Problems converting web pages
Printed From: www.exp-systems.com
Category: PDF reDirect
Forum Name: Using PDF reDirect
Forum Discription: Questions and Comments on using PDF reDirect Freeware and Pro
URL: http://www.exp-systems.com/Forum_exp/forum_posts.asp?TID=92
Printed Date: 16 Apr 24 at 6:50PM
Topic: Problems converting web pages
Posted By: decclt
Subject: Problems converting web pages
Date Posted: 25 May 05 at 3:13PM
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While playing with PDF reDirect 2.0.15 I discovered I couldn't convert web pages. Progress bar immediately goes to about 20% then hangs. Unlike the previous poster who had a similar problem, mine does not create the pdf file. I can cancel out of the progress bar window but PDF reDirect is hung and I have to kill it. I am also testing PDF9**(I know, that's a cuss word on this forum) and have found it will convert the same web pages without a problem. I prefer the capability of PDF reDirect to append and encrypt so would love to get it to work. One of the web pages I tried to convert was the exp-systems.com home page.
Browser is Firefox 1.0.4. I've tried different page setup settings including scaling, printing as laid out on screen and printing selected frame. Anyone have any idea what my problem is? ------------- -- BrianG |
Replies:
Posted By: Michel_K17
Date Posted: 25 May 05 at 9:12PM
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Hello,
First off, I loved your joke! 
My question is: are you sure it hangs? You see, PDF9** does not provide you with a progress bar, so it can sometimes work in the background for a while, and you won't really realize that it's still going at it until the PDF opens. The progress bar in PDF reDirect hopefully has not hung, but is simply moving more slowly. My web site does not convert to PDF very well because it contains one itty bitty picture which is 2 pixels tall and 1 pixel wide, which is repeated over and over again to make it appear as the grey and black lines you see in the header. The PDF will therefore contain thousands of copies of this picture which can make the PDF quite large and very slow to display. In this case, the web site converts much better with the background colors and pictures turned off. Here are my test results (I started counting after the User Interface appeared on the screen, and I only printed page 1 with the Frames Printed "as laid out on the screen"): TEST #1. Background Pics OFF - My website converted to PDF in 1.5 seconds and the PDF was 97KB. TEST #2. Background Pics ON - My website converted to PDF in 18 seconds and the PDF was 242KB. TEST #3. Background Pics ON - Other PDF Product X converted to PDF in 18 seconds. TEST #4. Background Pics ON - Other PDF Product Y converted to PDF in 17 seconds. TEST #5. Background Pics ON - Other PDF Product Z converted to PDF in 21 seconds. Please let me know if you feel I've gotten it wrong, and PDF reDirect has truly hung. If so, we can try to do some additional testing: there is an error log you can turn on to record additional data if we need to. Cheers! |
Posted By: decclt
Date Posted: 26 May 05 at 8:49AM
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Michel-
Progress bar didn't move after sitting for about 5 minutes. After cancelling the progress bar I couldn't exit PDF as no mouse clicks or keystrokes were recognized. Had to kill it from the Task List. This occurred twice while trying to convert two different web pages, yours was one, I don't recall the other. I originally installed 2.0.14 which stalled at the progress bar but didn't hang. I then went to the forum looking for answers and discovered 2.0.15 was out. I downloaded the upgrade and installed. That's when the hang was added to the mix. When I find some time I'll uninstall and do a clean install to see if that resolves the problem. ------------- -- BrianG |
Posted By: Michel_K17
Date Posted: 27 May 05 at 12:09AM
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Hello Brian,
Yes, what you are reporting definitely does not sound correct. However, your comment reminded me of something: I have been using Firefox for the last 6 months, and now that I think about it, I recall experiencing the problem you described when using Internet Explorer. So, I attempted just now to print my web site using IE, and sure enough... nothing happened, or so it seemed. Looking at the temporary folder, the amount of data sent by IE was 68 MB (!) of Postscript data. The conversion to the PDF format took 13 minutes on my AMD 1600 computer and the PDF file created was not corrupted, and 58 MB long. This result was when I printed with the backgound pictures option turned ON. When switched to OFF, the PDF was created in a few seconds. Could you let me know if you are using IE? I don't want to pass the blame onto IE, and claim that Firefox is better than IE when converting to the PDF format: sometimes that is true, but I have found that some web sites convert to PDF better when I use IE. However, PDF reDirect Pro is at the mercy of the application that sends the data to the printer: in this case, it seems like IE is having difficulty reacting to the small repeating graphic on my web site, and Firefox handles it better. Hopefully this is the source of the problem you are experiencing - and at least you should be able to work around by turning the Print Background Pictures off. If this is not the case, we can go to the next step which will be to turn on the error logging feature. |
Posted By: Michel_K17
Date Posted: 27 May 05 at 12:13AM
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Oops! I should have read your 1st post more carefully - you mentioned that you were using Firefox, and that it is working OK with my competitor's product.
OK, so I do think that something is amiss. We should turn on the error logging, and see if we can "record" the problem. |
Posted By: decclt
Date Posted: 27 May 05 at 9:13AM
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I'm the Comptroller/IT Manager of our company. The long weekend followed by month end will have me tied up for awhile. I'll revisit this when I have time.
------------- -- BrianG |