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A
Airdrie Chamber
Participant
October 19, 2012
Question

Why can't users save data in fillable form created in Adobe Acrobat X Pro?

  • October 19, 2012
  • 24 replies
  • 256277 views

I have created a fillable pdf form in Adobe Acrobat X Pro and have everything working great.  When I send it to users they can fill in all of the information, but they can not save the data in the form.  I have followed these instructions before I send the form to the users:  (Acrobat Pro) Type in non-fillable forms (File > Save As > Reader Extended PDF > Enable Additional Features.

The form includes text fields, radio buttons, e-signatures (x).

I have researched for days, spoke to countless "Adobe Chat Room Techs" and still have no idea what I am doing wrong.

I am so desperate for help.  Any advice would be appreciated.

ML

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    24 replies

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    J
    janw79160879
    Participant
    October 14, 2015

    I would like to give some completing information about problems with saving encrypted PDF forms.

    - I distribute PDF forms that are encrypted with password. They are not able to print but able to fill in and save. After that they are saved with Extended rights for Adobe Reader users.
    Three things could happen when I save.
    1. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro answers "Cannot save with extended etc". Of course the document doesn´t work in Reader.
    2. Acrobat saves the document without any messages. But when opening the document in Adobe Reader DC f.i. it says "The document has been changed" etc, and doesn´t work in Reader.
    3. Acrobat saves the document without any messages, and it works perfectly in Adobe Reader and in some Apps for IOS and Android.

    As you can understand it is necessary  to test every document before distributing them.
    This problem has been a fact for about 2 to 3 years now, and seems not to have got a solution. My experince is that it takes about 10-20 tries to get a working PDF with extended rights for Reader. So please Adobe, take a serious look at this problem and solve it.

      S
      Sam220596431mmp
      Participant
      October 13, 2023

      2023 here, our organization has been struggling with this for years. Seems its by design?

      Elaine S
      Elaine S
      Participant
      June 22, 2015

      I just blew 1.5 hours filling in a form - which could not be opened by the recipient or now by me. I saved it, carefully (it seemed) every 10 minutes, and it's gone! Given how much we pay for adobe, I shouldn't have to waste more time now reading how to save it. UNACCEPTABLE.

        T
        Test Screen Name
        Legend
        June 22, 2015

        Elaine S, your problem seems like it might be entirely different.

        You mean the file has gone?

        The stuff you typed has gone?

        Something else?

        What is the "Adobe" you pay so much for, please give the full product name and version?

        Sean_twyman
        Sean_twyman
        Participating Frequently
        August 18, 2015

        I have a weird question, I can save an acrobat XI pro form with extended reader rights but every time i open it in reader then edit and try to save it always wants to "save as" instead of just saving it. So even if i "save as" the first time then make more changes, hit the save button, it wants to "save as" again.

        I created the form in Acrobat  XI Pro and I am also using Adobe Reader X to fill in the form and that's were my saving problem is.

        D
        dalface1
        Participant
        May 16, 2015

        I found this which I initially thought was instructions on how to save file so others could use and save my form. But read on down where it says that they cannot. Very frustrating and I don't understand why this wouldn't be allowed.

        Adobe Acrobat X Pro * Enable Reader users to save form data

          G
          GunnyMcDuck
          Participant
          April 1, 2015

          I've created a form in LiveCycle Designer & Acrobat X, and saved it.

          However, when I open it up with Adobe Reader XI, I get the following message

          4-1-2015%205-24-26%20PM.png

          What am I doing wrong?

          This used to be a relatively simple process, and now I'm completely confused with how I enable saving forms that others have filled out.

          If I'm understanding what has been written in this thread previously, this is now normal functionality that doesn't require special settings like it had previously.

          Some help would be greatly appreciated.

          Here is the link to the PDF in question:

          https://www.dropbox.com/s/oclrr63636tptvi/Logicalis%20C%26A%20Information%20Worksheet2.pdf?dl=0

          Bernd Alheit
          Community Expert
          Bernd AlheitCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          April 2, 2015

          F‌or forms created with LiveCycle Designer you must enable the extended features.

          G
          GunnyMcDuck
          Participant
          April 2, 2015

          So I thought that was the problem, and I followed the steps for enabling extended features.

          When I save the file in Acrobat, then open it up in Reader, I get the following error:

          4-2-2015%209-34-06%20AM.png

          Additionally, none of the text fields are even fill-able at that point, forget about saving, I can't even input any information or text into the form.

          https://www.dropbox.com/s/smd8hveb8kcb668/does_not_work.pdf?dl=0

          That is the file in question.

          aletarw
          aletarw
          Participant
          February 6, 2015

          I had the same problem. When I opened the file; completed the file in Internet Explorer, I was able to save and re-edit.

          H
          hrybicki
          Participant
          September 18, 2014

          Click print

          Under Destination click change

          Save as PDF.

          the form will be saved with your information.

          G
          gkaiseril
          Inspiring
          September 18, 2014

          Printing will make the form fields content and may cause problems with additional user processing.

          Users with only Reader cannot print to the Adobe PDF printer.

          P
          Plob
          Known Participant
          September 8, 2014

          I do have the same problem, some users can´t save my forms...

          Did any one find a solution?

          Thanks,

          G
          gkaiseril
          Inspiring
          September 8, 2014

          You need to be more specific as the platforms (systems) and versions (product and release) that your users are having this problem with.

          There is no easy answer because of all the different platforms and versions of programs that can read PDF forms.

          Until Reader version XI, Reader could not save PDF forms unless the form has special "Reader Extended Rights" applied to the forms. Until Reader 9 this was done through a very expensive server product. With version 9 of Acrobat , users with Acrobat 9 Professional could apply the Extended Reader Rights but could only receive back 500 copies of a given form.

          Prior to Reader XI, if the form were sent to a scripted web page, the user of reader could be provided with a copy of the PDF form filled in.

          If your users are using Mobile devices, then it becomes even more complicated because many apps cannot process PDF forms or have very limited features for processing forms.


          P
          Plob
          Known Participant
          September 8, 2014

          They are using Acrobat Reader.

          The forms built in Acrobat Pro XI should work on every version... or not?

          G
          Gloria_Mc
          Known Participant
          June 24, 2014

          Well, this post has been active for quite some time, so here goes. I have Acrobat Pro 9 Extended on Windows XP (yes, XP) and if I use the Forms Wizard to create a form from a plain PDF (which was created by someone else from a plain Word file), all of the features allowing users to save the form (Security Settings and Extend  are unavailable (grayed out). Does this mean that the Forms Wizard only allows you to use the Distribution features? I am creating the form for someone else and do not want to distribute it via Acrobat. I want to quickly create the form (the Wizard does this) and extend the features so people with older versions of Reader will be able to save it. This form has only text fields, option boxes and a signature field - nothing fancy.

          Is this impossible? Do I have to tell the originator that they need to tell form recipients to get Reader XI+? Thanks much for your help.

          G
          George_Johnson
          Inspiring
          June 24, 2014

          If you exit the form editing mode, you will be able to Reader-enable the document.

            G
            Gloria_Mc
            Known Participant
            June 24, 2014

            Thank you so much, George!  Such a simple solution.

            A
            Anonymous
            May 18, 2014

            dude i tried one hour to save a document  & i have found solution for our problem

            1 click SIGN   top right

            2  click  DONE SIGNING

            3  That,s all document will be saved with edited data

            agroseamp@gmail.com

              H
              honu hawaii
              Participant
              May 9, 2014

              We have fillable forms online and was having this problem with users.

              Since it was a form being opened by the browser, I checked the setting on the browser, for my test it was Chrome. 

              In Chrome, I entered chrome://plugins

              The list of plugins are shown.

              The Chrome PDF viewer was Active but not the Adobe Reader.  I turned on Adobe and turned off the Chrome viewer.  Rebooted the Windows 8 computer.  Launched the browser, went to the site with the forms, opened one, completed the form, and saved it locally.  Opened that file and the data is there.

              Hope this helps.

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