PDF Preview - Native Mode

[mjbrookes]

I have bought a new computer and installed the latest versions of
xplorer 3.3.0.2
and
PDF Xchange editor ver 6.0 build 319.0

When doing a PDF preview in Native mode:-
1. the preview panel includes the menu bar from PDF Xchange. It allows me to add comments etc, just as if the whole program & file had been loaded into their own window (but I can't save any such changes)
2. The file is now locked in Xplerer2 so I can't change the name.

Both of these behaviours are new to me ... previously the preview pane did not allow 'editing' and I could make changes to filename in xplorer2.

I have tried both:
control panel > programs > repair
and uninstall & re-install of PDF Xchange Editor
as these actions solved a previous/different PDF native-preview problem for me. But in this case it has not helped.

Can anyone advise on what I did to cause this problem? and what I can do to solve it?



Thanks

[nikos]

each native previewer in essense is a separate program running inside xplorer2. But I suspect in your case, instead of the previewer you got internet explorer hosting this PDF as an activeX control (?)

still, xplorer2 should close the previewer when you try to rename the file. Do you see the preview disappearing when you try to rename?

[mjbrookes]

1. Not sure what an Active X is, so I am unable to give better information
2. No the Preview does not disappear when the re-name is attempted

Further checking shows:-

* while Preview pane is open (& if displaying a PDF file) ...
I can browse through my pdf files with a single-click mouse selection. (I click on a filename & the preview is updated).
But I can't do my usual things with the file in the main panel (eg rename or copy/paste). When I try this I get a warning Chime noise.
However ... If I now single-click mouse selection on the same file again, I can now do the operations in the main pane.

* Ctrl+Q Toggle ...
previously I could use ctrl+Q to toggle Preview Pane on & Off at will.
Now, having selected a file name, pressing ctrl+q will open the preview, but a second ctrl+q will not close it. (Unless I do an extra single-click mouse selection on the same file again, in the main pane ... then I can re-close the preview.)

* Preview Menu-bar
Previously the file displayed in the Preview Pane as a simple page display.
Now the Preview Pane includes PDF xchange menu options at the top of the page. These menu options DO work on the displayed preview, and it is possible to save the changes using the Menu options.

* Windows Explorer seems to be unable to display PDF previews ... "This file cant be Previewed"

I hope this information may help identify a solution.

[nikos]

it looks that your PDF previewer is eating up the focus so xplorer2 cannot see it. Can you try installing the PDF X-change READER instead of the full editor and see if it helps?

[mjbrookes]

Hello Nikos.

So ... "BAD BAD PDF-xchange! You stop eating focus! ... Now!"
results:
no that didn't work.

So I tried uninstalling and installing the PDF-Xchange-Viewer instead. This did work "properly".
But I use PDF-xchange-Editor features so I tried re-installing it.
results:
Windows Xplorer now works properly for previews (did not previously)
PDF-Xchange-Editor still does not work properly.

Being able to browse my PDF files and toggle Preview on & Off simply, has become a major part of my file management activity so I would really like to solve this.

any more suggestions?



... In case it helps: I list my testing steps & results below:-

2017-01-10 ~ 9:00
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Control panel > Programs > Uninstall = PDF-Xchange-Editor
uninstall Successful
Re-Boot
Results in Xplorer2: at this stage:
* Draft mode Preview Panel - behaves as normal
Native mode -
* behaves normally for .txt & .pgn etc
* but for .pdf files, Preview panel is permanently empty. Blank, white.
However when native-preview-panel is open & I select a pdf file in the main-panel ... Adobe Acrobat opens the file in a completely separate Window.
Adobe opens a new Tab for each file I select in the xplorer main panel.


visit Tracker website and Downlaod PDF-Xchange-Viewer (not Reader, couldn't find Reader)
Install Viewer ... allow it to be the default PDF program.
Results in Xplorer2:
Native PDF Preview behaviour has returned to 'normal'
* native-Preview Panel ... no extra menu-bar
* Ctrl+Q ... togggles Preview-panel on & Off properly
* main-panel Rename ... is possible without extra click steps
* Windows Explorer ... now does proper Previews also.
This is the "correct" preview behaviour

Great except I want to use the PDF-Xchange-Editor

Control Panel > Uninstall PDF-Xchange-Viewer
allow Restart
Results in Xplorer2:
* native-Preview Panel ... Blank white
* Ctrl+Q ... opens xplorer native-preview -panel & then Opens a separate Adobe window/Tab
* ctrl+Q toggled ... closes Adobe window
* ctrl+Q toggled again ... closes xplorer2-preview panel
* xplorer2-main-panel Rename (F2) ...does not work, until I use the mouse to click on the filename (twice)
* Windows Explorer ... now does proper Previews also.



visit Tracker website and install PDF-Xchange-Editor
Download PDF-Xchange-Editor-Plus
Install > Complete > Add licence key ... installation successfully completed
Results in Xplorer2:
* native-Preview Panel ... Displays Preview BUT PDF-Xchange Menu is displayed & works
* Ctrl+Q ... opens xplorer native-preview -panel & displays preview
* ctrl+Q toggled ... Fails, chime noise, preview panel does NOT close
* ctrl+Q toggled again ... chime noise only
* xplorer2-mani-panel Rename (F2) does not work, until I use the mouse to click on the filename (twice)
* Windows Explorer ... now does proper Previews & Alt+P toggles it's Previews <-- this is a change from previous, before uninstall & re-install

Re-start computer
No change.
Windows Explorer is Doing Previews properly ( ALT+P toggles properly.)
Xplorer2 is not doing Previews Properly
-- PDF-Xchange menus appear in the Preview Panel
-- CTRL+Q does not Toggle Perview Panel

[mjbrookes]

Here is a screen print,
showing the PDF-Xchange menus WITHIN the Preview-Panel

x2scrap2.png

[nikos]

it is hard for me to control what another program decides to do... but I have one last guess
use TOOLS > ADVANCED OPTIONS menu and in the Layout settings page, Quick preview section, tick the option "don't download activex documents". If that's already ticked, forget about it

when you have the PDF editor installed, does the x2 and windows explorer preview look the same?

[mjbrookes]

it is hard for me to control what another program decides to do...

Understood

but I have one last guess
use TOOLS > ADVANCED OPTIONS menu and in the Layout settings page, Quick preview section, tick the option "don't download activex documents". If that's already ticked, forget about it

Tried this but no change ... the focus is still being 'eaten'

when you have the PDF editor installed, does the x2 and windows explorer preview look the same?

NO.
Windows Explorer preview does NOT eat the focus. I can browse/rename/delete files in the mail panel normally
Also
The PDF-Xchange menus do NOT appear in the Preview Panel

x2scrap.png

[mjbrookes]

Here is some new information:

on my new computer:
xplorer2 = ver 3.3.0.2
PDF-Xchange Editor = ver 6.0-3.1.9.0
Windows 10 Home

on my old computer (& still working)
xplorer2 = ver 3.3.0.2
PDF-Xchange Editor = ver 6.0-3.1.7.1
Windows 8.1

here is a screen shot of native preview panel on my old computer ...
as you can see ther are no PDF-xchange menus in the native Preview Panel

x2scrap.png

[nikos]

so really your windows explorer is showing just a thumbnail, not a preview handler
anyway, I will try to install it myself and see how it goes

[mjbrookes]

Hi Nikos

SOLUTION FOUND:

Having been in touch with the PDF-Xchange support people ....

the solution was:
http://www.tracker-software.com/knowled ... xtensions-
By following the recommended steps to "RE-register the Shell Extensions" the latest version of PDF-xchange now works "normally"

the problem was:
(PDF-Xchange customer support comments)

"Xplorer2 is not using [the] Preview Provider (Shell Extensions [C:\Program Files\Tracker Software\Shell Extensions]), but is using what appears to be our Internet Explorer add-in which is an ActiveX plugin. This actually opens the file itself, meaning that it is locked as it would be when opening from any application capable of modifying the file."

"It's possible that the DLL that handles the previews may not have been correctly registered and so Xplorer2 chooses to use the ActiveX plugin instead."




Nikos,
Thanks for your help in tracking down the problem. I had been sure that it was a mistake by me in the installation and configuration of xplorer2

[nikos]

it looks like their EDITOR has a setup problem that won't install the preview handler. I reported the problem to them. Anyway the xplorer2 recommendation still is the VIEWER tool, much smaller and still gets everything correct in terms of shell integration