Can't open pmd files using InDesign

Question

hi all
I have a few pmd files created back in 1996 using Mac at the time, can someone help me to open the files or convert it so I can see them in Indesign please?
Thanks

Answer 1

I think there are two main reasons to reopen old PMD files. (1) Make new PDFs or ePUBS for tablets or (2) republish the publication, new edition etc. What I found is that we never know if a PMD will open whit In Design or not. If you did the right thing when you worked with Page Maker you should have saved your publications "packaged" ie, with pics, arts and fonts, using an option at PM "save" dialog. If you did so MAY BE your are half the way. As I noticed in other posts and forums, In Design needs that PMD, pics and fonts to be in the same directory. When you closed the files in PM, your disc contains PM, in root but pics and fonts each in their own directory, so, ID will not open and probably loop and stall without giving you any tip of what you are doing wrong. Create a correct directory at you computer and don't try to open from CDs or worst: old zip discs an even 3 1/4 rigid discs. Install all the fonts used at your PMD work. As Adobe's faqs say, In Design will open PM 6.5 up only.
If you did the wrong things some years ago, o-ho... I are something lost. Is you do not know the what fonts to install and have no 1990s and 2000s font discs you have nothing to try with In Design.
PM has the "conflict font" dialog, ever opening the files closed without proper fonts save too. ID has not (for PMD files) and crashes. I have CS5 installed. I found that some times I do what I said above and the file opens, other times, not.
But there is 100% fail safe thing to do. Perhaps you have at the bottom of an old box your Page Maker installation disc. I found mine 6.5 and 7.0. Ok they where developed for Windows 3.1 (anyone remember?) and Intel 386 and 486 CPUs. But SURPRISE! At least Page Maker 7.0 installs and works perfect in a i7 (fast one with 8 gb), two screens, fast graphic cards and amazingly, Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bits without need of any reverse compatibility trick or system.
So, I installed 7.0, installed the fonts, and opened PMDs at PM, not at IN. It works! It's the ONLY SOLUTION I FOUND for unable to open PMD files in In Design.
But about the goals?  You will be really amazed how fast PM 7.0 works in a modern machine. I prepared a 360 pages book with some 60 pics to be printed as PDF. The i& took an impressive low 2.8 seconds to close the file and another 15 seconds to create the PDF with Nitro Pdf Creator (freeware), and this is the very point.
As you remember, during PM era, you have to export for PDF via Adobe Acrobat Distiller that was very slow at the machines at the time. I did not tried to reinstall early 2000s Distiller because we know the amount of incompatibilities of Acrobats, and Readers, and Distillers. Old Distiller possibly will crash your actual Acrobat Reader. Then use PRINT, not EXPORT TO PDF, installing a freeware pdf printer as Primo PDF or it's big sister Nitro PDF. The Page Maker printing dialog permits to choose your PDF settings as exact size of the paper and color separation to bureaus print. Very simple and fast.
So I am printing old books an articles as PDFs with PM 7.0 an then converting to ePUB using another great freeware called Calibre.
I hope this can save a lot of time for someone and make people able reuse their old PMD files ever.
If you did not work wiht this stuff pre In Design an have no PM installation disks, ok, you could blame the market that do not offers old "used" software, that sometimes can save the day. Ask for friends is they have a copy of PM 7.