Convert multiple files (word docs) to multiple pdf

Question

Hi,
Is there a script I can use in batch processing to convert about 1500 word documents into pdf? I know it's possible to convert multiple files into one pdf, but this is no good to me. Doing these conversions one by one is going to take forever!
I've tried selecting a few documents at a time and then selecting "convert to pdf" from the right-click menu, but each one requires that you tell it where to save, and then opens the file when it is done.
I need to convert Word files on a regular basis for work, and could really use a batch process for this with so many to do!
I have Acrobat 7 Pro (version 7.1.0) on XP Pro SP 2 at work, and Acrobat 8 Pro (Version 8.1.2) on XP Pro SP 3 at home.
If there is anyway it's possible to do this via a batch process I would really appreciate knowing how!!
Apologies if this has been covered in another thread, I searched but couldn't find anything.
Thanks in advance :)

Answer 1

I have Acrobat 9 Pro. I can batch convert Word docs to PDFs by doing this:
1. Open Acrobat Pro. Click File > Create PDF > Batch Create Multiple Files...
2. A window will open prompting you to add files. Click Add Files > Add Files... OR Add Folders... If adding a folder, navigate to it, and click OK to add it to the list. You can also select a bunch of files and drag & drop them into the Add Files window.
3. Once you have all the files listed that you want to convert, click OK. A new window called Output Options will open. In this window, select your preferred settings. For me, I want all the new PDFs to have the same filename and be in the same folder as the Word docs, so I choose these settings:
4. Click OK, and then the batch process will begin running. You will see Word opening and closing. However, you won't have to click Save or anything. You can run it unattended. The process takes a little while, so I usually set up a batch to run, then go to lunch. Once finished, you should have all your new PDFs:
Hope that helps someone!