Problem with broken cross references when converting Word to PDF

[s***@adobeforums.com]

I am having a problem converting a Word document using Convert to PDF and print to file (prn), then using Acrobat distiller to make the PDF (I've tried both methods). The links in the TOC work and some of the xrefs work in the doc, but some of the cross references from the Word doc are broken. It says "error...not found blah blah" indicating a broken link in the PDF. It works fine in Word, but the PDF conversion breaks the cross ref links. Any ideas? I'm using Acrobat 9, Word 2007, Windows XP. I've even tweaked the joboptions, but no luck. I've successfully converted FrameMaker to PDF, but Word is having issues.

Any ideas?

Sophia

[Bill@VT]

To get the cross references, you have to use Convert to PDF (PDF Maker part of the Acrobat product). However, you first need to go to the print menu and set the printer to the Adobe PDF printer. Close the print menu and then do a reflow and link update of the document (ctrl-A, then F9 I think). This is needed to get the links correct since WORD reflows the document based on the printer (problem with them going to the wrong place).

Printing to the Adobe PDF printer (the step of print to file is not needed, just print to the printer and the rest is automatic) does not include the links. PDF Maker is a PreProcessor for the Adobe PDF printer that adds PDF Marks to the PS file before it is sent to Distiller (OK, the printer when used normally creates a PS file and then invokes Distiller to complete the process - your steps did with the Adobe PDF printer is the same process done manually).

Summary:
1. Fix document after setting the printer to Adobe PDF.
2. Use PDF Maker (create PDF button)

[J***@adobeforums.com]

There is also a Microsoft supplied plugin for Word7 that you might try

Go to the MS article search page and do a search, or go to the MS
Office update page and search for the file to download
Search <http://search.microsoft.com/search.aspx?mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US>
Office <http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/default.aspx>

[s***@adobeforums.com]

I followed Bill's steps and it doesn't update the flow and links. It still says Error! Reference source not found. Anything I may have missed? I selected Adobe PDF printer, reflowed using Ctrl-A and F9, but still broken links.

[Bill@VT]

I assume you then printed using the PDF Maker (create PDF button). You may have to check the PDF Maker preferences. There is a chance you have the link creation turned off.

[d***@adobeforums.com]

I had a general question regarding FrameMaker 7.1 (Windows) to PDF using Acrobat.

When I convert the FrameMaker file to PDF using Acrobat most of my cross references (xRefs) convert to PDF links just fine. However, some do not. I have studied the xRef definitions, and I cannot find out what in the xRef definition causes Acrobat to treat those as links once the PDF is created.

I.e., I convert to PDF and most xRefs become links. Yet, some xRefs with identical (structurally) definitions do not.

Question: Does Acrobat treat all source document "cross references" (i.e., xRefs) as links in the conversion to PDF? Or, is there a deeper setting inside of Acrobat that specifies which types of xRefs will become PDF links once the document is transformed into PDF?

Thanks,

-Patrick