Name of file utility?

What's the name of that XP utility that is used to set applications by file
extention? Such as Adobe for PDF files?

TIA


--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

wrote:
On 30 Jun 2015 13:30:13 GMT, KenK wrote:

What's the name of that XP utility that is used to set applications by
file
extention? Such as Adobe for PDF files?

TIA

Windows Explorer/tools/folder options/file types

OR right click on the file and select Open With, Choose Program, and select
an appropriate program.

KenK wrote:

What's the name of that XP utility that is used to set applications by file
extention? Such as Adobe for PDF files?

This is from memory. The wizard available in Win7 was not available
back in WinXP. What I used to do back in WinXP was to open Windows
Explorer, Tools - Options, Filetypes tab, and go to an existing
filetype definition to edit it.

If you are just trying to setup a filetype association the first time or
are simply trying to change it to a new one, right-click on the file
(that you want opened using your choice of program aka handler), select
Open With (might have to hit Shift with the right-click to get that
context menu entry), choose to select a program, select a program's
executable file or pick a program from the prefille list, be sure to
select the Remember checkbox, and apply/OK. That will change the
filetype association to the handler that you chose.

Adobe is a company name, not a product name. Adobe makes dozens of
programs, perhaps hundreds over their lifetime, so you did not identify
which program you want to associate with .pdf files. The installation
of whatever Adobe program should have performed the filetype association
for you (unless it had an install-time option to not usurp an existing
association and you allowed it). The unidentified program's own
configuration settings may have an option for you to have it associate
..pdf files to that program. If you don't want to do the manual filetype
association mentioned above or the program did not define the filetype
association or does not have an option to do that then you could
uninstall the program and reinstall it to see if it then defined the
filetype association. Of course, I'm assuming that you have actually
installed the unidentified Adobe program so it could define the filetype
association.

On Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:37:36 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:


Adobe is a company name, not a product name. Adobe makes dozens of
programs, perhaps hundreds over their lifetime, so you did not identify
which program you want to associate with .pdf files.


Exactly right!

And let me add that Adobe Reader, the program that is most popular for
pdf files, is not even the best choice. There are lots of other
choices, and many of them are better than Adobe Reader, as far as I'm
concerned. The one I use and recommend is the free Foxit Reader
(https://www.foxitsoftware.com/products/pdf-reader/)

kkkkkk

Ken,

There are lots of other choices, and many of them are
better than Adobe Reader, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm still looking for a lightweight PDF reader, one that does *not* support
scripting or internet access (for whatever reason, including updating
itself), preferrably non-installing and portable.

In short, I'm looking for a *document viewer*. Nothing more.

Any idea ?

The one I use and recommend is the free Foxit Reader
(https://www.foxitsoftware.com/products/pdf-reader/)

I tried that one once, but de-installed it as soon as I noticed it tried to,
without even asking for permission, go on-line (assuming it wanted to update
itself, but your guess is as good as mine).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


-- Origional message
Ken Blake, MVP schreef in berichtnieuws
...
On Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:37:36 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

Adobe is a company name, not a product name. Adobe makes dozens of
programs, perhaps hundreds over their lifetime, so you did not identify
which program you want to associate with .pdf files.

Exactly right!

And let me add that Adobe Reader, the program that is most popular for
pdf files, is not even the best choice. There are lots of other
choices, and many of them are better than Adobe Reader, as far as I'm
concerned. The one I use and recommend is the free Foxit Reader
(https://www.foxitsoftware.com/products/pdf-reader/)

On Thu, 2 Jul 2015 12:06:16 +0200, "R.Wieser"
wrote:


The one I use and recommend is the free Foxit Reader
(https://www.foxitsoftware.com/products/pdf-reader/)

I tried that one once, but de-installed it as soon as I noticed it tried to,
without even asking for permission, go on-line (assuming it wanted to update
itself, but your guess is as good as mine).


The only it will go online is for updates, and it will do that only if
it is set to do.

So it *does* ask for permission--not every time, but in Settings which
you should use when you first install it (or almost every other
program).

R.Wieser wrote:

I'm still looking for a lightweight PDF reader, one that does *not* support
scripting or internet access (for whatever reason, including updating
itself), preferrably non-installing and portable.

In short, I'm looking for a *document viewer*. Nothing more.

This thread is to discuss PDFs and what to use to view them. Scripting,
attachments, and launch actions are part of the PDF specification. That
doesn't mean you must enable those features in a PDF viewer but when you
say you want a "document viewer and nothing more" and are talking about
PDFs then you contradict yourself in implying you don't want "nothing
more" than what PDFs can contain. I have not found a PDF viewer that
either could not have scripting disabled. I suppose not having to
support scripting means less code in the viewer app. So what it appears
you really want is a dumbed down viewer, one that cannot support all the
features of PDFs.

Expect responses to duplicate your efforts in finding a PDF viewer that
you like since you didn't mention which ones you have already reviewed.

SlimPDF
Small.

Sumatra
Open source, portable.

PDF-Xchange Portable
http://portableapps.com/apps/office/...hange-portable. Requires you
to use the PortableApps wrapper (provides the environ under which the
portable app gets extracted and executed). Don't bother with "trialing"
the Pro features (which leave watermarks in your edited PDFs). Go into
its options to hide the Pro features to eliminate their nuisance in
showing in the menus.

Google Chrome
If that is your web browser of choice, it comes with an integrated PDF
viewer (pre-installed plug-in). So you don't have any further software
to install if that PDF viewer does all you want.

R.Wieser wrote:
Ken,

There are lots of other choices, and many of them are
better than Adobe Reader, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm still looking for a lightweight PDF reader, one that does *not* support
scripting or internet access (for whatever reason, including updating
itself), preferrably non-installing and portable.

In short, I'm looking for a *document viewer*. Nothing more.

Any idea ?

Foxit version 2.2, build 2129. Small, fast, no bloat, no js.
It can access the web but you have to specifically tell it to.
Mine never asks.
It asks to install ... something... forgot what, gbar?? Just say NO!
http://www.oldversion.com/windows/foxit-pdf-reader/

Ken,

The only it will go online is for updates,

As I said, your guess is as good as mine.

and it will do that only if it is set to do.

True. The problem is that *I* did not set it to do so. As mentioned
earlier.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


-- Origional message:
Ken Blake, MVP schreef in berichtnieuws
...
On Thu, 2 Jul 2015 12:06:16 +0200, "R.Wieser"
wrote:


The one I use and recommend is the free Foxit Reader
(https://www.foxitsoftware.com/products/pdf-reader/)

I tried that one once, but de-installed it as soon as I noticed it tried
to,
without even asking for permission, go on-line (assuming it wanted to
update
itself, but your guess is as good as mine).


The only it will go online is for updates, and it will do that only if
it is set to do.

So it *does* ask for permission--not every time, but in Settings which
you should use when you first install it (or almost every other
program).

Vanguard,

Scripting, attachments, and launch actions are part
of the PDF specification.

Of the *current* spec ? That might be true.

But that only means that I'm looking for a version that adheres to an
earlier version of that spec, before the above junk became part of it. :-)

but when you say you want a "document viewer and
nothing more" and are talking about PDFs then you
contradict yourself in implying you don't want "nothing
more" than what PDFs can contain.

See above. Also see "feature creep", and how it often destroys a program
from within. Next to that I regard at least two of the above "features" as
security holes.

Expect responses to duplicate your efforts in finding
a PDF viewer that you like since you didn't mention
which ones you have already reviewed.

Irrelevant. Suggesting *any* reader which includes either of those features
would be counterproductive, regardless of if I had already seen it or not.

In other words: I'm not asking anyone to come up with a list that contains
any reader I have not checked yet, I'm asking if anyone knows if the reader
I'm looking for exists (and if so where I can find it ofcourse :-) )

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


-- Origional message
VanguardLH schreef in berichtnieuws
...
R.Wieser wrote:

I'm still looking for a lightweight PDF reader, one that does *not*
support
scripting or internet access (for whatever reason, including updating
itself), preferrably non-installing and portable.

In short, I'm looking for a *document viewer*. Nothing more.

This thread is to discuss PDFs and what to use to view them. Scripting,
attachments, and launch actions are part of the PDF specification. That
doesn't mean you must enable those features in a PDF viewer but when you
say you want a "document viewer and nothing more" and are talking about
PDFs then you contradict yourself in implying you don't want "nothing
more" than what PDFs can contain. I have not found a PDF viewer that
either could not have scripting disabled. I suppose not having to
support scripting means less code in the viewer app. So what it appears
you really want is a dumbed down viewer, one that cannot support all the
features of PDFs.

Expect responses to duplicate your efforts in finding a PDF viewer that
you like since you didn't mention which ones you have already reviewed.

SlimPDF
Small.

Sumatra
Open source, portable.

PDF-Xchange Portable
http://portableapps.com/apps/office/...hange-portable. Requires you
to use the PortableApps wrapper (provides the environ under which the
portable app gets extracted and executed). Don't bother with "trialing"
the Pro features (which leave watermarks in your edited PDFs). Go into
its options to hide the Pro features to eliminate their nuisance in
showing in the menus.

Google Chrome
If that is your web browser of choice, it comes with an integrated PDF
viewer (pre-installed plug-in). So you don't have any further software
to install if that PDF viewer does all you want.

Paul,

Foxit version 2.2, build 2129. Small, fast, no bloat, no js.
It can access the web but you have to specifically tell it to.

Thanks. That sounds promising.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


-- Origional message:
Paul in Houston TX schreef in berichtnieuws
...
R.Wieser wrote:
Ken,

There are lots of other choices, and many of them are
better than Adobe Reader, as far as I'm concerned.

I'm still looking for a lightweight PDF reader, one that does *not*
support
scripting or internet access (for whatever reason, including updating
itself), preferrably non-installing and portable.

In short, I'm looking for a *document viewer*. Nothing more.

Any idea ?

Foxit version 2.2, build 2129. Small, fast, no bloat, no js.
It can access the web but you have to specifically tell it to.
Mine never asks.
It asks to install ... something... forgot what, gbar?? Just say NO!
http://www.oldversion.com/windows/foxit-pdf-reader/

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 00:12:27 +0200, "R.Wieser"
wrote:

Ken,

The only it will go online is for updates,

As I said, your guess is as good as mine.

and it will do that only if it is set to do.

True. The problem is that *I* did not set it to do so. As mentioned
earlier.



If I remember correctly, it defaults to that. The first thing you
should do with it, or any other programs, is to go to its settings and
change defaults you don't want to what you do want.

Yes, I understand that you didn't set it to do that, but by not
checking the defaults and changing them to what you want, in effect
you did.

R.Wieser wrote:

Vanguard,

Scripting, attachments, and launch actions are part of the PDF
specification.

Of the *current* spec ? That might be true.

I don't know when scripting, attachments, or launch actions were added
to the PDF specification. Not really that interested in something that
showed up 6 years, or more, ago. If the author saves their .pdf in an
old PDF format then those features won't be available.

While 3rd party PDF viewer authors allow you to disable scripting, Adobe
added a sandbox to their Reader app which further restricts what
privileges their ECMAscript has and what changes it can make. I haven't
yet seen any of the 3rd party PDF viewers add a sandbox.

http://blogs.adobe.com/security/2010...cted-mode.html
(yep, dated back to 2009, so it's been there for awhile but needed
improvement in their first implementation)

http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acr...ectedmode.html
and its links to:
https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/p...ng-reader.html
http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acr...anges-for-11-0

I switched away from Adobe Reader a long time ago (so I don't remember
what version I was using back then) and went to PDF-Xchange Viewer which
was more secure because I could configure it that way: disable
Javascript (but prompt), disable launch action, and allow only .pdf
attachments in .pdf files. Note: I don't know if PDF-Xchange got around
to adding these same security settings in their Editor product that was
supposed to supercede their Viewer product. I asked about their absence
a long time ago, they said the options would show up, but I didn't
bother to wait and went back to their Viewer app. Eventually after
researching the sandbox (Protected Mode) and further throttling
(Enhanced Security), I decided Adobe Reader was more secure than
PDF-Xchange Viewer.

While you can read up on security vulnerabilities for Adobe Reader, you
can't find any published for PDF-Xchange Viewer. That doesn't mean
PDF-Xchange Viewer doesn't have any, only that you can't get info from
them about defects in their software. Because vulnerabilities have been
found in Adobe's sandbox implementation in the past, I configure Adobe
Reader to also use Enhanced Security (it's off, by default, when
installed because it interferes with the user's experience of using
Reader and reading the PDF.

Be aware, however, that using multiple levels of sandboxing can cause
problems. If, for example, you load Adobe Reader in another sandbox
(e.g., Avast's sandbox) that Adobe Reader won't work. I don't remember
the symptom but once I realized that Avast was sandboxing Adobe Reader
then my choice was to : (1) configure Avast not to sandbox Adobe
Reader's sandbox; or, (2) let Avast sandbox Adobe Reader and disable
Protected Mode in Adobe Reader. A sandbox in a sandbox will have
problems.

For Adobe Reader, I also enable Enhanced Security. You can read about
it at:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acr...curity_FAQ.pdf

That means PDFs are even more throttled. A yellow infobar shows up
telling me about the throttling so I can decide whether to decrease
security to gain more features of viewing the PDF.

Next to that I regard at least two of the above "features" as
security holes.

While I disable scripting, I understand where and why it is helpful.
The only places that I have found scripting used in PDFs is when the
author wants to valid the user's input in forms, like making sure they
enter a number in a numerical field and that its value is within the
range allowed. Eliminates getting incorrectly filled-in forms. The
only places I remember hitting such scripted PDFs were internal docs in
a company and gov't forms. Scripting makes for a smart PDF form instead
of hoping the user inputs the correct data.

The PDF feature that I hate most is the ability to launch an action when
loading a PDF. That is, when you load the PDF, it can have an action
(command) specified to launch. I disable that as I want to be informed
BEFORE any launch action is committed.

Lastly, PDFs can have attachments of any filetype. I configure my PDF
viewer to not allow any attachments other than PDFs. So a PDF can only
have a PDF attachment (which will load under the same security
restraints as configured in the viewer app).

If you use the defaults of ANY program then you have elected to have
someone else decide what setup of the program is best for you. If they
go to the trouble of providing you with options then go review them to
know how YOU want to use the program. For example, there have been a
couple occasions where I did want to enable scripting because I knew the
author of the PDF and he was validating the input fields to eliminate
wasting time with boobs that enter the wrong data. Afterward I disabled
scripting again. The PDF viewer is configured to prompt me if a PDF
wants to run a script so I can decide Yes or No. This is just like
configuring Windows Update to prompt when there are new updates but *I*
decide when to download and apply them.

Do you also use the defaults of 3rd party anti-virus or firewall
software you install on your computer? Sure, if you want their default
level of protection but not if you want to take advantage of more
advanced features which typically means more interference since security
and ease-of-use are the anti-thesis of each other.

Expect responses to duplicate your efforts in finding a PDF viewer
that you like since you didn't mention which ones you have already
reviewed.

Irrelevant. Suggesting *any* reader which includes either of those
features would be counterproductive, regardless of if I had already
seen it or not.

Sounds like you have a problem with configuring the settings of a
program so it behaves how you want and not the defaults which may
conflict with your preferences. Reviewing preferences or settings is
how you learn what the program can do. Have you ever reviewed the
settings available in your word processor?

Sorry but I have not used uber-dumb PDF viewers of which you request. I
Simply configure them the way that I want regarding security. I
mentioned SlimPDF because supposedly its focus is only to view and
printer PDFs, not to do anything else. With a file size of only 1.43
MB, I doubt it has the space to include code to perform Javascript
parsing and execution.

I only vaguely recall GsView (http://www.gsview.com/). I think it was
available as a download from the Ghostscript site when I trialed it. It
was a very basic PDF viewer; however, it is a 26MB download so it
doesn't seem a small viewer. They might include a copy of Ghostscript
(14 MB) instead of the installer optionlly downloading it and starting
its install. You can search Google Images to see what its GUI looks
like. It is nagwa nags when you load it. It can display only one
PDF page at a time. You have to hit the back and forward buttons to
move through the pages instead of using a scroll bar. After all, it's
just a GUI front-end to Ghostscript so buffering and scrolling are
features added in smarter viewers.

SumatraPDF, also already mentioned, is only a 4.3 MB download, so it may
be too small to include a Javascript interpreter. It's GUI is less
archaic than GSview's. http://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/manual.html says
it has an advanced mode to reduces the app's privileges or actions. It
also says "Editing interactive forms and adding comments is not
implemented" so my guess is that it does not support scripting (which is
required for "interactive" forms). You have to edit a settings.ini file
instead of using GUI menus with dialogs to select settings.

Since you didn't address using Google Chrome with its built-in PDF
viewer to eliminate further overhead of installing a PDF viewer app,
I'll assume you don't use Google Chrome. Firefox might be your choice
and that also comes with a built-in PDF viewer (pdf.js). PDF.js is an
Apache Javascript library to convert PDFs into HTML5 formatted docs.
With either web browser, there is no bloat to install another PDF
viewer. It's already in the web browser.

Ken,

If I remember correctly, it defaults to that. The first
thing you should do with it, or any other programs,
is to go to its settings and change defaults you don't
want to what you do want.

That sounds good, but is a bit problematic: You have to start the program to
change its settings, and guess what the first thing the program attempts to
do (before you have a chance to change anything) ? Yep, you got it.

Yes, I understand that you didn't set it to do that, but
by not checking the defaults and changing them to what
you want, in effect you did.

I'm sorry, but with that "logic" you're presenting yourself as
untrustworthy. As an MVP you should have been aware of the above mentioned,
rather obvious, race condition.

End of communication I'm afraid. Goodbye.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


-- Origional message:
Ken Blake, MVP schreef in berichtnieuws
...
On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 00:12:27 +0200, "R.Wieser"
wrote:

Ken,

The only it will go online is for updates,

As I said, your guess is as good as mine.

and it will do that only if it is set to do.

True. The problem is that *I* did not set it to do so. As mentioned
earlier.



If I remember correctly, it defaults to that. The first thing you
should do with it, or any other programs, is to go to its settings and
change defaults you don't want to what you do want.

Yes, I understand that you didn't set it to do that, but by not
checking the defaults and changing them to what you want, in effect
you did.