Making multiple subfolders with pdfs OCR

[pjm235]

Hi, 

I'm attempting to make multiple PDFs searchable via OCR. These files are within mutiple subfolders. 

Is there a way that I can click on the main folder, which contains the subfolders and thus the files, and tell adobe I'd like this section made searchable? 

I know you can click on of the subfolders and then have adobe run OCR on those but is there a faster way to automate this process? 

[Bernd Alheit]

You can use the Action Wizard in Acrobat Pro.

[pjm235]

Hi, 

Can you provide a guide or some information on how to complete this action. I've browsed the forums however when I select the folder to try to complete this action adobe won't pull (if that's the correct word) the files from the sub folders. 

[Bernd Alheit]

In the action add the folder to "Files to be Processed".

[pjm235]

Hi, 

So I've selected the top file which contains the sub folders. I hit save but now my rule won't open and I don't see adobe doing anything. Have I done something wrong? 

[try67]

A file can't contain folders. You need to select the parent folder that contains all the sub-folders you want to process.

[pjm235]

Hi, 

I think I might be getting confused but here's an example of what I'm trying to to do. 

So there's the parent folder and within the parent folder there are two sub folders (pictured below). The subfolders contain several pdf documents. I want to run adobe to pull the all documents from the two subfolders at once instead of indiviually selecting each subfolder and then telling adobe to OCR them.  

When I currently attempt to make mutliple files OCRs my current process  tools -> select scans and ocr -> select mutiple files -> select only one folder -> hit ok  and then repeat for as many subfolders as required. Is there way to automate this process by selecting all subfolders of the parent folder? 

[try67 · Accepted solution]

Yes, using an Action, as was mentioned before. You must have Acrobat Pro, though.

You'll find it under Tools - Action Wizard. Create a new Action, add to it a "Recognize Text using OCR" command and then a Save command, and change the Files to be Processed option to "Add Folder", save it and then click on it under the Action Wizard panel. You'll be prompted to select a folder. Select the parent folder and all the files in it, and in all of its sub-folders (recursively) will be processed in this way.

[pjm235]

Hi, 

So I've gone through the step described and after I hit save the action won't open. The files in question are on a network drive. Should I be selecting the network drive or the parent folder? 

[pjm235]

Ok so I tried copying the folder from the network drive to my desktop and it works!

Is there anyway to do it on a network drive or must all the files be local? 

[pjm235]

Hi, 

So it does work on the network drive, it's just the folder in particular that's giving me trouble. Thank you all so much for your help! I really appericate it. 

[try67]

Keep in mind that this command will also (attempt to) convert all non-PDF files to PDFs...