Adobe PDF printer - Programmatic Control

Hi,
I have an MS Access 2007 application that has been using an Adobe printer to create PDF files. It's been working for several years on XP machines but since the PC's where upgraded to Windows 7 64 bit and MS Office 2010 32 bit it has stopped working.
The version of acrobat and distiller is 9. I used the registry change to specify the filename I was creating as described in the Distiller9APIReference guide http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/devnet/acrobat/pdfs/Distiller9APIReference.pdf page 15/16
ie:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\PrinterJobControl]
"C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe" =
"c:\MyPDFoutputFileName.pdf"
Originally I could specify the PDF file to create and then wait for it to be created before moving the file onto the server. Now even though the registry appears to be amended as before the user is now being prompted for a file name.
I printed to the Adobe PDF via word and notepad and they appear in the same registry, so I've assumed its not a 32 bit/64 bit registry issue.
Sadly I wasn't responsible for the previous or current installation of the adobe products so have no idea what might be different between then. The printer name did change from Adobe to Adobe PDF if that makes any difference however I have changed the code to call the new printer.
Any help on how to track down the issue would be most helpful.
Nathan

The solution was with the registry after all.
For those who may encounter a similar issue look at http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2075104/bypass-adobe-pdf-printer-savefileas-prompt

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How to control "Adobe PDF" Printer?

Hello Everyone,
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Thank you for your suggestions.
@TestScreenName : Yes, I have downloaded the Adobe SDK Library
@Irosenth : Only specific users have permissions to print these large reports and they will do it on their local machines wherein they each have a full version of Adobe Acrobat. I had seen the silent printing option and understand it. I am more concerned however with the following as seen in my original post
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I found this answer from Deepak Chauhan on another forum, and it solved this problem!
Try this to add Adobe PDF printer manually on Windows 7, and Windows Vista.
If windows 7 is Enterprise or better edition: (Admin rights required)
Start>search for printmanagement.msc and open the print management module
Expand the print server and expand the computer name to see availbale printers, drivers and printer ports.
- from printers ensure there's no Adobe PDF printer, if there is delete it
- go to ports and delete the PDF ports (the ones ending in *.pdf)
- go to drivers and delete the PDF converter.
Take note if any errors occur, but continue with the following steps regardless.
If on windows 7 home edition, just goto start>Devices and Printers and ensure PDF pritner is not listed.
Then open the registry (if any erors deleting these keys happen, see below)
1: go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Printers
delete any adobe PDF printer subkey present
2: go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors
delee the PDF port monitor if present
3: go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
again delete and pdf printer subkey
If any erros occur, you need to set the owner of the key to the currently logged in admin user, then ensure that user has full control.
Do this by right-click the key and selecting permissions, clicking on advanced, then the owner tab.
Once you've all that has been done, open a command line as administrator.
Copy and pate the following commands in order
1: net stop spooler
2: rundll32.exe setupapi.dll,InstallHinfSection AdobePDFPortMonitor 128 C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\AdobePDF.inf
3: net start spooler
4:rundll32.exe printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Adobe PDF" /f "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\AdobePDF.inf" /r "Documents\*.pdf" /m "Adobe PDF Converter"
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This seemed to provide the link that provided the Adobe PDF Settings tab to the Adobe PDF Printing Preferences that was missing!

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Hi,Test Screen Name
Because HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\Ad obe PDF\ is the dir where to set the property of Adobe PDF printer when windows load it , this is experience, no documentation(or i don't find) , perhaps there will be other registry itemes which does not list in that dir ,but i don't know , that is why i think it just like what you have said ' It looks very like a "discovery" rather than a policy ' . For this reason , i want to realize it by adobe acrobat SDK programming ,but now the second way is impossible. Thank you again !

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Several months ago, I started working on this issue and thought that I had it resolved by uninstalling the "Internet Printing Client" from "Windows Features" (Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > expand Print and Document Services > uncheck Internet Printing Client). This change seemed to help at the time, as I was then unable to reproduce the issue and the end-user was unable to reproduce the issue for two weeks after (thus I closed the help desk case). But now it looks like the issue is back. Maybe the above setting will help someone else, but I'm now looking for a permanent fix.
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Adobe PDF Printer not showing -- no fix found yet

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Try this process. If you get any errors then screenshot them and post them back to the forum.
Try this to add Adobe PDF printer manually on Windows 7.
If windows 7 is Enterprise or better edition: (Admin rights required)
Start>search for printmanagement.msc and open the print management module
Expand the print server and expand the computer name to see availbale printers, drivers and printer ports.
- from printers ensure there's no Adobe PDF printer, if there is delete it
- go to ports and delete the PDF ports (the ones ending in *.pdf)
- go to drivers and delete the PDF converter.
Take note if any errors occur, but continue with the following steps regardless.
If on windows 7 home edition, just goto start>Devices and Printers and ensure PDF pritner is not listed.
Then open the registry (if any erors deleting these keys happen, see below)
1: go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Print\Printers
delete any adobe PDF printer subkey present
2: go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Monitors
delete the PDF port monitor if present
3: go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
again delete and pdf printer subkey
If any erros occur, you need to set the owner of the key to the currently logged in admin user, then ensure that user has full control.
Do this by right-click the key and selecting permissions, clicking on advanced, then the owner tab.
Once all that has been done, open a command line as administrator.
Copy and paste the following commands in order
1: net stop spooler
2: rundll32.exe setupapi.dll,InstallHinfSection AdobePDFPortMonitor 128 C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\AdobePDF.inf
3: net start spooler
4:rundll32.exe printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /if /b "Adobe PDF" /f "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat 10.0\Acrobat\Xtras\AdobePDF\AdobePDF.inf" /r "Documents\*.pdf" /m "Adobe PDF Converter"
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I have.
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I would like to have a workflow like the following:
1. User presses "export PDF".
2. The application does:
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Adobe PDF Printer Missing Fix - Adobe Acrobat 8.1 - Vista

Adobe PDF Printer Missing Fix - Adobe Acrobat 8.1 - Vista
1. Type "C:\Windows\inf" into the search box on the start menu.
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I have windows XP media center. I uninstalled Acrobat 8 to download Acr 9 pro extended. No adobe printer was installed .
Tried the steps given here by Steve Lionel. I was able to add the "Adobe PDF Converter" as printer. Although after the 7th step in Steve's fix, the wizard asked me to search for some files (from XP CDrom) which I was able to locate in the Windows folder-drivers folder and the system32-spool folder.
I went to acrobat,opened a pdf file and tried to print with this printer and saved it on the desktop. A file appears, but adobe cannot open it however it activates adobe illustrator and opens in that program.
Lots of time has gone. No solution yet.
Appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks
Update!!!
I tried printing on this printer from a webpage and it converted the webpage like charm.
I am more than happy even if I get to use this printer to convert webpages to pdf as now I don't have to install those shady pdf converters and printer drivers.
This is good as the fix given here works even for XP.
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Hi,
After calling the Belgian Support for Adobe Product, I'm trying to have some information here.
Hope to get some help.
We use acrobat pro XI on windows 7 client and when we print a test page with the "adobe pdf" print queue on network share, we get a printing error when the "start printing after last page is spooled" is selected in the advanced tab of the printer queue. (document is not generated, and stay in the spooler with an error).
This problem is not present if printed localy or when we use the "start printing immediately" or "print directly to the printer".
The support agent from adobe Belgium told me that the reason is generating adobe pdf on network share is not a supported operation. We have to save the document localy all the time.
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Do you have an other explanation ?
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Thanks for your very good explanation Dov.
We use Adobe livecycle for this kind of purpose.
The situation described is diffrent, but you completely repond and I will be able to have some element to find a solution.
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Please excuse if this question is painfully obvious, but I just can’t figure it out.
I’m working with FrameMaker version 8.0p277 (TCS).
As far as I can tell there are at least three places where I can setup preferences for my PDFs
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From within FM, the Properties setting, when you select the Adobe PDF printer instance, takes you to the same Preferences dialogue as in the first condition. You're temporarily resetting the preferences for the FM session to use. However, this does not change your default preferences set at the system level nor does it affect any other application that is running.
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Adobe PDF printer - Programmatic Control

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