Resolved converting Word to PDF

I would like to convert Word files to PDF.

I can use either Foxit or Adobe, but I think the latest Adobe has some problems.

I prefer not using a service that downloads other things I do not want.

any suggestions appreciated.

 

With the little pdf995 print driver installed, you can create PDF files by simply selecting the "print" command from within any application, creating documents which can then be viewed on any computer with a PDF viewer.

http://www.pdf995.com/

 

I have been using cute pdf writer, http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp to make pdf files.

 

Open Office can read word files and export natively to PDF, if you don't already have Word/Office then it's a good substitute and free.

 

thanks to spywaredr, tonyt, russ, and wildfire.

I am using Word 2002, but can use OpenOffice if needed.

I will try out these options.

 

Installing a print-to-PDF utility will probably be much quicker and easier than using OpenOffice to convert Word documents to PDF. I've used CutePDF and its never let me down. And it (or others like it) will be much faster than firing up OpenOffice, fixing any formatting problems that OpenOffice has displaying your document, then saving as PDF.

 

I agree with Paul, dispatch.

If you already have MS Office then Open Office is probably overkill and can cause issues with file associations etc.

I only mentioned it as many people use Word Viewer without having the whole package.

 

I just downloaded and installed doPDF.

The first test was quick and easy.

viruses can destroy txt and doc files, but I have noticed that pdf's are not destroyed by viruses.

maybe someone can comment on that.

 

No file type is virus proof. However many cannot be infected, PDF files like word documents can.

EDIT: See PDF security hole opens a can of worms

 

I also use "doPDF" (I think I'm on version 8.0). It has the advantage over many of the others of being able to create a saveable .pdf file rather than just a printed one. You have to use the Word "Print" command and tell it to use "dopdf" as the "printer ".

My wife puts out an e-mail newsletter to a group of about 45 knitters. Not many of them have MSWord, but they all can get Adobe Reader. After composing on Word 03, I convert it to PDF and send it out as an attachment to an e-mail.

 

Same with pdf995. Select PDF995 as your printer, type in a filename, and PDF995 converts what's being sent to it into a .PDF file.

 

There was a terrible virus that went around a couple of years ago. Many of my txt and doc files were scrambled, and a lot of Korean writing appeared.

But this does not necessarily mean Korea was the source.

Would taking an image, like doing a printscreen of doc pages then saving this in Paint create a safer file?

 

At that point, if you have a lot of files, I'd wonder if simply backing them up to a location not (permanently) connected to your everyday computer would be better (and quicker, perhaps).

In the event that you had to fall back on your backups, doc files would be much more easy to navigate and search through, and edit, than a bunch of jpeg images of your files.

And of course, a backup like I "m suggesting would have the additional advantage of saving you in the event of a hard drive failure, which a simple conversion into a graphic, wouldn't do.

If these are only text and doc files, you might be able to find a free online backup like Microsoft's Skydrive, which you could use quickly and easily enough. One major problem is that they limit the size of the folders/files---25 megs IIRC, so this would be a bit clumsy for backing up larger amounts of data, but it would take a HUGE number of text/doc files to add up to more than 25 megs, and even if they do, you can always upload more than one folder.

Just something to consider, that's all.

 

I understand your methodology here but seriously it's the wrong route to take. Yes JPEG's BMP's etc would be safer (from infection but not corruption) and as pointed out above very difficult to edit (you could look at OCR to convert back).

If the screenshot was corrupted by some virus outbreak or simply failed HD's where do you go?

Security should be looked upon as both proactive and reactive. Changing file types is neither and only causes hassles for your readers.

EDIT: I should point out that text files are equally immune from infection so if you lost text files before then this was corruption and your screenshots would also be at risk.