Trouble Making PDFs from PageMaker 7.0

Question

Hi. I need help understanding how to convert PageMaker 7.0 files into PDFs. I've got SOME technical proficiency in the area, but not much.
Note that I am using a trial version of PM7 (perhaps the problem), running in Classic Mode (System 9.2), on a Powerbook G4 which otherwise runs on 10.4.11. Acrobat reader 5.0 and Distiller 5.05 are also present I believe, but Reader and Distiller confuse me a bit as it seems I'm constantly having at least Reader pushed to my system from the net when I try and access content, and I'm not completely clear on how they relate to each other and when to use what. I may have installed Distiller a long time ago when using FrameMaker for some work I was doing at the time.
I should ask by the way whether or not PM7 files are supposed to have an extension. I think not because if I remember correctly that wasn't required until OSX, but please correct if I'm wrong. For what it's worth, none of my files are showing them.
1) To help troubleshoot, I've created a very simple test page with no complex elements––just the single word "test" in a common type face.
2) I've selected File > Export > Adobe PDF
3) This opens the PDF options pane. Though I'm not entirely sure what I SHOULD be doing here, I've set the PDF style to [Print], rather then [On Screen] as I want an actual file, and the Job Name for Distiller to "Print". Under "Edit Job Options", on the "General" tab, "Compatibility" is set to "Acrobat 4.0 (PDF 1.3)". On the "Fonts" tab, I've selected "Embed all fonts", as I want the document to show properly regardless of where it is viewed, and "Warn and Continue" when embedding fails. Obviously there are a number of other settings which I assume are secondary given the simple test I'm trying to carry out, but again please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
From here, I've tried selecting the "Export" button. This calls up a destination and naming pane which is set to save the document to my desktop, append a ".pdf" extension to the file name, and view using Acrobat Reader 5.0.
When I hit "Save", a few dialog boxes flash so quickly that I'm unable to read them, then I get a greyed out message that reads:
"The PDF file was not created. This may be due to a user cancellation or an error in the PostScript file. Please check the log information located in: Macintosh HD:Users:(home folder name):Desktop:(filename).log. The viewer will not be loaded"
There is an "OK" button which, when pressed, returns me to the document.
With this in mind, I have tried a second approach with some success. Specifically, I have tried:
1) File > Print > Options and select "Write PostScript to file:", the program auto populates my filename with a ".ps" extension appended. Checking this changes the "Print" button to a "Save" button.
2) A "Save As" option also allows me to pick a destination.
Upon selecting the "Save" button, it creates a (filename).ps file on my desktop. When I open this, a progress bar opens that says "Converting PostScript File to PDF". A PDF file of the document then opens in Preview, which allows me to save it as a PDF. This generates a (filename).pdf file with an Adobe Reader icon, I think because I've made that my default PDF reader as opposed to Preview.
Unfortunately, some of the more specialized type faces in this PDF are not displaying. Does this relate to the issue of embedding? I always thought PDFs were totally "flat," much like a screen capture, but do you have to essentially tell it to be flat by embedding the type? Will the docs otherwise display differently on different machines depending upon what fonts are available?
That's about as far as I've gotten. Obviously, any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for everyone's time.

Answer 1

Okay . . .
1) Not sure, but I THINK double colon might mean that the two folders exist on the SAME level. I say this because when I follow that pathway, I find them in the same folder. Also, a quick Google search produced some results which seem to suggest as much, though they are a bit difficult for me to interpret. Among other things, it seems the symbol has different meanings in different languages.
2) In experimenting with the corrections you advised (which I'll report on last), I made another discovery. My default reader on the G4 is Version 9. When I instead open with Reader 5, files print much more quickly, though still with the same errors. If I move the files to my more current iMac, Reader 9 is then able to print quickly but, again, with the errors. Preview seems to print quickly and without error in both environments. The changes you suggested seem to have no bearing on these particular problems. Any idea what I might be facing here? Is it a crime to just use Preview for opening these docs once created?
3) While I now understand that Embedding only includes fonts used by the doc, does it pull from ALL the font locations "registered" in the font-locations menu (shown below) or do I have to somehow point it to one? Moreover, will it pull from an OSX library even though I'm running this in Classic, and have I done any harm or good by adding this?
Next, I apologize as this may have been addressed, but do I need to also select a library from the final drop-down menu on the Fonts tab in Job options (shown below) . . . or is this ONLY for use in setting the Embed Always/Never parameter?
4) Per your suggestion, I set the job to cancel when embedding fails with no apparent snags, so I guess that bodes well. And I disabled "Process DSC Comments." Below is a screen capture of both the results of a trial and the first level of all my setting panes. Hopefully all looks good. Some questions here too however.
Does disabling DSC change the results of the job in any way or just what's reported about it? I did a little reading, and at least one article advised AGAINST disabling DSC comments saying that it was needed for some important information including data on origination application, page orientation, and beginning and ending statements for the prologue.ps (and epilogue.ps?).
I should note that I am having some trouble with the PDFs opening on my NEWER Mac. When I set to open with Preview, the security filters stop me saying that they don't recognize the app. I may have some workarounds but it's all a bit dodgy. Could this have anything to do with removing the DSC comments? All seems to work fine with Acrobat as the reader, but as mentioned, I can't quite get proper results out of that app.
5) What are pro- and epilogue.ps files, and do I need them? Note that they are currently not included. Is that correct?
6) Should I allow my PS file to override my job options? Currently I do not.
Screen captures are as follows:
TEST FILE RESULTS
PREFERENCES
FONT LOCATIONS
WATCHED FOLDERS
JOB OPTIONS
SECURITY