forward & back - how to navigate between linked pdf-files?

[alf123450987]

Does anyone know how to get the buttons to navigate between linked pdf-files?

I often use pdf-files with links to other pdf-files (created in OpenOffice with pdf-export). After updating from version 9 to version 10 there seem to be no buttons to jump forward or back between the files. I tried all the 6 Buttons I could find (under: View - Page Navigation (I hope that these are the right terms, because I use the german version (Anzeige - Seitennavigation))).

WinXP SP3, Abobe Reader 10.1.0

[Guest]

Hi Evan1138

There is nothing special about downloading an Adobe product; just go to http://www.adobe.com/downloads/. But mind you, we had already purchased the license for Acrobat X, so re-installing it was easy for me. All I had to do is uninstall the 10.1.3 and install the X trial, then enter my registration key and remove automatic updates. For you it'll be different, since you are upgrading, not downgrading. Upgrades are costly in Adobe world. On the upside, you can always download the trial version and enjoy it for a month. Or else, if 9.5 works well for you, why not stick with it until a new Acrobat release fixes this back/forward issue? By the way, they are working on it. Apparently, they've been invaded by similar complaints from all sides, so Adobe tech teams are on the case.

[Paul_Wilby]

I have just tried the same functionality with Reader v11, there seems to now be some security surrounding the ability to use 'Previous View' for linked PDF files but the buttons are accessible - however when you use them they just crash Reader!! I would be interested to see if other users have the same experience?

[mmweng]

Great news . . .  with the possibility of reviving a project I put on hold with the loss of previous view across files!  Just tried it and it almost worked across my project files . . .  but, as you say, it crashed after a while.  I was a few files deep, constantly using previous/next view across and within these files (working fine) when it crashed so don't have a definitive history at the time of crash.  Good news . . . Adobe's addressing the problem.  Time for some bug reports and some tweaking on their side.  There's hope.

Using Windows 7 Pro.

Thanks for the heads up.

[mmweng]

Just simplified the testing and got a repeatable crash with a very simple case.  Used just one file, created in InDesign and exported as PDF.  Page 1 includes a small text frame (similar to a button but not designated as a button) which is hyperlinked to page 2.

Opened PDF file to page 1 and clicked the hyperlink.  View went to page 2.  Clicked previous view on the toolbar and Reader 11 crashed.

Unfortunately, even the most basic, single file, functionality is broken in some cases.  The same file worked fine with Reader 10.

I've submitted two bug reports reflecting my two recent posts.

[mmweng]

My mistake!  Post 28 is wrong.  It's a simple, cross-file crash (I have so many cross linked files that I get lost myself).  The correct test . . .

Create two InDesign files, A and B,  exporting to PDF . . . all files in same folder.

Page 1 of File A has a text frame hyperlinked to page 2 of File B.

Open PDF File A to page 1 and click the hyperlink.

File B opens at page 2.

Click previous view on the toolbar.

Reader 11 crashes.

It worked with Reader 9 and Acrobat 9.  Reader 10 simply doesn't allow the previous view jump back to File A.

[Paul_Wilby]

Thanks for confirming it's not just me & it's purely cross-file - I also logged a bug report yesterday after my intial post

[mmweng]

Agree.  I ran some more checks, drilling 4 deep in linked files and within files.  Never had a crash within a file.  Once got 4 deep in linked files and backed all the way out with no problem but crashed with next view command from the root file.  Can't say I discovered any helpful pattern.

[mmweng]

I just tested Reader 11.0.1 (my reader just updated) with three files drilling down about 10 levels deep in cross-file links and backing out with Previous View.  No problem doing this several times.  Fingers crossed and will keep testing.  If all OK . . . Thanks Adobe!

Have you tried it yet?

[mmweng]

Continued testing 11.0.1 and no problems yet.  Also updated Reader for Mac to 10.1.5.  Cross-file links appear OK here as well.

[lennartj]

Tested 10.1.5 and the "BACK to previous place in previous document" seems now to work even though I have not tried many-many levels.

BUG: Still there is one BUG left to fix (unless there is some new setting I have not found): Each time one goes BACK, the left Bookmarks frame now shows the "Page Thumbnails"  instead of the "Bookmarks" = Table-of-Contents (somehow that selection in the Reader seems to disappear at BACK).

(My Reader has the setting "Restore last view settings when reopening the document")

AND still it does not work good enough when the reader is used in a browser (where the same problem as earlier exist that one always "backs" to the beginning of the document, forgetting previous position).

Otherwise I am grateful that the BACK at least work again. Without it, our customers get completely lost when trying to read the documents.