Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

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PhilK

Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by PhilK » 2017-03-28, 16:05

One of the things that sometimes makes me regret installing the 64-bit version of PM is the fact that many plugins won't work with the 64-bit version.

But for PDFs, there is a great FREE product that has an official 64-bit version complete with an outstanding 64-bit-compatible plugin for viewing PDFs inside of PM browser tabs: PDFXChange Editor. :thumbup: :clap:

It's also a PDF editor and generator (some features of which require payment) but the viewer portion is completely free and works quite well.

https://www.tracker-software.com/produc ... nge-editor

They also make a "viewer-only" product, but it is said to be deprecated in favor of the editor version. I haven't tested that one:

https://www.tracker-software.com/produc ... nge-viewer

I was originally considering messing around with an old version of Sumatra PDF to do this, but even the latest version of SumatraPDF has some security vulnerabilities, I'd rather not install an even older version with even more bugs, especially not inside a web browser.

NitroPDF also appears to support NPAPI plugins and has a dedicated 64-bit version, but A) PM doesn't detect the availability of their plugins even if I copy them into a plugins folder underneath the PM app folder or the PM\browser folder, and B) even Firefox detects the plugin and shows it as available, but it actually doesn't work. (Perhaps this is because 52.0.1 ESR is blocking NPAPI plugins? I thought ESR whitelisted them?)

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Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by 1210_bex » 2017-04-04, 04:58

PhilK wrote:But for PDFs, there is a great FREE product that has an official 64-bit version complete with an outstanding 64-bit-compatible plugin for viewing PDFs inside of PM browser tabs: PDFXChange Editor. :thumbup: :clap:

It's also a PDF editor and generator (some features of which require payment) but the viewer portion is completely free and works quite well.
I'm running Pale Moon 32 bit 27.1, but I have a question that perhaps you can answer.

I have both PDF Viewer and PDF Exchange installed on my Windows 7 (64 bit) computer. I have PDF Viewer set in Windows as the default program for .pdf files. But when Pale Moon is open, and I click on a .pdf file on a website, PDF Editor opens in Pale Moon, not PDF Viewer. In Pale Moon, when I go to File->Open File and select a .pdf file from Explorer, I get a screen which asks me what Pale Moon should do with the file, and the Open with default is PDF Viewer.

Any idea why Exchange opens when I click on a .pdf file on a website, and how I would change that to Viewer?

P. S. I just added the Moon PDF Viewer to the portable version of PM 27.2.1 I have (same Profile as on my desktop), and PDF Editor still opens when I select a .pdf file on a website.


Harry

PhilK

Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by PhilK » 2017-04-04, 07:45

1210_bex wrote:I'm running Pale Moon 32 bit 27.1, but I have a question that perhaps you can answer.

I have both PDF Viewer and PDF Exchange installed on my Windows 7 (64 bit) computer. I have PDF Viewer set in Windows as the default program for .pdf files. But when Pale Moon is open, and I click on a .pdf file on a website, PDF Editor opens in Pale Moon, not PDF Viewer.

I can't quite parse those last 9 words, especially since you never mentioned "PDF Editor" until then. I thought you had:
  1. PDF-Xchange (note the spelling)
  2. PDF Viewer (Actually the official name would be "PDF-Xchange Viewer"
Where did PDF Editor come from? Tracker Software used to have a single product, PDF-Xchange. Now they have all of these:
  • PDF-Xchange Standard
  • PDF-Xchange Pro
  • PDF-Xchange Editor
  • PDF-Xchange Viewer
Web browsers have a separate list of associated applications to handle web content inside the browser. If the content opens inside the browser they will typically open using the plugin (if any) defined to handle that content in the browser. If they open outside the browser, they will typically open in the app defined in the operating system to handle that sort of content. (But depends on browser settings - see below)

1210_bex wrote:In Pale Moon, when I go to File->Open File and select a .pdf file from Explorer, I get a screen which asks me what Pale Moon should do with the file, and the Open with default is PDF Viewer.


Not sure why you would be using the browser to open external PDF files..

1210_bex wrote:Any idea why Exchange opens when I click on a .pdf file on a website, and how I would change that to Viewer?

P. S. I just added the Moon PDF Viewer to the portable version of PM 27.2.1 I have (same Profile as on my desktop), and PDF Editor still opens when I select a .pdf file on a website.

The settings for which app handles PDF content are in Tools, Options, Applications. Scroll down to "PDF Document" in the left column, and set the desired application in the right column.

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Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by 1210_bex » 2017-04-04, 17:52

PhilK wrote:
1210_bex wrote:I'm running Pale Moon 32 bit 27.1, but I have a question that perhaps you can answer.

I have both PDF Viewer and PDF Exchange installed on my Windows 7 (64 bit) computer. I have PDF Viewer set in Windows as the default program for .pdf files. But when Pale Moon is open, and I click on a .pdf file on a website, PDF Editor opens in Pale Moon, not PDF Viewer.
1210_bex wrote:In Pale Moon, when I go to File->Open File and select a .pdf file from Explorer, I get a screen which asks me what Pale Moon should do with the file, and the Open with default is PDF Viewer.


Not sure why you would be using the browser to open external PDF files..
Sorry about the disjointed post. I tried File->Open File just to see if Xchange Viewer (I know that is the complete name) would be recognized as my default.

Here is the whole story. I just sent it to Tracker support to see if they could help.
***************************************************
I run Windows 7 (64 bit) Pro as my operating system. I have 4 browsers
installed on this computer: Opera 12, IE 11, Chrome & Firefox 42.
Initially Opera was the only browser I had, but when they changed to a
'chrome like' browser, I added Firefox and Chrome. Firefox is now my
primary browser.

I also have your PDF XChange Viewer 2.5 Pro (Build 214.2) Registered
version, PDF Editor 3.0 (Build 307.2), Registered version, and
although not part of my problem, PDF Tools 4.0.0195 (Build 0000), also
Registered.

PDF Viewer is listed as the default program for .pdf files in Windows.
For my use, I prefer it to Editor.

In Viewer Preferences-> File Associations, Display PDF in Browser is
checked, 'Make Default PDF Viewer' is pressed, Apply, and then OK are
pressed.

Opera has your PDF Viewer add-on (Opera calls it a plug-in) installed.
When Opera is open, and I click on a website link to a .pdf file,
Viewer opens in Opera, as it should.

However there is NO Viewer add-on that appears in Firefox, Chrome, or
in IE 11. Also, there is NO Editor add-on that appears in Firefox,
Chrome, or in IE 11. But when any of these 3 browsers is open, and I
click on a website link to a .pdf file, Editor opens!

I have searched your Knowledge Base. There are several items that tell
me how to select Viewer when the add-on is installed (and how to check
if it is installed), but nothing to tell me how to proceed if the
add-on is NOT installed.

So my questions are:
1. How do I get the Viewer add-on installed for Firefox, Chrome, and
IE 11?
2. Once installed, how do I stop Editor from opening, and get Viewer
to open when I click on a website link to a .pdf file?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
***********************************************************

Lex

PhilK

Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by PhilK » 2017-04-04, 18:55

1210_bex wrote:Here is the whole story. I just sent it to Tracker support to see if they could help. [...]

OK, first of all, all of this is really off-topic in this post. I think you should create a new thread with a copy of your last post here, and if you want to PM me the link I will reply there. I was trying to help with my first response but this is getting way too involved at this point.

And you should probably follow-up there with Tracker Software's response to your query as well.

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Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by 1210_bex » 2017-04-05, 05:34

PhilK wrote:
1210_bex wrote:Here is the whole story. I just sent it to Tracker support to see if they could help. [...]

OK, first of all, all of this is really off-topic in this post. I think you should create a new thread with a copy of your last post here, and if you want to PM me the link I will reply there. I was trying to help with my first response but this is getting way too involved at this point.

And you should probably follow-up there with Tracker Software's response to your query as well.
I posted here because I searched back to July 2016 on these forums, and could not find anyone else who, after saying that Editor worked with PM27, also mentioned that Tracker offered Viewer. So I assumed from that you had tested it.

I'm waiting for a reply from Tracker support. But I did find something interesting. Although the Tracker Help shows Viewer as an add-on, for Firefox and Pale Moon it (and Exchange) are really Plug-ins, and that is where you look for them. In Firefox 42, if I set Editor as 'Never activate' , then Viewer will open in Firefox when I link to a pdf. That doesn't seem to work in Pale Moon. In Pale Moon, Viewer opens in a seperate windows, just as if you had selected PDFXCview.exe directly.

I sent this new info to Tracker. I'll keep you informed if I learn anything. And if I do, then I will start a new thread here with the fix.


Harry

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Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by 1210_bex » 2017-04-07, 04:37

PhilK:

I have PDF Viewer opening within Pale Moon's window, just like it should. As you suggested, I opened a new thread with how to do it. Here it is: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=15399

Harry

PhilK

Re: Outstanding free PDF plugin - works with 64-bit PM!

Unread post by PhilK » 2017-04-07, 04:55

1210_bex wrote:PhilK:

I have PDF Viewer opening within Pale Moon's window, just like it should. As you suggested, I opened a new thread with how to do it. Here it is: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=15399

Harry
Thanks, I'll take a look. :thumbup:

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