Do I need to reboot after installing PDF reDirect Pro?

No, but you may experience the following problems the first time you use PDF reDirect Pro.

• The "preview" button never appears (but the file is created properly).

• An error occurs when creating the PDF file (very rare, but can occur if you have other programs opened when running the installation program).

• If these problems occur, please reboot to clear them.

Do I need to remove PDF reDirect Pro first when upgrading to a new version?

No. The installation program will automatically remove the old version, then install the new one. Your preferences and registration will be preserved. It is strongly recommended that you reboot the computer before upgrading PDF reDirect Pro. If you decide not to reboot, then as a minimum you should close all applications before upgrading but In some rare instances, the installation will still fail if the Microsoft Printer Spool reports that the PDF reDirect Printer is 'busy'. If the installation fails, simply reboot and re-install. It should work fine then.

Do I need to remove PDF reDirect Freeware first when upgrading to PDF reDirect Professional?

No. You can switch to PDF reDirect Pro from within PDF reDirect Freeware via the Preferences window.

Is there a way "push" PDF reDirect to a network user?

Yes. Corporations can use the "quiet/silent" installation tool. It should be available for download from the web site on the download page by the time you read this. If not, contact us by e-mail. Note the that the script provides no visual feedback to the user of success or failure. It is best if installation is performed right after a fresh boot, particularly if upgrading. If this is a fresh install, then the installation is likely to be trouble-free. Remote "pushing" of the software can be accomplished either by modifying the bootup script, or by using special software such as Computer Associate's "Remote Control". The installation must be done from an account with privileges that allow installation of a new printer, printer driver, printer port and a printer port monitor. Typically, the "administrator" account is used.

In addition, Corporations who purchase the multi-site/multi-license "volume discount" version of PDF reDirect will received by e-mail a special version of the installation program which is pre-registered. Please note the following:

1. Expect to wait 48 hours before receiving this "pre-registered" version by e-mail.

2. You must order at least 20 licenses to qualify for this version.

3. You can order a physical media by Mail or FedEx at extra cost.

Installation on Windows Server (Windows Terminal Services)

PDF reDirect Pro v2 is compatible with Windows Terminal Services, but must be installed in a manner that ensures that it will be available to all your users. Please refer to your Windows Server documentation for complete details. We have successfully demonstrated compatibility by installing from an administrator account and using the "Add and Remove Programs" Control panel to install PDF reDirect. If you attempt to install the program simply by running the installation program, the installation will succeed, but your users will not be able to use the program.

Installation on Citrix

Although PDF reDirect Pro v2 "should" technically be compatible in the Citrix environment. We have had two users who have attempted installation, and have not reported any difficulties. As we do not have a citrix license, we cannot at this time make compatibility claims, but you are welcome to test PDF reDirect Pro v2 to see if it works in your server environment.

Can I use PDF reDirect on more than one computer?

Yes. You can install PDF reDirect Pro v2 on any number of computers, provided the computers are your legal property. You will be required to have one license per user past the 90 day evaluation period.

The installation fails.

New Installation

Check with your IT department: do you have the privileges necessary  to add new printers, printer drivers and/or print monitors or printer ports? This is necessary for Windows 2000 and XP. In the addition, the print spooler service (spoolsv.exe) must be running to install printers successfully.

You might be able to find additional information in the error log. The error log is called "Installation_Error_Log.txt" and will be located either in:

1. the same folder as the installation program, or

2. the root directory of your drive ("C:") if the installation is run from a read-only media such as a CD-ROM.

Upgrading from an older version

Did you close all programs before upgrading? Typically, an open program that was used recently to print from to PDF reDirect will cause the Windows Print Spooler Service to "lock" access to the PDF reDirect printer, and will not permit the upgrade to proceed. You can either stop all programs and re-start the  Print Spooler Service, or you can re-boot and re-attempt installation right afterwards. Either way seems to work well.

The installation Fails (Error 50 or 170).

This error usually occurs during the installation of the printer port which is part of the virtual printer installation. It is installed through a Windows Service called the "Print Spooler" service. That service can occasionally "lockout" access to add or remove printers, port monitors and ports if it thinks that it is "busy". This may occur (for example) if you a printed a document prior to the installation, particularly if the application used for printing is still open.

  Your best bet for success is to ensure that all applications are closed before installation. If the error re-occurs, then restarting the "Print Spooler" service is usually effective. If you do not know how to restart a Windows Service, then the easiest way to achieve that goal is to shutdown and restart the computer. Once the computer has re-started, attempt to install PDF reDirect at that point: it should now work.

The installation Fails (Error 3008).

Error 3008 mean "The specified print monitor is currently in use". This error implies to me that you have an older version of PDF reDirect already installed, and that you are trying to upgrade. Assuming that this is the case, these are the things you can try to resolve this problem:

1. Make sure that all applications are closed before performing the installation. It ensures that the Windows Printer Spooler is in a mode that allows the installation of printers.

2. If the above does not work, it is very effective to "re-start" the Windows Print Spooler. I am not sure you can do this on the "Home" version of Windows XP. However, in XP Pro, you would go through the Control Panel >>> Administrative tools >>> Services. In there, look for the "Print Spooler" service. Click the "STOP" button, and then click the "PLAY" button. Once done, re-attempt the installation.

3. Easiest Solution. Finally, you can also try installing right after a reboot of Windows. Often, this fixes most installation woes.

The installation Fails (Error 1801).

Officially, Microsoft says that Error 1801 means "The printer name is invalid", but provides no other explanation. We have traced this problem to two possible reasons:

1. You have insufficient privileges

   • You do not have write access to the print monitor part of the registry. In fact, one user who experienced this problem thought he had "administrator" privileges, but his IT department had restricted his account in such a way that writing to the "Monitors" section of the Printer Registry was restricted. This was resolved by fixing his privileges.

2. There is a conflict

   • There may be a 3rd party port monitor that may have come with a printer currently installed, or which was installed in the past, but improperly removed. The following products are believed to cause the 1801 error:

     • PrimoPDF

     • HP6122 printer driver

     • Funk Software Proxy Host

   • By removing the offending product, Some users were able to install PDF reDirect successfully. They were also able to re-install the offending product afterwards. However, in some instances, they found that the Port Monitor of the offending product remained even after removal, and they had to manually edit the registry to remove the Port Monitor entry. WARNING! Editing the registry can cause your computer to fail. Proceed only at your own risk: EXP Systems LCC assumes no liability if you decide to edit your registry. It is strongly recommended you make a backup of your registry before continuing any further.

   • Open the registry with RegEdit and navigate to:

     • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/
          System/
            CurrentControlSet/
              Control/
               Print/
                  Monitors/

   • Look for a registry key for the offending product. Delete the entry, and reboot. PDF reDirect should now install properly.

   • Re-install the offending product (if applicable)

 I have forgotten or lost my registration code.

Contact us at  , and provide us with your first name, last name, e-mail address, company name (if applicable) and approximate time of purchase. We will gladly e-mail your code back to you.

Do you have a help desk I can call?

Not at this time.

• You can contact us at  for one-on-one help. Our goal is to provide a response within 24 hours.

• E-Mail Support Priority given to registered users.

• Alternatively, you can use the online [forum] to ask a question.

• Please visit our web site regularly for an [updated FAQ] or incompatibility list.

Where is the program icon to run PDF reDirect Pro?

An icon was created during installation in your Start Menu as follows: Start\Programs\PDF reDirect v2

Does PDF reDirect Pro contain any "spyware"?

No.

My virus program says that PDF reDirect Pro contains a virus.

We take virus protection seriously. To protect you, all the files that make up PDF reDirect Pro and the installation file are checked for viruses before being made available for download. The anti-virus program we use is NOD32, one of the best (and fastest) anti-virus programs. The log of the anti-virus program is made available on the forum for your review. You can find out about NOD 32 here:

• NOD32 home page: http://www.eset.com

• PC Magazine Review: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1720842,00.asp

Some anti-virus programs are overly sensitive. We have had the following experiences with the following anti-virus vendors in the past that were resolved:

• EZ-Armor reported a virus in 2004 which was cleared simply by re-compiling the program.

• Kaspersky was reporting a virus. We submitted PDF reDirect to their labs and they agreed that they were experiencing a "false-positive" problem, and they updated their definition file to remove their error on 16 Nov 05.

• F-Secure was also reporting a false-positive in mid-2005. The latest definition file has corrected this error

• Norton Anti-virus was also reporting a virus. Although they never replied to our e-mail, the new definition file (21 Oct 05) has fixed the "false-positive" problem.

If your anti-virus program reports a problem, please inform us immediately and send a copy of the "suspect file" to the manufacturer of your anti-virus program. They can manually confirm whether the file does include a virus (it should not), or that their virus definition file has an error.

I would like to see a new feature.

We are continuously adding additional features to PDF reDirect. Please let us know what you want to see by: sending us an e-mail at .

Does PDF reDirect Pro slow down my computer?

No. There are no programs running in the background. PDF reDirect only runs when you select to print to the PDF reDirect printer driver.

Why does my Firewall request my permission to give access to  PDF reDirect to the network?

There are three instances when this may occur.

Access Request	What is happening
	During the installation process, the Windows print spooler service (spoolsv.exe) is enumerating all of the installed printers as part of the installation of a new printer including checking for network printers. Denying or allowing access will not affect using PDF reDirect Pro.
	This occurs at the completion of the installation program and is a bug either in the Firewall software or the installation program. The PDF reDirect help file (this file) is an HTML document located on your hard drive, and yet you may be asked for your permission to open it. Choosing "No" will prevent the help file from being opened. It is still accessible by clicking on the help icon.
	PDF reDirect Pro is trying to access an FTP Folder, send an e-mail, check for a web update or to submit a bug report as requested by you. You should give PDF reDirect access to the folder if that is what you are trying to do. PDF reDirect Pro does not access the Internet in the background.

Why is PDF reDirect not digitally signed?

 Is PDF reDirect Pro compatible with the new Windows XP SP2?

PDF reDirect Pro was tested with Windows XP SP2 and found to be compatible.

• When running the installation program for the first time on a Windows XP machine with SP2, you may see the following warning because the installation software does not have a Digital Certificate.

• Despite the warning, be assured that PDF reDirect Pro contains no adware and no spyware of any kind. Please contact us should you have any questions or concerns.

I get a "OLEAUT32.DLL" error message during installation

PDF reDirect Pro requires Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.0 or higher. This error occurs on a computer with Internet Explorer v3 installed.

Can PDF reDirect Pro be setup as a server printer?

Yes. PDF reDirect Pro can be used in the Windows Terminal Services environment.

Can PDF reDirect Pro be setup as a shared printer?

No.

Preview does not work properly.

• Stamps do not appear in the preview of the output PDF. When selecting stamps, they will appear in the Preview window, but not on the selected output file. Click on the "save" button first. The output PDF file is created and automatically shown in the Preview image. You can then make additional changes if you wish and click "save" again. Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the output file.

PDF reDirect Pro has stopped working

Ensure you have registered the software by entering you name and license key as explained [HERE]

Do I need to change any printer settings?

Probably not. PDF reDirect provides reasonable default settings for most applications.

How secure is the PDF file? Can someone else edit my file?

With PDF reDirect Professional, you can lock a file to prevent someone from being able to "copy-and-paste" the text. However, a number of utilities are now available which allow the text to be recovered from a locked PDF.

The text in the PDF file is missing or corrupted.

Asian Fonts and some non-standard accented characters such as "ě" may not print correctly in the PDF file, may seem distorted, or may cause the pages to appear "blank". If this problem occurs, it is most likely that one of the printer property settings have been changed. Make sure that in the printer properties:

• the TrueType fonts are sent as "Type 42" in Windows 95, 98 or ME

• the TrueType fonts are sent as "Outline" in Windows 2000 or XP.

The default startup folder "My Documents" does not work.

This is a known bug for Windows 95, 98 and ME users. Selecting "My Documents" as the default startup path will default to the "Desktop". To workaround this problem, choose "custom" startup path, and select the following folder: "C:\My Documents".

 The default startup folder "Desktop" does not work.

This is a known bug for Windows NT4 users. Windows NT4 users who select "Desktop" will have their PDF files saved to the "Desktop" of the "Default User". To workaround this problem, choose "custom" startup path, and select the following folder: "C:\WINNT\Profiles\Default User\Desktop".

 The "Automatic Document Filename" feature does not work.

The "Automatic Document Filename" feature relies on the name passed to PDF reDirect Pro by the printing application. Some applications (such as Microsoft Office programs) correctly pass the name of the document, while others pass the name of the application or no information at all.

 The text in the PDF is blank or missing.

There is a bug in Adobe's Acrobat Reader v5.0.0 that causes imbedded text to appear invisible. You should either upgrade to v5.0.5, v6.0.2, v7.0 or downgrade to v4.0.5 to fix this problem.

 I get a "Run-Time Error 48" message during FTP Upload.

PDF reDirect Pro requires Microsoft Internet Explorer v5.0 or higher. This error occurs on a computer with Internet Explorer v4 installed.

 Hyperlinks show up in the PDF, but they don't work.

Hyperlinks in the PDF can be automatically turned into a clickable link. Make sure you select "Add Web Links" in the Printer Output Settings. There are some limitations:

• "Secure Text" must be OFF. (it is by default after installation)

• Text must use a standard font (either Arial, Helvetica or Times Roman).

• Text that forms the link must be all on the same line.

• Highlighted text with an underlying hyperlink won't work. The link must be explicitely spelled out (for security reasons).

• You cannot add hyperlinks to an already existing PDF file, only for a new PDF being created via the print menu.

Screenshots looks bad in the PDF

Problem: Taking a screenshot (by pressing the [PRINT SCRN] button) and then pasting it into a Word Document results in large PDF files that also looks bad.

Solution:

• Take your snapshot of a form by pressing the two buttons together: [ALT]+[PRINT SCRN]. This ensures that only the window of interest is taken, and not the entire screen.

• Paste the screenshot into a Paint program (CorelPaint or PhotoShop)

• Convert the picture from 24 bit to a palette picture using as few colors as possible. To keep the quality as good as possible, make sure you  use "Optimized palette" and "Error Diffusion". This will make the screenshot up to 10 times smaller.

• Save the screenshot to a GIF file and use that picture in your Word document.

• PDF reDirect Pro will maintain the GIF compression instead of converting the picture to a JPEG. This will maintain the quality of the picture in the PDF.

• Note: GIF pictures is suitable for screenshots, but may be of poor quality for photographs. These look better if you use JPEG compression.

 Does PDF reDirect Pro use Ghostscript?

PDF reDirect Pro supports the following Postscript-to-PDF conversion engines.

• GNU Ghostscript This engine is available as a free download under the GNU General Public License, which allows free use, and free copying and redistribution under certain conditions (including, in some cases, commercial distribution). This partial, non-modified version of this engine is installed during the installation of PDF reDirect Pro solely as a service to expedite the installation. You are entitled to a copy of the source code of this engine under the terms of this license. You are also entitled to the source code that PDF reDirect uses to control GNU Ghostscript. You can download them as follows:

  • Ghostscript Home Page: [HERE]

  • Most current Ghostscript Source Code: [HERE]

  • PDF reDirect Pro source code: [HERE]

• AFPL Ghostscript You can use that engine if you prefer. Although this engine is a free download, there are restrictions that prevent its use. Please read the license carefully. More information is available [HERE].

• Distiller If you have Adobe's Acrobat installed on your computer, you can use Distiller to perform the conversion process.

I am trying to convert a large document to a PDF file.

• PDF reDirect Pro has been shown to work correctly with PDF files up to 50 MB in size and up to 350 pages (mostly text).

• Large documents with pictures and up to 180 pages have been demonstrated to work correctly.

• Some customers have reported having difficulty printing extremely large documents. Particularly large files may exceed the capacity of your computer at which point the creation of the PDF file may either fail, or progress extremely slowly.

• Your success in PDF creation will depend on the speed of your processor (faster is better) and the amount of RAM you have installed.

 My output is rotated sideways

PDF reDirect Pro attempts to auto-rotate each page individually based on the orientation of the text. If this occurs, choose "Fix Page Rotation" in the Printer Output Settings.

General

Some applications do not support all printer driver features. Usually the application simply ignores the feature, but in rare cases, a printing error may occur. As of 8/12/03, we had not received any report of such problems.

Printing all Excel Sheets in one PDF

Microsoft has written a report on this problem (for Excel 97, but it also applies to Excel 2000 and Excel 2003). The Microsoft article is located here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;166274&Product=xlw

Basically, you have to make sure that all the worksheets in the workbook are set to the same resolution (ie same dpi = "dots-per-inch"). To do so:

• Select all of your worksheets, then

• Select File -> Page Setup.

• On the Page tab there is a dropdown at the bottom of the screen that says "Print Quality": make sure it is set to 300 dpi.

• Save your file.

• Select "Print" and the PDF should now contain the selected worksheets all in one document.

PageMaker

The problem: PDF files generated when using Adobe Pagemaker have colors with a different saturation (shade) then what was displayed on the screen. An example is shown [HERE]

CorelDraw 8

The Problem: In CorelDraw 8, text which has an outline will not display the outline in the correct location on the page.

The Workaround: Either do not use outline on text, or convert the text to "curves" [CTRL+Q] before printing to a PDF File.

A sample of this problem and the workaround is shown in this PDF file [HERE]

MS Office 2003 (Word, Excel, etc...)

The Problem: The preview image does not appear (but the PDF is created properly).

The Workaround: Ensure that no drawing object has partial transparency (ie 1% to 99%). Use this workaround only if having a preview picture is important to you.

Fineprint PDF Factory

PDF reDirect will not work if the Fineprint PDF Factory printer driver is also installed.

PDF995

PDF reDirect is compatible with PDF995, but the reverse is not true. PDF reDirect will cease to work after using PDF995. You will need to reboot your computer to be able to use PDF reDirect again.