I have several related PDF files which I want to give to other people on a CD or similar. To make it easier for them to use these files I want a front-end document which is essentially a menu or switchboard to the other files.
I want to be able to click on the file name in the menu and have the relevant PDF file open, without the usual security warnings that Adobe Acrobat Reader DC presents every time a PDF is opened. Then when the reader closes the PDF he returns to the menu file in order to make a new selection.
If I create the menu file as a Word (.docx) file I can achieve what I want, with some limitations. The user has to Ctrl-Click to open the relevant PDF file whereas I would prefer to be able to just use a plain Click. Also I would prefer to have this menu file as a PDF or something which cannot be easily (even accidentally) changed by the user, as could happen with the .docx file. If I convert this menu file to a PDF then the Adobe warnings return. As these files are all local (ie confined to the CD) and there is no internet involvement, there is no need for the Adobe security.
I tried creating batch files (.bat), one to open (START) each of the PDFs, and then linking my menu items to those batch files. If I use the docx version of this menu file I get an annoying (and in my case unnecessary) Microsoft Office warning asking if I want to continue. Continuing works OK but then closing the PDF doesn’t return me to the menu file. If I convert the menu file to a PDF, when I click on a menu item I get a box with the file name, but the file doesn’t open.
It seems that my best option is to use the .docx menu file and just put up with the Ctrl-Click and possible editing issues. However, any suggestions for alternative solutions would be welcome.
It has been suggested that using one of the versions of Adobe Acrobat (not the free Reader) would solve my problem. However as this is a one-time project for me I would like a solution which doesn’t involve the cost of these products.
RobertWA
