|
This is the second in a series of articles about Adobe Reader,
the free software used to view and print pdf files.
In last month's article, I stated that the current version
of Adobe Reader is 6.01. Since that time, Adobe has issued
an update, Version 6.02. This update appears to have caused
problems for some people. Personally, when my Adobe Reader
"asks" me if I want to update it, I'll say, "No
thanks" for a while.
I also previously recommended you use either Version 5 or
6 of Adobe Reader. The later version has more bells and whistles,
but is much slower to load, unless you know the trick to make
it load fast! (See the end of this article.) It is not a good
idea to have more than one version of Adobe Reader on your
system, as they will conflict with each other. Prior to downloading
a newer version Adobe Reader, be sure to remove any older
versions via Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
Preferences
Adobe Reader is very configurable. The following instructions
will work with Versions 5 or 6 unless otherwise stated. To
set preferences, follow the path START > Programs >
Adobe Reader. With Adobe Reader open, click Edit on the top
menu bar, then click Preferences, and follow the instructions
below.
Options: Adobe Reader may be used
as a plug-in for Internet Explorer; by default it is set to
open pdf files in your Internet Explorer browser window. The
alternative is for pdf files to open in a separate Acrobat
Reader window instead. Follow the path to Preferences above,
and then click Options in the left frame. Under Web Browser
options, check the Display PDF in browser box if that is your
preference. Uncheck the box if you prefer pdf files to open
in an Acrobat Reader window separate from your browser. I
always leave the remaining three web options checked, too,
but that is up to you.
Display: If pdf files are difficult
to read, try following the path to Preferences above, then
click Display in the left frame. Under Smoothing, place checkmarks
in each of the smoothing checkboxes if you are viewing the
pdf files on a CRT monitor. Place a checkmark in the Use CoolType
checkbox if you are viewing the pdf's on a laptop or LCD screen.
Under Startup, uncheck the box next to Display Splash Screen;
this will save about a second of load time.
Update: Follow the path to Preferences
above, then click Update in the left frame. Set your preferences
for how frequently you want Adobe Reader to automatically
check for updates.
How can I make Adobe Reader 6 load fast?
I miss my fast Version 5.
One of the most frustrating things about Version 6 is it takes
18-20 seconds to load as opposed to Version 5's two seconds..
One of the benefits of writing an article such as this one
is that I nearly always learn something from the necessary
research. Guess what I learned? There IS a way to speed up
Adobe Reader 6. Here's how to do it, courtesy of Sanjay's
Coding Tips at http://sastools.com/b2/post/79394202:
- Go to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader (replace
the C if you installed on another drive, like I did).
- Create a new folder called Optional (if it doesn't already
exist).
- Move all files from the plug ins folder to the Optional
folder.
| 
