Good grief...look what they've done to Adobe Reader version 9

[madfloridian]

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

I really need the reader, but I when downloaded what they said was a 35 mb file...it was not.

It ballooned into over 200 megabytes. The AIR is 113 megabytes alone. I don't know what it is and I don't want it.

I just want to read pdf files! :shrug:

I found the previous version, but it won't allow download...it takes me to version 9. I have the room on my computer but I despise being forced to have 200 megabytes when just a small file will do.

[RoyGBiv]

1. Try Sumatra ...

http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/

[madfloridian]

4. I did not know about these other files. Amazing. Thanks.

What Adobe has done is outrageous.

[madfloridian]

6. That looks free, the foxit looks trial.

Is that right?

[RoyGBiv]

8. It's free ...

Not sure about FoxIt ... never used it.

Sumatra is distributed under the GPLv2 and is free in both senses of the word.

It is made specifically for people who just want a reader and not all the superfluous crap Adobe throws into their reader.

[madfloridian]

9. I have downloaded it twice, from two locations.

The first time, nothing. Then I found it at Cnet compatible with Vista...I used Run. Had it installed to the desktop. It is there. Then I tried to open a pdf file, and got the old run around about finding something to open it. :shrug:

It was a old pdf file, but it shouldn't make a difference. Any ideas.

[RoyGBiv]

11. Oh, damn ... sorry ...

I hadn't tried it with Vista.

From your description, it sounds like the file associations aren't set, which I've heard is a problem with some older software written for XP when it's first ported to Vista.

Can you get the program to start at all?

If so, do you know how to manually change file associations?

[madfloridian]

12. Well, the CNet site said it worked with Vista

But it won't. I tried the link you gave also. Odd. Thanks, though.

The program splash screen showed up on the 2nd try. But when I tried pdfs, it could not find it.

I can change file associations in some programs, but I did not get far enough into it to do so.

[RoyGBiv]

13. Hrrmmm ...

Sorry about that.

I'm about to pass out for the evening. I'll look around in the morning for something that may work. I'll boot up Vista and test if before getting back to you.

In the mean time, it looks like you got FoxIt to work.

The bottom line is there are all kinds of PDF readers, btw. I have two different ones on my Linux box, one just for reading and another if I want to do anything fancy like copy stuff out of it. I mention that simply to note that you will not have to rely on Adobe's bloated mess for this. Just have to research a bit.

I need to get myself caught up on Vista I guess.

[madfloridian]

14. Thanks so much for your help on this.

I am so relieved I don't have to give in and download that bloated Adobe. Have a good night's sleep. I am a terrible night owl since I retired from teaching.

[RoyGBiv]

17. Yeah, I'm a night owl too ...

But I had a full day of meetings today, which meant I had to get some sleep so I didn't fall asleep in them. :-)

See trotsky's note. That's one way to go.

I fired up Vista and looked into the problem you were having. I believe I was correct. Sumatra is not able to set itself as the default application associated with PDF files, even though it has that little dialog that asks you if you want to set it.

So, what I did was double-click on a PDF, checked the option to browse my computer for a program to open it, pointed it to the Sumatra executable, then made sure the option to "Always" use this program to open this kind of file was checked and clicked OK.

After that I was able to double-click any PDF file, and it automatically opened in Sumatra.

I recommend at least trying this.

[ChromeFoundry]

2. Try Foxit

2.5 MB download - and it's free...

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

[madfloridian]

3. It reads pdf files?

Does it open automatically when I try to read a pdf?

[Fumesucker]

5. Yep. Foxit works like a dream. n/t

[madfloridian]

7. I think I misread...it looks free...for a year.

I will try it since I can't get Sumatra to work when I download it.

[madfloridian]

10. Okay, whew... FoxIt works.

Now I have both...so glad I don't need that bloated Adobe reader.

[trotsky]

15. Another great alternative: PDF X-Change Viewer

I had some problems with Foxit and some fill-in PDFs I use, but PDF X-Change handles them just fine. And even better - with Adobe, I couldn't resave the file with it partially filled in (the fields that never change). PDF X-Change let me do that. Sweet!

http://www.docu-track.com/home/prod_user/PDF-XChange_Tools/pdfx_viewer

[RoyGBiv]

16. Yes, this ...

I hadn't heard of this, but I tried it, and it seems to work just fine and certainly has a much smaller footprint than Adobe.

[madokie]

18. Thanks for the link

I went with the portable version. Nice and small, fast and robust. What more could I ask for in a reader. I like it

[madfloridian]

20. Fox-It has crashed 3 times on me.

So I am going to check out your link and uninstall Fox It. Fox It reads the pdf files, but I keep getting messages from Norton and from Windows that it is not working.

[hobbit709]

22. That sounds more like a Norton problem.

I use Foxit on several computers running XP and XP X64. Never a glitch.

[madfloridian]

23. I mean I got the info by going through Norton Internet Security history.

At the times it happened I was in the middle of reading a pdf file when an update window popped up from Fox It. I said no, because I did not want to update right then. Computer froze for a while.

That is when I went into Norton history to check and found this.

roblem Event Name: APPCRASH

Application Name: FOXITR~1.EXE

Application Version: 2.3.2008.3309

Application Timestamp: 48c62435

Fault Module Name: FOXITR~1.EXE

There'e more but that shows something happened with Fox It. I did not make the connection the other times.

I downloaded the PDFX view for now....but surprised at how big it is as well. 32 mgs.

Better than the Adobe, though.

[Muttocracy]

19. they also changed a whole lot about the layout

and I find it a pain in the butt to use. I upgraded on one of my computers at work and will try to hold off on the other one as long as I can. Didn't even pay attention to the file size, but that makes it worse.

:grr:

[canetoad]

21. You could always try this handy site

http://www.oldversion.com/

Scroll down to utilities for older versions of Acrobat reader.

[madfloridian]

24. What a neat site!

Does it really allow you to download the old versions? I am fed up with Real Player and have not yet downloaded Quick Time on my new computer.

Will check it out there.

[canetoad]

25. Yeppers. It does what it says

On Real player and Quicktime, there are freebie alternatives to allow you to play the files without having to install the crappy programs on your puter; Real Alternative & Quicktime Alternative.

You can get them individually here

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_lite_codec_pack.htm

or you could get the full K Lite Codec Pack, which plays about any file you want and includes Real & QT alternatives. I've used it for years, it has no adware or nasties.