Long delay before Distiller builds PDF

[Guest]

Frame 8.0p277

Acrobat 9.0

Windows 7 64-bit with tons of RAM and processor speed

When I build a PDF, Distiller starts but does nothing for 4-5 minutes before it starts creating the PDF file. The PDF files then take much, much longer to build than they take on my slower local machine (which has the same application versions and OS).

Has anyone seen this behavior before? I tried reinstalling Acrobat, but this did not fix the problem.

Thanks,

Karen

[Guest]

I use the freeware CutePDF. I suggest downloading it. Simply print to CutePDF, then save it. It works great with FrameMaker 9, may work well with 8.

Ron Tillotson

Technical Writer

[David_Crowe]

I find that the first time I open Distiller (irrespective of whether or not FrameMaker is involved) it takes several minutes before it’s ready – during which time the message Checking fonts appears in the Distiller window.

My solution is not to close Distiller after using. I can live with waiting five minutes a day while it warms up the first time.

FrameMaker 9, Acrobat Professional 8, Windows XP.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies. Leaving Distiller open does not solve the problem, alas.

Here's what happens:

A tps file is created right away - size = 0.

5-30 minutes later (depending on the size of the PDF), the pdf file is created.

In the interim, Distiller closes itself, and when it reopens, it creates the pdf in seconds..

These are relatively small FrameMaker books with all graphics imported by reference (jpg's).

There are 17 books. They used to take 12 minutes to build. Now it takes almost 2 hours.

I've tried everything suggested in the following posts:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/2468265

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/528/cpsid_52868.html

I use Save As PDF. Printing a ps file takes just as long.

I'm running FM8p277 on Win 7 64-bit. Acrobat 9.

[Art_Campbell1]

Most people wouldn't use SaveAs PDF because of it's long history of slowness and buggieness.

What happens when you Print to the Acrobat PDF printer instead (making sure NOT to activate the Print To File checkbox on the FM Print dialog box)?

Art

[Guest]

Thanks Art. Printing to the Adobe PDF printer doesn't really change anything.

I've been using Save As PDF for a long time, and I've never had any problems up til now...

I have a consultant coming in shortly. If we find a solution, I will be sure to post it.

Thanks!

[Guest]

I'm writing to report that we did not find a solution to this problem. The wonderful Sheila Carlisle worked with us and we tried all kinds of things.

It turned out that we were running FM 8 on a Windows Server 2008 x 64 OS (not Windows 7, as I had thought). Sheila replicated our environment on her system, and the files ran correctly. The only difference between her system and our system is that ours is a virtual machine. The only thing we can postulate at this time is that perhaps there's something about virtual machines that can cause this problem. Has anyone else seen different FM behavior on a virtual machine?

Meanwhile, we were able to complete a build on our old Vista 32 virtual machine (it had given us grief a few weeks ago, but is now mysteriously working again). Our hope is to limp along a bit longer until we can upgrade to FM 10.

Sincere thanks to everyone who tried to help!

Karen