What's a good way to batch-convert upwards of 1,000 or more word.docs to PDF
without having to babysit the computer? We've got at least 1,000 word.docs
in multiple folders that we need to batch convert to PDF....ideally
overnight,while we are home asleep :-)

Do you have a PDF converter that does not require human intervention, such
as Acrobat? If so you can batch print the contents of a folder to the PDF
driver. eg something like

Sub PrintFolderContentsToPDF()
On Error GoTo err_FolderContents
Dim FirstLoop As Boolean
Dim DocList As String
Dim DocDir As String
Dim sPrinter As String

With Dialogs(wdDialogCopyFile)
If .Display <> 0 Then
DocDir = .Directory
Else
MsgBox "Cancelled by User"
Exit Sub
End If
End With

If Documents.Count > 0 Then
Documents.Close SaveChanges:=wdPromptToSaveChanges
End If

sPrinter = ActivePrinter
ActivePrinter = "Adobe PDF"
Application.ScreenUpdating = False

FirstLoop = True

If Left(DocDir, 1) = Chr(34) Then
DocDir = Mid(DocDir, 2, Len(DocDir) - 2)
End If

DocList = Dir$(DocDir & "*.doc")
Do While DocList <> ""
Documents.Open DocList
ActiveDocument.PrintOut
ActiveDocument.Close SaveChanges:=wdDoNotSaveChanges
DocList = Dir$()
FirstLoop = False
Loop
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
ActivePrinter = sPrinter
Exit Sub
err_FolderContents:
MsgBox Err.Description
Exit Sub
End Sub

or you could simply select the files in Windows Explorer and print them to
the Adobe driver.

If you don't have a PDF creation tool that does not require human
intervention - such as most of the free ones - then you will have to employ
someone to intervene when required. It might be cheaper to buy Acrobat


--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>


Bob W wrote:
> What's a good way to batch-convert upwards of 1,000 or more word.docs
> to PDF without having to babysit the computer? We've got at least
> 1,000 word.docs in multiple folders that we need to batch convert to
> PDF....ideally overnight,while we are home asleep :-)

Thanks G; will give this a go.

"Graham Mayor" wrote:

> Do you have a PDF converter that does not require human intervention, such
> as Acrobat? If so you can batch print the contents of a folder to the PDF
> driver. eg something like
>
> Sub PrintFolderContentsToPDF()
> On Error GoTo err_FolderContents
> Dim FirstLoop As Boolean
> Dim DocList As String
> Dim DocDir As String
> Dim sPrinter As String
>
> With Dialogs(wdDialogCopyFile)
> If .Display <> 0 Then
> DocDir = .Directory
> Else
> MsgBox "Cancelled by User"
> Exit Sub
> End If
> End With
>
> If Documents.Count > 0 Then
> Documents.Close SaveChanges:=wdPromptToSaveChanges
> End If
>
> sPrinter = ActivePrinter
> ActivePrinter = "Adobe PDF"
> Application.ScreenUpdating = False
>
> FirstLoop = True
>
> If Left(DocDir, 1) = Chr(34) Then
> DocDir = Mid(DocDir, 2, Len(DocDir) - 2)
> End If
>
> DocList = Dir$(DocDir & "*.doc")
> Do While DocList <> ""
> Documents.Open DocList
> ActiveDocument.PrintOut
> ActiveDocument.Close SaveChanges:=wdDoNotSaveChanges
> DocList = Dir$()
> FirstLoop = False
> Loop
> Application.ScreenUpdating = True
> ActivePrinter = sPrinter
> Exit Sub
> err_FolderContents:
> MsgBox Err.Description
> Exit Sub
> End Sub
>
> or you could simply select the files in Windows Explorer and print them to
> the Adobe driver.
>
> If you don't have a PDF creation tool that does not require human
> intervention - such as most of the free ones - then you will have to employ
> someone to intervene when required. It might be cheaper to buy Acrobat
>
>
> --
> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
> Graham Mayor - Word MVP
>
> My web site www.gmayor.com
> Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
>
>
> Bob W wrote:
> > What's a good way to batch-convert upwards of 1,000 or more word.docs
> > to PDF without having to babysit the computer? We've got at least
> > 1,000 word.docs in multiple folders that we need to batch convert to
> > PDF....ideally overnight,while we are home asleep :-)
>
>
>

Well, Graham, your ingenious macro works fine - I tried it with a test folder
containing a dozen word docs. It asks which folder to look in; I specify
'test folder' where I have a dozen test.docs waiting to convert. Then it runs
in the background and feeds all the .docs to the PDF driver.

Alas, that's where the whole thing fails. Word's PDF driver jams "Save PDF
File as" dialogs and "hide the progress bar" dialogs in my face for each and
every document in the folder; after doing this a dozen times, the PDFs
generate, but Acrobat thinks every newly generated PDF now needs to be
triumphantly viewed, so window after window opens up as Acrobat creaks and
groans and displays each PDF.

So, the macro you provided works good, but Acrobat gets in the way like a
herd of elephants, clogging the batch conversion process to a standstill.
Guess I need to investigate further and see if there's any way to turn those
dialogs off. If I can figure out where the heck to do that. If it's even
possible.

Bob -

Manually create a PDF document - when you are in your print dialog box
select properties for your Adobe PDF printer. On the Adobe PDF Settings
tab, clear the checkmark from View Adobe PDF Results.

That should do it for at least this printing session.

Good Luck.

--
Dawn Crosier
Microsoft MVP
"Education Lasts a Lifetime"
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions
to the newsgroup so that others can learn as well.




"Bob W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:74718982-214F-45E4-B3C8-(E-Mail Removed):

> Well, Graham, your ingenious macro works fine - I tried it with a test folder
> containing a dozen word docs. It asks which folder to look in; I specify
> 'test folder' where I have a dozen test.docs waiting to convert. Then it runs
> in the background and feeds all the .docs to the PDF driver.
>
> Alas, that's where the whole thing fails. Word's PDF driver jams "Save PDF
> File as" dialogs and "hide the progress bar" dialogs in my face for each and
> every document in the folder; after doing this a dozen times, the PDFs
> generate, but Acrobat thinks every newly generated PDF now needs to be
> triumphantly viewed, so window after window opens up as Acrobat creaks and
> groans and displays each PDF.
>
> So, the macro you provided works good, but Acrobat gets in the way like a
> herd of elephants, clogging the batch conversion process to a standstill.
> Guess I need to investigate further and see if there's any way to turn those
> dialogs off. If I can figure out where the heck to do that. If it's even
> possible.
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007 8:02 AM

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date:
9/25/2007 8:02 AM

Thanks Dawn, your post came in as I was rummaging through the print dialog. I
de-selected that check box as you suggested and also designated the desired
target folder for this test run; this time the conversion went OK; all PDFs
were generated unattended. What a time-saver!

"Dawn Crosier, Word MVP" wrote:

> Bob -
>
> Manually create a PDF document - when you are in your print dialog box
> select properties for your Adobe PDF printer. On the Adobe PDF Settings
> tab, clear the checkmark from View Adobe PDF Results.
>
> That should do it for at least this printing session.
>
> Good Luck.
>
> --
> Dawn Crosier
> Microsoft MVP
> "Education Lasts a Lifetime"
> This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions
> to the newsgroup so that others can learn as well.
>
>
>
>
> "Bob W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:74718982-214F-45E4-B3C8-(E-Mail Removed):
>
> > Well, Graham, your ingenious macro works fine - I tried it with a test folder
> > containing a dozen word docs. It asks which folder to look in; I specify
> > 'test folder' where I have a dozen test.docs waiting to convert. Then it runs
> > in the background and feeds all the .docs to the PDF driver.
> >
> > Alas, that's where the whole thing fails. Word's PDF driver jams "Save PDF
> > File as" dialogs and "hide the progress bar" dialogs in my face for each and
> > every document in the folder; after doing this a dozen times, the PDFs
> > generate, but Acrobat thinks every newly generated PDF now needs to be
> > triumphantly viewed, so window after window opens up as Acrobat creaks and
> > groans and displays each PDF.
> >
> > So, the macro you provided works good, but Acrobat gets in the way like a
> > herd of elephants, clogging the batch conversion process to a standstill.
> > Guess I need to investigate further and see if there's any way to turn those
> > dialogs off. If I can figure out where the heck to do that. If it's even
> > possible.
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> > Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007 8:02 AM
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date:
> 9/25/2007 8:02 AM
>
>
>

Bob -

Thanks for letting us know that all went well!

Congrats!

--
Dawn Crosier
Microsoft MVP
"Education Lasts a Lifetime"
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions
to the newsgroup so that others can learn as well.




"Bob W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:11016A70-5EFA-4AF0-BFB2-(E-Mail Removed):

> Thanks Dawn, your post came in as I was rummaging through the print dialog. I
> de-selected that check box as you suggested and also designated the desired
> target folder for this test run; this time the conversion went OK; all PDFs
> were generated unattended. What a time-saver!
>


No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date:
9/25/2007 8:02 AM

Hi, Bob
try to use Xml2PDF formatter to batch-convert word.docs to PDF. here is an
example of such conversion: http://www.alt-soft.com/Products_Word2PDF.aspx

Hi,I have downloaded a program called Advanced word to pdf 5.0. It's pretty
good.
It is very good in preserving the formatting. It also allow us to convert a
lot files at the same time.
You can download it from: http://www.advancedpdfconverter.com
"Bob W" wrote:

> What's a good way to batch-convert upwards of 1,000 or more word.docs to PDF
> without having to babysit the computer? We've got at least 1,000 word.docs
> in multiple folders that we need to batch convert to PDF....ideally
> overnight,while we are home asleep :-)