Setting to ignore pdf files?

[nanrector]

Hello!

PDF files have always been a problem for psp. When I open a location that has pdf files in it always hangs and sometimes even freezes. Is there a setting that allows the program to ignore those files... as in not even acknowledge them? This has been an ongoing pain. I use my desktop for work files so I'm constantly having to move pdf files into some empty folder just so they are not hanging my software.

Thanks!
Nancy

PSP 2019 Ultimate
Windows 10 Home

[migf1]

Hello Nancy,

I'm not sure I understood. You mean you have .pdf files associated with PSP (they open in PSP when you double-click on them from your desktop)?

If so, you can associate .pdf files to open say with a different program. From the Windows desktop, right-click on any .pdf file, and from the menu that pops uo choose 'Open with..." (it should be somwhere around the middle of the popup menu). As soon as you hover your mouse over "Open with...", a sub-menu should open. In there select "Choose default program".

Yet another menu should pop up, from which you can choose a target program to be associated with all .PDF files (probably your interent browser or the Window's default pdf viewer, etc). Just make sure to enable the "Use this app for all .pdf files" before you select the target program.

Also, inside PSP there is a long list of files associated with PSP. You can find it under File->Preferences->File Format Associations.... uncheck the .pdf (if it exists). However, in my PSP theee is no .pdf in that list.

I hope I understood your question right.,

[nanrector]

Thanks for the reply. Ü I've used PSP for over 15 years and an ongoing issue has been that it hangs when you try to view a folder that has any pdf files in it along with other files. I've posted on this through the years and been told repeatedly its just a glitch with the software. The way around is to just remove pdf files from any folder you might be scanning for images files. I can indeed pull pdfs into the program though its not a feature I use. The problem is the hanging of the program whenever I'm looking for an image file and the folder happens to have a pdf in it also. (or in my case the desktop)

I was wondering if there was a way to have it not "see" those pdf files. I have them associated with adobe and they are not chosen in the psp settings. However, if they are in the folder I'm opening up they cause the software to hang and even freeze at times. Might not be a way around it but thought I'd ask again. Ü

Screenshot of my layout attached. You can see I'm viewing my desktop which has images and other files including pdfs. Even if the software finally loads trying to scroll through the files keeps hanging if there are pdfs there.

[migf1]

Ah, I see. Ok now I get what you meant

Ok, I rarely use the organizer so I may not be the best one to give an advice here. However, have you tried to reset the database? I used to know where PSP keeps it (I think the file has a .db extension), but I haven't dealt with it for years. I'm sure other members can help you with this. One thought is to reset PSP to its default settings (by holding Shift while launching it) but I do not know if that resets the database too. Btw, if you opt to do that, FIRST make sure you save your workspace (File -> Workspace -> Save) and your database (File -> Database Backup -> Export) so you can bring them back if needed.

[Jean-Luc]

Hi, nanrector

Try:
File / Preferences / General Program Preferences / Manage
File format exclusions
Check PDF

You may also exclude some folders with Uncataloged Folders.

[JoeB]

First, please update your profile. It would help us to help you if we knew more about your system configuration and particularly the particular version of PSP that you are using.

That said, I use PSP 2019. I just opened a folder that contains only pdf files, 4 of them in fact and all of them multi-page. I browsed to that folder using Manage mode which is how I find and open files in PSP. All 4 pdfs showed in the Manage preview and I selected one and clicked the Edit tab. In Edit mode I get a prompt box about the resolution of the file, and then a second one telling me how many pages the file contained and asking if I want to open all of them. I selected yes and the file opened with 13 separate images, each being one of the 13 pages of the file. The pdfs are from a third party and, I believe, were created by Adobe Acrobat. Previous experience has taught me that pdf files created with other programs other than Adobe will often create various issues, one of them being that PSP will only open the first page of a multi-page file. There is a long discussion from quite some time ago on this forum that you might be able to find.

Bottom line is that I don't have the issue of PSP hanging completely regardless of the program that created the pdf, just the issue of not all pages opening depending on the pdf program used to create it.

[migf1]

Hi, nanrector

Try:
File / Preferences / General Program Preferences / Manage
File format exclusions
Check PDF

You may also exclude some folders with Uncataloged Folders.

Thank you for this Jean-Luc. Before I reply to Nancy I checked the Preferences, because I was pretty sure there was a Files Exclusion list somewhere in there. But I couldn't find it. I remember that very old versions of PSP had a huge issue with the Organizer, and we had to find the database file on Windows and rename it (in order to disable it). At some point, Corel included the Files Exclusion in Preferences, so we could simply check everything in there, instead of manually tracking the database file on Windows and rename it.

It turns out that the Files Exclusion list does NOT show in Preferences, unless the Manage tab is visible (at least in my end). I don't use the Manage tab, so I have it disabled and that's why I couldn't find the list in Preferences. Who knew, right? lol

Anyway, I hope your post will help Nancy to fix the issue she's having.

PS. Joe, Nancy did state her system specs at the bottom of her initial post (PSP2019u, Windows 10)

[Jean-Luc]

It turns out that the Files Exclusion list does NOT show in Preferences, unless the Manage tab is visible

In PSP X9 and before, the Manage option in Preferences is always visible.
The behaviour changed with PSP 2018. Now, the Manage tab must be active if you need to have access to the File exclusions in Preferences. Not intuitive...

[migf1]

I see! Thanks for pointing it out!

[nanrector]

That did it! I had gone into Preferences/File Format Preferences and didn't see the option. I was in the wrong area. Thank you SO much!!!

Hi, nanrector

Try:
File / Preferences / General Program Preferences / Manage
File format exclusions
Check PDF

You may also exclude some folders with Uncataloged Folders.

[nanrector]

Hey Joe!

I keep my profile updated so I'm not sure what was missing. It has my current machine, etc there. Yeah I've had this issue a long time and been told its something many deal with. Someone gave me the info though to fix it!

FIX
File / Preferences / General Program Preferences / Manage
File format exclusions
Check PDF

I was just looking under file preferences and the setting was in another area. Anyway thanks for all the details. I can open pdfs ok in the program its just not a feature I use. It was the hanging and freezing that was such a pain.

Thanks for the input!
Nancy

First, please update your profile. It would help us to help you if we knew more about your system configuration and particularly the particular version of PSP that you are using.

That said, I use PSP 2019. I just opened a folder that contains only pdf files, 4 of them in fact and all of them multi-page. I browsed to that folder using Manage mode which is how I find and open files in PSP. All 4 pdfs showed in the Manage preview and I selected one and clicked the Edit tab. In Edit mode I get a prompt box about the resolution of the file, and then a second one telling me how many pages the file contained and asking if I want to open all of them. I selected yes and the file opened with 13 separate images, each being one of the 13 pages of the file. The pdfs are from a third party and, I believe, were created by Adobe Acrobat. Previous experience has taught me that pdf files created with other programs other than Adobe will often create various issues, one of them being that PSP will only open the first page of a multi-page file. There is a long discussion from quite some time ago on this forum that you might be able to find.

Bottom line is that I don't have the issue of PSP hanging completely regardless of the program that created the pdf, just the issue of not all pages opening depending on the pdf program used to create it.

[nanrector]

That was indeed the fix! I was looking in the wrong area under File Preferences... which seems like the logical place for it. Anyway, problem solved! What a pain that has been. Ü Thanks for the input!

Hi, nanrector

Try:
File / Preferences / General Program Preferences / Manage
File format exclusions
Check PDF

You may also exclude some folders with Uncataloged Folders.

Thank you for this Jean-Luc. Before I reply to Nancy I checked the Preferences, because I was pretty sure there was a Files Exclusion list somewhere in there. But I couldn't find it. I remember that very old versions of PSP had a huge issue with the Organizer, and we had to find the database file on Windows and rename it (in order to disable it). At some point, Corel included the Files Exclusion in Preferences, so we could simply check everything in there, instead of manually tracking the database file on Windows and rename it.

It turns out that the Files Exclusion list does NOT show in Preferences, unless the Manage tab is visible (at least in my end). I don't use the Manage tab, so I have it disabled and that's why I couldn't find the list in Preferences. Who knew, right? lol

Anyway, I hope your post will help Nancy to fix the issue she's having.

PS. Joe, Nancy did state her system specs at the bottom of her initial post (PSP2019u, Windows 10)

[migf1]

I'm glad you fixed it Nancy. Kudos to Jean-Luc!

[JoeB]

My apologies @nanrector. I had inadvertently been looking at the post under your first one - that by @migf1, who has a profile that is quite sparse in terms of system configuration and also doesn't include the PSP version being used.

[migf1]

My apologies @nanrector. I had inadvertently been looking at the post under your first one - that by @migf1, who has a profile that is quite sparse in terms of system configuration and also doesn't include the PSP version being used.

Oh, that's intentional because it is highly unlikely I will remember to update my profile in here, every time I switch to a different version of PSP. I rather prefer stating that info in any questions I have