I cannot even rotate a PDF with Adobe Reader now

Reality Check · #1

I scanned something yesterday and it came out upside down so I was going to just rotate it and re-save like I have done forever in Adobe Reader. Well now they have removed that ability and want me to pay for that feature. I seem to recall there are some free alternatives for PDF readers with more capability.

BTW I ended up importing the PDF in to MS Word, rotating it, then exporting as a PDF again. That's a bit of a pain.

p0rtia · #2

Reality Check wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:44 pm I scanned something yesterday and it came out upside down so I was going to just rotate it and re-save like I have done forever in Adobe Reader. Well now they have removed that ability and want me to pay for that feature. I seem to recall there are some free alternatives for PDF readers with more capability.

BTW I ended up importing the PDF in to MS Word, rotating it, then exporting as a PDF again. That's a bit of a pain.

I'm on a Mac and I use PDF Reader and also Preview for stuff Reader won't do.

There are also free PDF Readers for PC on the google.

realist · #3

Reality Check wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:44 pm I scanned something yesterday and it came out upside down so I was going to just rotate it and re-save like I have done forever in Adobe Reader. Well now they have removed that ability and want me to pay for that feature. I seem to recall there are some free alternatives for PDF readers with more capability.

BTW I ended up importing the PDF in to MS Word, rotating it, then exporting as a PDF again. That's a bit of a pain.

I saw that day before yesterday.

This is the program I use (and have for several years) to scan, import, email, etc. I can rotate, rearrange, OCR etc., and it's very simple. And free.
https://www.naps2.com/

tek · #4

I also use naps2 for scanning etc, it works well
(I have a paid-for PDF suite for the heavy lifting.. well, paid for a decade ago.. )

Suranis · #5

Reality Check wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:44 pm I scanned something yesterday and it came out upside down so I was going to just rotate it and re-save like I have done forever in Adobe Reader. Well now they have removed that ability and want me to pay for that feature. I seem to recall there are some free alternatives for PDF readers with more capability.

I use FOXIT Reader and have been for years with few complaints. I just checked, and yes it has a rotate feature, page fit option, and other goodies.

https://www.foxit.com/pdf-reader/

#6

tek wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:09 pm I also use naps2 for scanning etc, it works well
(I have a paid-for PDF suite for the heavy lifting.. well, paid for a decade ago.. )

Yeah, I paid for Acrobat Pro/Mac .... getting on two decades ago. But the last OS for which the purchased Acrobat Pro will work on is Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) which was released in 2009 and last upgraded in 2011. I have a machine running Snow Leopard for when I need to do something that only Acrobat Pro will do, but it's a royal pain.

The only Adobe alternative is to license the online version of Acrobat for at least $240/year, forever.

#7

I'm reading this thread with interest. I'm in the process of setting up my new laptop and that means selecting the software for it.

I truly despise monthly/yearly subscriptions, but my use of them has drastically increased in the past few years, especially for news sites (I want to support the news sites so they stay in business) and streaming video sites (I'm still trying to figure out which ones are worth the money).

With my new laptop I debated between the stand alone version of Microsoft Office, or the subscription service of Microsoft 365. Because of features available in the subscription version, I opted for Microsoft 365. That was quickly followed by a subscription to Quicken. But subscribing to a PDF editor? I can't imagine. So it's nice to see the comments here on alternatives.

RTH10260 · #8

Shameless plug - consider buying a replacement for MIcrosoft Office like Softmaker Office (German SW house). All components can print / save directly in PDF format. They also have a PDF editor separately.

https://www.softmaker.com/en/

or one of the Open Source products, like Office Libre https://www.libreoffice.org/

#9

MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:07 pm With my new laptop I debated between the stand alone version of Microsoft Office, or the subscription service of Microsoft 365.

Huh! I'll have to look into this.

When I subscribed to Office 365/Mac a couple years ago (Office 2011/Mac didn't run on my new machine running Monterey), there didn't appear to be a stand-alone version of Office/Mac on the market. But it appears that stand-alone office 2021/Mac was released late last year.

I'd love to cancel my subscription.

#10

chancery wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 9:18 pm
MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:07 pm With my new laptop I debated between the stand alone version of Microsoft Office, or the subscription service of Microsoft 365.
Huh! I'll have to look into this.

When I subscribed to Office 365/Mac a couple years ago (Office 2011/Mac didn't run on my new machine running Monterey), there didn't appear to be a stand-alone version of Office/Mac on the market. But it appears that stand-alone office 2021/Mac was released late last year.

I'd love to cancel my subscription.

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 is the standalone version. One reason it exists is because Office 365 requires internet access for something like once every 3 months or once a year to confirm the status. Or something like that. Since internet access is not even possible in some areas for the U.S., a standalone version of Office is necessary.

Reddog · #11

I’ve used a couple of different PDF apps. I can remember using PDF995 to be able to print to PDF, before Windows had the capability. I think it’s still around, and has rotation capabilities. Foxit was a very good Pdf editor also. I used it and it could create editable PDFs.

Suranis · #12

Because I dont have the money or the inclination to give money to Microsoft, I've been using Openoffice for years. It's an open source office like suite and it does everything I need it to and it can read Office files.

In terms of looks its pretty utilitarian, but I don't mind that. It terms of function it works.

https://www.openoffice.org/download/

jez · #13

If I'm looking for freebie stuff, I also go to Sourceforge.net. Tons of Opensource there.

Another option you have is to scan the file first as an image, and save the image to PDF after you rotate, crop, whatever you need to do. Unless you require the OCR of going directly to PDF.

#14

I just opened a PDF (stored on my local C: drive) in the Edge Browser and there was a tool bar on the top of the page including a rotate button.

I guess I have Edge assigned as default PDF reader because I just double clicked it to open it.

#15

As far as replacements for Microsoft Word and Excel, I've sometimes used Google Docs and Google Sheets for documents I've created on my laptop that I want to also be able to view and edit with my Apple iPhone or iPad.

#16

MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:28 pm As far as replacements for Microsoft Word and Excel, I've sometimes used Google Docs and Google Sheets for documents I've created on my laptop that I want to also be able to view and edit with my Apple iPhone or iPad.

Open Office or Libre Office are both very good.

#17

keith wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:29 pm
MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:28 pm As far as replacements for Microsoft Word and Excel, I've sometimes used Google Docs and Google Sheets for documents I've created on my laptop that I want to also be able to view and edit with my Apple iPhone or iPad.
Open Office or Libre Office are both very good.

Years ago my mom's PC came with Microsoft Works. Good grief. I don't think I could create a spreadsheet in it and then read it in Excel. Or vice versa. I think it was OpenOffice that I then loaded on her PC so that I could interchange documents between her PC and my PC. It worked well. But when we replaced that computer, we made sure the next one came with a basic version of Microsoft Office so I could use the programs I was used to.

realist · #18

RTH10260 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:44 pm Shameless plug - consider buying a replacement for MIcrosoft Office like Softmaker Office (German SW house). All components can print / save directly in PDF format. They also have a PDF editor separately.

https://www.softmaker.com/en/

or one of the Open Source products, like Office Libre https://www.libreoffice.org/

I also use Office Libre and like it. Simple with lots of bells and whistles.

W. Kevin Vicklund · #19

p0rtia wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:51 pm
Reality Check wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:44 pm I scanned something yesterday and it came out upside down so I was going to just rotate it and re-save like I have done forever in Adobe Reader. Well now they have removed that ability and want me to pay for that feature. I seem to recall there are some free alternatives for PDF readers with more capability.

BTW I ended up importing the PDF in to MS Word, rotating it, then exporting as a PDF again. That's a bit of a pain.
I'm on a Mac and I use PDF Reader and also Preview for stuff Reader won't do.

There are also free PDF Readers for PC on the google.

Somewhere a birther just got their dunce cap.

#20

W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 11:34 pm
p0rtia wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:51 pm
Reality Check wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:44 pm I scanned something yesterday and it came out upside down so I was going to just rotate it and re-save like I have done forever in Adobe Reader. Well now they have removed that ability and want me to pay for that feature. I seem to recall there are some free alternatives for PDF readers with more capability.

BTW I ended up importing the PDF in to MS Word, rotating it, then exporting as a PDF again. That's a bit of a pain.
I'm on a Mac and I use PDF Reader and also Preview for stuff Reader won't do.

But can you scan if the primter is out of toner?
There are also free PDF Readers for PC on the google.
Somewhere a birther just got their dunce cap.

#21

MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:07 pm I'm reading this thread with interest. I'm in the process of setting up my new laptop and that means selecting the software for it.

I truly despise monthly/yearly subscriptions, but my use of them has drastically increased in the past few years, especially for news sites (I want to support the news sites so they stay in business) and streaming video sites (I'm still trying to figure out which ones are worth the money).

Old-school newspaper model was always subscription (the folks paid the paper girl in quarters back in the day), so online news and digital magazines don't bother me, but software does. I resisted, but now I have a couple for computer and several for mobile apps. Yeah, annoying.

#22

jez wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 9:50 pm If I'm looking for freebie stuff, I also go to Sourceforge.net. Tons of Opensource there.

Another option you have is to scan the file first as an image, and save the image to PDF after you rotate, crop, whatever you need to do. Unless you require the OCR of going directly to PDF.

I upgraded to a new MacBook Pro this year, and found if you have a photo of, say, a sign with text, you can copy it as though it were text instead of an image. It's mostly accurate. Helpful, as I take a lot of photos of signs (don't ask).

Reality Check · #23

MN-Skeptic wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:28 pm As far as replacements for Microsoft Word and Excel, I've sometimes used Google Docs and Google Sheets for documents I've created on my laptop that I want to also be able to view and edit with my Apple iPhone or iPad.

I have dabbled with Google Sheets. One neat thing it will do is import live and historical stock quotes and data into spreadsheets. I created a sheet for following some options trading I have been dabbling with. I found Sheets works better in Chrome than other browsers. I cannot get the right click copy and paste to work in Firefox. It works in Chrome. No surprise that Google works better with Google.

#24

Reality Check wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2024 3:30 pm
I have dabbled with Google Sheets. One neat thing it will do is import live and historical stock quotes and data into spreadsheets. I created a sheet for following some options trading I have been dabbling with. I found Sheets works better in Chrome than other browsers. I cannot get the right click copy and paste to work in Firefox. It works in Chrome. No surprise that Google works better with Google.

Google Sheets is better at stock and mutual fund quotes than Excel 365 so I keep my portfolio in that. I mostly use the GoogleFinance function, but I also pull in numbers from bigcharts.marketwatch.com/quickchart/quickchart.asp. The bigcharts pull isn't working at the moment, but it was yesterday.

But it tends to get updated numbers faster than GoogleFinance. Plus it finds my TIAA mutual fund whereas GoogleFinance doesn't.

#25

That's why I use CD's and Mfunds - so I don't have to ride the trades.