Problems with Hyperlinks

[kaschurr]

Hi,

I am new to Acrobat and I am having problems getting my hyperlinks to function properly.

Acrobat 4.0, Windows 2000, Word 2002

Situation: I have created a word document which lists approx. 30 separate user manuals which are PDF Files. In word, I am able to create hyperlinks so that I can open each PDF file when I choose the hyperlink. When I close the PDF file, my word document (The list) remains open. So, I can choose the next manual if I want too...

I want to turn this word document into
an acrobat PDF and then copy it and the
30 PDF files onto a CD. I would like to have the acrobat document open the pdf file and when the file is closed have the original (The list PDF) still be open... so the user could select the next manual...

I have tried the following scenarios:

1. I have altered the hyperlinks in word so that it only shows the folder
the PDF resides in...the file path thru C: (my documents ect.)has been removed. If I copy
the word doc and the pdfs in their appropriate category folder
to a cd, the word doc successfully opens
the PDF File and when I close the file, my word document remains. This is what I want, BUT it would require that the end user have MS Word. If I convert the same functioning file to a PDF using Distiller, it says the specified file
/security/usermanual.pdf does not exist.
BUT as I said before the same file copied onto the cd from word opens the manual just fine...

SOO... NEXT I TRIED THIS...

I saved "the List" Word Document WITHOUT
any hyperlinks as a PDF using acrobat distiller...

Then I opened "the list.PDF" in acrobat and created links
to open the various PDF user manuals.
This works....HOWEVER, with the go to view type of link... it opens the manual, but you can not go back to "the List.PDF" document. In other words,
it closes the list and goes to the
manual....when I close the manual it goes to gray instead of the list where the link came from...then I have to open "the list.PDF" file from the cd contents list if I want to see the next manual. I would like it to open the manual and when I close it (there is no "Back" choice)have it return to "the list.PDF" document.

I hope this makes sense.
I think I've encountered/described 2 separate issues as I've tried to come up with a solution... a functional answer to either one would be GREATLY appreciated.

THANK YOU....

[Suzanne Cole]

Sorry I can't help with linking on CDs, but I would suggest you may need to upgrade to at least Acrobat 5.0.5.

If I recall correctly, 4.05c was the earliest version created to be compatible with Win2K, but with Word 2002, I think you'd need Acrobat 5.0.5. (If I don't remember correctly, someone will fix those statements.)

(After upgrading Acrobat, make sure your users can update their Reader version, or else set your Distiller application to ensure your PDFs are retro-compatible.)

[Ben Marchbanks]

Could you not just all pages into one PDF to avoid the issue you describe ? and use bookmarks ???

Or if they have to remain separate pages what about navigating back to the list.pdf with a "go to view" ??

Maybe others will offer a simpler solution.....

[Deborah Spencer]

I do this all the time with manuals.
create bookmarks, right clicking on them to get a small menu. Select properties to get the properties window, then change the action to Open File and the Select File to the document you want to link. Note: Don't look for the "Select File before selecting the Open File action. It only appears after Open File action is selected.

[Suzanne Cole]

Just curious, kaschurr, does your Reader (or Acrobat) have "open cross-document links in same window" selected? I wonder if changing this might help with the issue of returning to the calling page ("list" document).

But, if it does work, your users may need to be told how to set this option. It's not something you can control via Acrobat, it's a local setting.

Just a thought. Hope it helps.