Foxit PDF Previewer update

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Foxit PDF Previewer update

posted @ Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:56 PM | 10 Comments

For those that may use my Foxit PDF Previewer (for use with Outlook 2007 or Windows Vista and Windows 7), I wanted to provide a few updates.

Blank white screen previews

I’ve been getting quite a few reports lately about white screen previews while the PDF file renders fine in other readers. After some research and patient testing with some of you that reported it, it’s been determined that the consistent piece is that the PDFs were documents that were scanned. These documents in the PDF format contained a different format of encoded images. The current incarnation of the Foxit PDF Previewer does not have the decoder embedded within the product. Here is the workaround to get it to work:

Download the JPEG2000/JPIG decoder file directly from Foxit: JPEG200 Decoder.
Take the contents of that ZIP file (fxdecode1.dll) and place it in the directory where you installed the Foxit PDF Previewer (if you accepted all the defaults it will likely be c:\Program Files \Tim Heuer\Foxit PDF Preview Handler)
That’s it !

The decoder library isn’t currently licensed for me to distribute with the previewer and thus this workaround. It may be possible in a future version that this functionality will be built in, but this is a minor workaround. The decoder is built into the Foxit SDK for version 3 (the previewer uses version 2).

Outlook 2010 Technical Preview

I have also received some comments from beta testers of Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview. These reports have indicated that the previewer does not work in 64-bit mode for Outlook. I can confirm this to be true. I’ve logged a bug with the Outlook developer team to track this issue and will make any modifications necessary to make it work. Please feel free to subscribe here for Foxit PDF Previewer specific updates (you may also subscribe to my main feed as well).

I would like to remind participants of the Office 2010 technical preview program of any confidentiality agreements they may have agreed to and to respect those in public. If you are a part of the program, please log an official bug with the Outlook 2010 program channels with regard to Foxit Previewer not working…this will help my cause :-).

That is all. Thanks for being a user of the software and as always, thanks to Foxit Software for being such a great partner to provide the licensing of the SDK for this software to exist. They make other great PDF software so be sure to check them out.

tags: foxit, foxit software, foxit pdf, pdf, pdf previewer, outlook, office previewer, preview handler

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution By license.

Comments

Scott Marlowe

9/4/2009 9:44 AM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Ya know, I've heard of FoxIt, but never used it. Going to download now and give it a whirl.
Vinc Duran

9/8/2009 10:28 PM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Tim, thanks for the decoder workaround. Just today I was figuring out that scans I'd made with WIA worked in the previewer but twain scans didn't.
ed corban

9/16/2009 3:06 AM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Hi Tim. I just found someone recommending PDF-Xchange Viewer that should work on 64bit windows 7 office 2010 tp and it did.

It works immediately. So foxit and others should be able to as well?
timheuer

9/16/2009 9:20 AM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Ed -- PDF Xchange Viewer isn't a previewer though right? It just is a thumbnail viewer (i.e., generates thumbnail image representations of the document?)
mark

10/25/2009 2:37 AM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Hello,

I would like to be informed, when the preview handler works with office 2010, 64 bit windows 7.

Thx, and keep up the good work

kind regard,
Mark LEns
timheuer

10/25/2009 8:44 AM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Mark - I'll post an update to my blog, you can subscribe to foxit-only specific updates with my feed http://feeds.timheuer.com/timheuer/foxit.
NOhraJ

11/6/2009 11:38 AM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Thank you Tim! I don't think I've ever gotten such a fast response from people whose software I've actually had to pay for! I appreciate your help. You've made my life easier.
Esther Annies

11/26/2009 8:06 PM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

I never got a chance to use Foxit
Suresh Subramaniam

12/9/2009 3:05 PM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Tim, first of the bat, I'd like to say that you should be charging for this add-on. It's brilliant and has made Outlook and Windows 7's functionality absolutely super. Either that or Microsoft should be buying it from you for a zillion dollars and including it as part of their software.

Having said that, I just downloaded the Office 2010 Beta and as others have noted, there is a problem with the Previewer. I look forward to confirmation when this problem is resolved. I've fallen in love with the new Outlook 2010 and can't bring myself to go back to 2007.

Thanks a lot
timheuer

12/9/2009 4:29 PM | # re: Foxit PDF Previewer update

Suresh -- thanks for the note. yes, the 64-bit issue is known. Frankly there isn't a ton of value in running 64-bit office if you ask me. In fact, if you use communicator, there are some things broken right now anyway. But I know people have issues. I'm a bit slammed right now but it is on my list to fix when Office fixes their bug.

As to charging -- you have Foxit to thank as well -- it is their technology at the core here and they have served the community well!