OCR stopped working in Acrobat XI Pro

[W_W2]

This has been working flawlessly for years but now, when I run it, it scans each page normally but when finished I can't select/copy text. Happens with every document regardless of whether I scan a text document or even convert from a word document. I can't select/copy text at all. This just started sometime in the last 30 days.

[gary_sc]

Hi W|W,

Is there a blue overcast to the page when you try to select? If so it means that the page has not been made "selectable" and no OCR was done. Instead of a selectable document you have an image document.

For whatever reason your auto-processing of the scanned page has been turned off.

Please let us know which version of Acrobat Pro you are using and what your operating system is. We can better help you after we know these things.

[W_W2]

No there is no blue overcast. Everything looks and acts normal except that it won't perform OCR even though it goes through that process as it normally would. There is no error message. I'm using Windows 10 and have Acrobat XI Pro.

[jane-e]

Hi https://forums.adobe.com/people/W%7CW

Please show the settings you are using when you OCR. If you have Searchable Image, for example, you will not be able to edit it, just seach. One reason this might be happening it the options accidentally got set to Searchable Image. That’s where I would look first.

~ Jane

[W_W2]

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm not necessarily looking to edit. Just be able to select and copy text from PDF. It was set to Searchable image but there are only 3 options and no matter which one I select, it still won't work. I get the error message that the page contains renderable text. This error happens with every PDF I either open or create and try to use OCR.

[jane-e]

Try doing OCR with editable text just to see if that works to copy and paste to Word. I don't have Acrobat XI anymore, as Adobe stopped supporting it and stopped giving it security updates over a year ago, leaving XI vulnerable to hackers.

I checked my notes from XI:

• Tools pane > Document Processing > Optimize Scanned PDF
• Output: Clear Scan
• Downsample to: 600 ppi

It's changed in DC, so I can't test this. If you can show screen shots, I will remember what it looks like. Document Processing is a hidden panel and there is a tiny arrow in the upper right to turn on hidden panels.

Acrobat XI creates and names typefaces when you make it editable text. As I recall, they have names like "FD1234". Acrobat DC tries to assign a real typeface to the text, so you might see "MInion Pro".

Searchable image keeps an image so the document looks the same, which is what the National Archives, law offices, etc., need, while also making it searchable with Find and with Advanced Search.

[W_W2]

Thanks for the additional suggestions but I've tried all of that to no avail. All I get is the "renderable text" error when trying to use OCR on every PDF. I've even created a simple word doc with nothing but text, converted it to PDF and still have the same problem. I might just need to upgrade to DC at this point.

[jane-e]

If you are considering Acrobat Pro DC, get the 7 day trial first to confirm it solves your problem.

Can you show the dialog boxes of how you are doing OCR in Acrobat XI? Maybe I (or another volunteer) will spot something. Also, when you scan, what is your ppi (pixels per inch)?

[Bernd Alheit]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/W%7CW  wrote

Thanks for the additional suggestions but I've tried all of that to no avail. All I get is the "renderable text" error when trying to use OCR on every PDF. I've even created a simple word doc with nothing but text, converted it to PDF and still have the same problem. I might just need to upgrade to DC at this point.

When you get the message then there is already text in the PDF file.

[blavatsky3]

Hi W_W2 did you get a statisfactory fix/solution I have had same problem Adobe XI Pro fails to do OCR mentions failure to connect to recognition service.Unable to locate Paper Capture Recognition Service

Any help is appreciate
Windows 7 user 64 bit

everything was working fine 2018 until this year 2019 when it stopped working

RC