PDF Portfolio and Flash Player

[BillHay]

I use Adobe XI PDF Portfolio to send fillable forms to vendors each month. They complete the forms within the folder and return them to my attention, then I export the documents to Excel.
I read that Flash Player is going to be removed after the year ends and was concerned because Portfolio uses Flash Player to run.
Will Portfolio be updated to run without FP or is there another program that works the same way?
Thanks,

[Joel Geraci]

Only the PDF Portfolio navigators require Flash. The packaging of multiple PDF files into a single PDF container will continue to function. Even Portfolios with navigators will continue to function. They just won't look all that pretty. You'll just see a list or a set of tiles rather than navigating the files through the Flash UI.

[flitter_mouse]

@Joel_Geraci1 can you point us to some documentation on creating PDF containers? How about converting/migrating PDF portfolios with navigator, to PDF containers?

Thank you!

[Joel Geraci]

A PDF Portfolio is the container format. You don't have to do anything.

[flitter_mouse]

Thank you, Joel_Geraci1. That makes sense. From your previous response to the topic, I thought there might be a PDF container type distinct from PDF Portfolio. I'm still wondering how I can make sure I'm creating a Portfolio without a navigator and how to convert/migrate a Portfolio with a navigator to a Portfolio without. In your previous response, you indicated that Portfolios with navigators would continue to function without Flash Player, but wouldn't look so great. I'd like to migrate/convert some Portfolios that seem to have a navigator, to Portfolios without. When setting up a new computer recently, upon opening one of these Portfolios in Acrobat Pro XI, I was prompted to install Flash Player. Before Flash Player was installed, it wouldn't show thumbnails of the Portfolio contents. When I downloaded/installed Flash Player, I was reminded of its imminent obsolescence.

[Test Screen Name]

I think Joel was saying (but will correct me if I'm wrong) is that the navigators will stop working but the underlying container will keep working. However, there were important updates to Acrobat this year concerning Flash and you might have to get rid of your ancient apps to make it work nicely...

[Joel Geraci]

Depending on the Acrobat version or other PDF viewer, the fallback will be to a Portfolio with a generic navigator or just attachments to the "Cover Sheet". You don't lose any PDF files, you just lose the experience.

[Bernd Alheit]

When you create portfolios with Acrobat DC it doesn't use Flash.

[Joel Geraci]

You're still on XI? That's really old. With Acrobat DC, you can't create Portfolios with Flash Layouts (Navigators) so you really don't need to worry about it. Just create your Portfolio as normal. They aren't as pretty but they are future proof.

[Tabb5E45]

Hi.  We use PDF Portfolios (with Flash) a LOT and obviously now cannot access any of our Portfolios - is there a work around so that we can recover the documents we have lost? Also, what are our options going forward for this type of set up? We use them much like a "electronic" 3-ring binder - so that you can flip through a collection of signed documents and easily get the one you need.  We provide copies of them to our clients who will likely now not be able to open theirs either (and unfortunately our IT department did not make us aware of this change). 

[Bernd Alheit]

Can you share a sample file?

[Tabb5E45]

I can send you one privately, however because we are a lawfirm, cannot post here for public view. Is there a way for me to send that to you? 

[Sarah5E72]

I have the exact same problem too

[Melanie5EF8]

Same issue here - all of our correspondence with legal clients are archived by created PDF portfolios. What a way to ruin my day than finding our files are not accessible.

[AliR5DA4]

My company is having the exact same problem for existing files and files going forward. Currently using Adobe XI Pro. 

[Robert5E48]

We are also having the same problem, I assume on files created in older versions of Acrobat.  Adobe needs to provide a way to get the individual files out of the portfolio, or an update to Acrobat that allows the files created in older versions to open without flash enabled.

[Bob_b55]

Same issue here, using Pro DC. The pdf portfolios created in an older version only show the last file added. The files are there, I can do a portfolio search and see them (if I know what I'm searching for). There doesn't appear to be a way to export and save with non-flash settings. But then again, if I go to the Sign In/Out, I get a message telling me it's still trying to initialize... so maybe something just isn't working right in the setup. I'm on a corporate machine, and there is little to zero support in adjusting setups of these kinds of programs.

Pdf Portfolios saved in the newer versions seem to be working fine. 

[Juli5FB8]

We are having that exact problem as well. We have a static version of XL (non subscription based). Do we have to upgrade to DC? Or is there another solution?? TIA

[Cassie5EAF]

Same...our business used portfolios a lot, need the docs

[Bernd Alheit]

When you open the portfolio in Acrobat Reader DC or Adobe Acrobat DC you can see a list of all documents on the left side.

[Melanie5EF8]

I don't have a list of the documents on the left side when I open the files in Adobe Acrobat DC. I'm only able to see the first email of the portfolio. These portfolios were created with the Acrobat PDF Maker Office addin, so they don't appear like portfolios created using the Acrobat>create portfolio option.

[AliR5DA4]

Thank you Melanie5EF8. This is exactly what we do as well. A solution to this would be beyond appreciated. One question; did you always have Acrobat DC or were you using Acrobat XI before?

[Alex157F]

I believe we had XI

[Alex157F]

That could be the case , honestly my users have not complained about that yet but I might encounter that problem later, I guess I do not have an answer for that one , maybe someone else does ?
If you find the answer please let me know ☺
Thank you

[Melanie5EF8]

We were using XI, and before that X, etc. From what I can tell, the portfolios created recently in DC are still accessible. The ones that I cannont access are created from an earlier version of Acrobat.