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Anonymous
March 29, 2019
Question

Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 Print to PDF overwrites random PDF files [branched]

  • March 29, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 1476 views

I  have  been suffering this defect for 3 months now, and it took over a month to realize it wasn't me, it is the adobe add-in trashing my files randomly.  I curse the name of the major-branded website that couldn't be bothered to perform right with IE and steered me to edge.  There is a special place in hell for companies like you …. but I digress. [come to think of it, this website also sucks at receiving pasted text, and I will have to retype the below.  That's strike two adobe …]

Recreating the defect is simple and straightforward:

1. First use Edge and IE to right-click print-to-pdf to make some pdf files in various directories.  make sure one directory contains only print-to-Microsoft-pdf files and one contains only print-to-adobe-pdf files for your testing pleasure.  My machine is a target rich environment, plenty of Microsoft print-to-pdf files to be randomly overwritten on my C:\ and LAN share drives.  It helps to name the pdf files so the name includes which combo made it and what it originally contained.

2. Launch Edge (if it isn't running already)

3. Navigate to a new webpage you didn't print yet

4. Right Click, Print, Select Adobe PDF as printer, type in a file name (with the above naming convention this file will NOT have the same name as an existing file). EDGE does offer nice options to streamline what gets printed. It was nice, but that is the honey on the trap that lures you in deeper

5. Wait for the defect to flip a coin 10 times and count the number of tails (or however it decides if it should attack)

6. Read very carefully when Adobe reports if successfully printed "your file".

7. If the name in 6 matches the new name you typed in, your new file is likely correct, and your old files probably safe. Try again.

8. If the name in 6 DOES NOT MATCH the new filename you typed in, but instead matches a previous filename you printed, then you have been bitten.

9. Go open the file and observe your new print contents overwritten in it.  Whatever you used to have there is toast.

The randomly overwritten file can be in a different directory than the one you told Adobe to write to.  It can be on a LAN drive.

Once I started noticing it was always a Microsoft-print-to-PDF file that got overwritten.  I do not know if any ADOBE PDF files were similarly sacrificed to the Gods.

Once I started noticing it has always been a print-to-pdf file I made.  I do not know if it previously trashed anyone else's files stored in the same directory cluster.

Hopefully ADOBE did not include any (first check for any competitor product files, if you find any randomly trash one) code.

Is EDGE failing and sending the add in the path and filename of a previously made file, to which ADOBE unwittingly overwrites? (this seems possible)

Is EDGE passing the correct target filename, and Adobe PDF is somehow obtaining the name of a file previously printed with the Microsoft-print-to-pdf feature? (this seems far less likely)

I was told I the first to report this to our internal IT support.  Of course reports of this defect would have to be rare:

the user must, for some reason, use both Adobe PDF and Microsoft Print to PDF

the user must, for some reason, use EDGE

the user must, for some reason, notice the file name does not match as it is written (otherwise the user report would not succeed, as users trashing their own pdf files can happen without defects in software products)

the user must, for whatever reason, bother to report it, and continue to push for escalation so it can reach a knowledgeable person authorized to also install Adobe Acrobat (woe the added expense) to commence investigatin'

Reading the original Post, I am not sure if I have stumbled across the same defect, or a similar yet different defect.

This cannot be within the design or intended features of ADOBE's otherwise fine products.

ADOBE PDF, please stop trashing my files. (although until this is rectified I use your competitor's Microsoft-Print-to-PDF selection, since they haven't, yet, trashed any of my PDF files.

[Edit: Oh yeah, that system stuff,

the dramatis personae are

Lenovo T430, black, lost its shine, some scratches on exterior, 8 GB RAM, i5-3320M Ivy Bridge

Windows 10 64-bit, Legal and Activated

Edge (not the default browser) 44.17763.1.0 with EdgeHTML 18.17763 (whatever that is and means)

Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 (the bug also happened with an earlier or different Acrobat version. IT upgraded me to this one to attempt to protect my files) usually Adobe Acrobat Reader is my "default pdf application" so I default a double-click to open pdf files in a read-only mode) 2017 Release (Classic) Version 2017.011.30068 with all sorts of plug-ins Web2PDF is 17.11.30068.251704

[Branched from 2016 thread about Acrobat XI by moderator.]

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

A
Anonymous
April 1, 2019

Since I work for a big company, I do not have full access to this machine's internals.  These restrictions are for my and their protection.

IT says I don't need my serial number since they will access Adobe and/or Microsoft at a higher level.  From past experience trying to get My Employer to report Microsoft Excel defects to Microsoft, they have a high hurdle to reach to make their initial report at that higher level.

Part of my reason to post is to vent, and part is seeing if anyone else has noticed the "file written to" filename that pops up in the lower right is different from the filename the user told Microsoft edge to tell adobe-pdf to tell Microsoft Windows to write to. And, it seems the instruction is passed through enabling destructive overwrites, which should concern Adobe even if the rest of the defect is on one or more parts of the Microsoft "family".

     Edge is installed and IE is the default browser

     Acrobat is installed and Acrobat Reader is the default PDF file application

What else should I look for and share with IT to assist their building a "defect trashes a file on command" case such that they can open their higher-level-access support ticket?

IT has already delivered me a new machine, and I haven't noticed the defect occurring on the new machine.  But the old machine still trashes Microsoft-Print-to-PDF files when edge prints a file using ADOBE-PDF as the printer to make the file, following the same steps I outlined in my original post which the Adobe moderator [branched] here.

jane-e
Community Expert
jane-eCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 31, 2019

avoidedgeadobecombo  wrote

The randomly overwritten file can be in a different directory than the one you told Adobe to write to.  It can be on a LAN drive.

Once I started noticing it was always a Microsoft-print-to-PDF file that got overwritten.  I do not know if any ADOBE PDF files were similarly sacrificed to the Gods.

Once I started noticing it has always been a print-to-pdf file I made.

Hi,

Please open one of these PDFs and post a screenshot of what it says in File > Properties > Description so we can see how it was made.

Adobe does not own PDF and Microsoft also makes PDFs. So the first step is to see this information. Can you give us the exact steps you are using to make the PDFs?

Also, you will need to change your user name. Adobe staff will send you a message when they see “adobe” as part of your name, as that is not allowed on the forums.

~ Jane

A
Anonymous
April 1, 2019

replying to the various questions received in no particular order...

1) below are two screenshots of Project>Properties>Description that were originally made with edge or i.e. and Right-Click>Print>Microsoft-print-to-Pdf and then overwritten by edge and Right-Click>Print>Adobe-PDF.  The location listed is where the original file was written to, but is not the file name i requested be made for the new file in a different storage location.  As I recall, the new directory for the new file was supposed to be "C:\Users\hots\Downloads\junk4geoff" as we were attempting to make examples of the defect, and I was willing have files on my hard disk get trashed to surface the defect.  The zzz name prefix was added after the file was trashed so I would know the file name no longer described the contents.  As you can see these two replications happened in quick sequence.  Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, Edge-Adobe combo.

2) the exact steps i followed were described in the original post.  I am a user not an IT guy.  If there is something ambiguous in my description please ask your question specifically, in either "user American English" or "American IT English" and I will try to get local IT to translate your question so I might provide the answer to your question.  When my local IT guy recorded the defect trashing a file, and the file name trashed popped up in the lower right corner as if Adobe was proudly proclaiming it had made this file brand new, his next words were "nobody will believe this even after they watch it a few times".

3) I previously had a different version of Acrobat, which IT had me switch to this one in an attempt to drive the defect into remission.  The switch attempt did not work.

4) As I indicate in the Original Post, unless Adobe added deliberate code, it seems less likely Adobe mis-coded their add-in that is trashing my files, and more likely Microsoft edge is somehow providing the wrong file name to write to.  As to why Adobe would overwrite an existing file while pretending to be writing a new file, well, that part is directly on Adobe.

5) Yes, Microsoft Print-to-PDF files were harmed and trashed upon each incarnation of the defect.  This defect report is not PETA-friendly, as files were harmed to report it.

6) Yeah, once I am less pissed off about this I might eventually change my user name.  Of course, Adobe staff is welcome to post some suggested alternates in this thread that would convey the similar warning to NOT USE EDGE AND ADOBE ACROBAT together until that combo is fixed to stop trashing user files.  Any suggestions?

Yeah, this still pisses me off, but I feel that is understandable.  Following Steps 1 through 6 in sequence replicates the defect as it

currently bites me.  As I indicate, I don't know if the defect also has the power to trash genuine Adobe-PDF files as well.

I will ask my local IT guy to follow this thread, as I expect some of the questions to be more for him.

Remember "AvoideEdgeAdobeCombo" until this defect is diagnosed and corrected, whichever product(s) are defective.

jane-e
Community Expert
jane-eCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 1, 2019

Tagging meenakshin83966505

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