also have stopped working because of an unauthorized change to the form (one not allowed by the enabling).

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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2011-02-26 11:45:04
#6
mdmommyof3
Registered: Feb 25 2011
Posts: 4
So, if I need to send a fillable and a form which could be saved to multiple clients that might not have Acrobat, are there any other options?

Thanks, again.
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2011-02-26 14:43:38
#7
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Accepted Answer
In Reader the user can fill out a form, print it, email the form data, and/or submit the form data to a server. In order to save the form it must be Reader Enabled with Save Rights. Save Rights can only be applied in one of two ways, with Acrobat Professional or the Adobe Rights Server. Those are the only options.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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2011-03-30 06:54:37
#8
pureland
Registered: Mar 30 2011
Posts: 4
Unable to use signature box after filling form and save as pdf from acrobat x. Please help.

In Acrobat X the fill in form was editable and signature box can be activated but once i saved the file as pdf in Acrobat Reader and try to send to people the form can be fill in but the signature box not working. Is there something I could have missed to enter before saving it. Please advise. Thanks a lot.
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2011-03-30 14:29:45
#9
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
Was the form saved with Extended Reader Rights?

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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2011-04-03 04:40:10
#10
pureland
Registered: Mar 30 2011
Posts: 4
I have saved the file as Reader Extended PDF but still the same.
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2011-04-03 10:08:43
#11
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
Are the users using Mac's and Preview?

What versions of Reader are your users using?

If you created your forms with LiveCycle Designer, your users may need to update their version of Reader.

If you look at the Security tab of the PDF's properties, you should see a statement about the special rights.

Your users will need to have or create a Digital Certificate that Acrobat/Reader will recognize and make the public key available to you.

George Kaiser

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2011-04-03 23:27:01
#12
pureland
Registered: Mar 30 2011
Posts: 4
So, what you mean is my clients must have Reader X to open instead of Reader 9 then only they can use the signature box? Thanks.
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2011-04-04 08:06:52
#13
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
No, just trying to get more details that you should have obtained.

Do your users get any Messages?

Have they created a digital certificate and shared their public certificate with you.

From Acrobat 8 Professional Help:


Quote:
Enable Reader users to save form dataOrdinarily, Adobe Reader users can’t save filled-in copies of forms that they complete. However, you can extend rights to Reader users so they have the ability to do so. These extended rights also include the ability to add comments, use the Typewriter tool, and digitally sign the PDF.

Choose Advanced > Enable User Rights In Adobe Reader.
Read the instructions that appear, and then click Save Now.
These extended privileges are limited to the current PDF. When you create a different PDF form, you must perform this task again if you want to enable Reader users to save their own filled-in copies of that PDF.
Quote:
About digital signaturesA digital signature, like a conventional handwritten signature, identifies the person signing a document. Unlike a handwritten signature, a digital signature is difficult to forge because it contains encrypted information that is unique to the signer and easily verified.

Most digital signatures are referred to as approval signatures. Signatures that certify a PDF are called certifying signatures. Only the first person to sign a PDF (most often, the author) can add a certifying signature. A certifying signature attests to the contents of the document and allows the signer to specify the types of changes allowed for the document to remain certified. Changes to the document are detected in the Signatures panel.

To sign a document, you must obtain a digital ID or create a self-signed digital ID in Acrobat. The digital ID contains a private key that is used to add the digital signature, and a certificate that you share with those who need to validate your signature. When you apply a digital signature, Acrobat uses a hashing algorithm to generate a message digest, which it encrypts using your private key. Acrobat embeds the encrypted message digest in the PDF, along with details from your certificate, a visual representation of your signature, and a version of the document at the time it was signed.

Note: For the latest information about digital signatures, choose Help > Online Support > Knowledge Base to open the Adobe Acrobat support page on the Adobe website, and then search for “digital signatures.”
You may have add a feature only available to version 9 or above that has nothing to do with form fields or digital signatures or saved the PDF form at the version 10 level.

George Kaiser

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2011-04-05 00:27:47
#14
pureland
Registered: Mar 30 2011
Posts: 4
Does the Signature only works in Acrobat and not in Reader? So, we can only filling in the form in Reader and not for Signature?
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2011-04-05 07:34:21
#15
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4307
Look in Acrobat's Help and search for 'Extended Rights'.

Created form in 8 Professional with Extended Reader Rights, and signed with Reader version 8.

Now if your users want a facsimile signature showing on the certificate signature, that is a different problem. But the digital certificate can be recognized by the UCC.

George Kaiser

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