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Opening embedded PDFs in Word with a different PDF reader

Anonymous
2019-09-02T06:38:20+00:00

Hi All,

I am having this problem where user A embeds PDF document in a Word document and user B is not able to open the embedded .PDF file.

I would like to add that User A has Adobe Acrobat installed and set as the default application for PDF files while User B has PowerPDF installed and

set as the default application. User B does not have Adobe Reader or Acrobat installed.

It looks to me as if Word remembers the default application during the time of the embedding. I've tried embedding a .PDF file with PowerPDF

set as my default application but another user is not able to open the same .PDF file without PowerPDF installed.

Is there a way to open embedded pdfs with a different PDF reading application that was used at the time of the embedding without turning the .doc file into a .zip file?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 322.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2019-09-02T10:08:58+00:00

    When the field codes are toggled on in that document, the code that appears is

    { EMBED NuancePDF.Document } 

    and I am not able to open it by double clicking on it and if I right click on it, it appears as an Unknown Object

    On the other hand, with a PDF that was created by using the Save As PDF facility in Word, it can be opened by double clicking on it, and when right clicking on it, it appears as an Acrobat Document Object and the field code is { EMBED AcroExch.Document.7 }

    That is the case, whether I use Insert>Object>Create from file or Drag and Drop.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-09-04T03:08:25+00:00

    I see. I have tried using the 'Save as PDF' facility in Word as well and I noticed that as long as PowerPDF remains at the default app to open .pdf files, the field code remains { EMBED NuancePDF.Document } when embedding . But changing the default app to Edge allows it to be opened on the computer with only adobe installed.

    Seems like theres no way around this. I wonder if this would this be the case with other 3rd party .pdf readers as well.

    Thanks anyway Doug!

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-09-02T09:39:00+00:00

    The embedded file is displayed as an icon indeed. Our users have a habit of embedding .PDFs by dragging and dropping into forms

    made in Word. The embedded .PDFs look like below:

    Below is a document embedded with a .PDF file with a computer that has PowerPDF set as its default application.

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/90xdyz96v4ol5x6/Example%20Document.docx?dl=0

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  4. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 322.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2019-09-02T08:36:58+00:00

    Maybe a silly question, but is the pdf being inserted as an object created from a file and displayed as an icon

    As I also do not have PowerPDF installed, if you want to send me a document that contains such a pdf, I will see if I can open it.

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