[Solved] Can't open PDFs anymore

[tjg911]

Hello, I am quite confused right now. I'd appreciate a simple answer to 2 questions.

My system is Windows, Vista 64 bit OS.

Open Office was installed on my pc in 2008. I use OO for word documents 99% of the time and rarely for a spread sheet. I saved a 2 pdf files in OO in 2008 and was able to open and read them until today. I basically use OO for simple word documents, nothing fancy. I do not use any of the bells and whistles OO has. All I want is to be able to use OO as I did yesterday.

Today I upgraded from OO 3.1.1 to 3.3 and that went ok. When I tried to open a pdf file I saved in 2008 it opens but the contents are incorrect, it is gibberish text. I have 2 of these pdf's and I used to be able to open and read them using OO 3.1.1. Now when I open the pdf I get an “ASCII Filter Options” window, what character set should I use? I tried all the obvious and they all yield the same result. I saved a pdf off the internet and it is giving me the exact same problem.

An hour after doing this upgrade to 3.3 I see another upgrade is available! What is Apache OpenOffice 3.4? Is this something I need to upgrade to or is OO 3.3 satisfactory to use? Remember all I use OO for is very simple word documents and rarely a spreadsheet or to save a pdf file.

Thank you!

Title Edited. A descriptive title for posts helps others who are searching for solutions and increases your chances of a reply. (TheGurkha, Moderator)

[Villeroy]

No version of OpenOffice is able to open PDF files. You open PDF in a PDF viewer such as Foxit Reader and Acrobat Reader to mention the 2 best known. You upgraded OOo and forgot to install some PDF reader.

[tjg911]

Ah, yes. I just tried to open the pdf files using Windows Explorer and they opened fine. Since I saw these files in OO when I clicked on open I just thought I could open them in OO. Thank you!

Now for Apache OpenOffice 3.4, is this a new version of OO replacing 3.3 that I just upgraded to today or is it some software that OO can use in all those bells and whistles things OO can do? I'm confused as to whether to download it or ignore it.

Thanks!

[Hagar Delest]

OOo code has been given by Oracle to the Apache Software Foundation. The code has been cleaned for intellectual property issues due to the change of license. So AOO is now the future of OOo.

[rivercritter]

thank you for the explanation; problem solved.