I HATE Microsoft

[66Strat]

All of the pdf files that I had stored on the hard drive of my computer are now Chrome HTML Documents. Evidently, the files were converted in the last Microsoft Windows update. If Microsoft is converting the format of saved data (without authorization), how much data are they extracting? They also screwed with my printer settings.

[acheld]

Do the files still have .PDF as their extension?  If yes, then they were not converted.

I've had problems with Google/Chrome -- it likes to take over where it can.  My guess is that Chrome has changed a setting so that you (by default) now view PDF files in the Chrome browser.

[shooter]

 
the 1st thing I did when I unwrapped my shiny new Dell i7 was to hack out everything that was google, took me a week.  Also shutdown all "background" loads without asking 1st.  Made a restore point.  MS got all pissy, so everyday I have to tell it NO!!!!!!!! i don't want to re-install xyz.  They then, somehow, restored some of MS features AND deleted my restore point!!!!
welcome to we know better than thee 
the warranty is up so now I need to find a real hacker, pay some $$'s and get this where I, me, me alone, wants my computer.

[EL34]

All of the pdf files that I had stored on the hard drive of my computer are now Chrome HTML Documents. Evidently, the files were converted in the last Microsoft Windows update. If Microsoft is converting the format of saved data (without authorization), how much data are they extracting? They also screwed with my printer settings.

I have never heard of such a thing?

I have 1000's of PDF files on my system
None have been touched after a MS update on Windows 10 pro

[Blueboozer]

Just change the prefferred app to open your PDF files from Chrome to Adobe (or whatever pdf program you use) and that issue will go away.

[66Strat]

Do the files still have .PDF as their extension?  If yes, then they were not converted.

I've had problems with Google/Chrome -- it likes to take over where it can.  My guess is that Chrome has changed a setting so that you (by default) now view PDF files in the Chrome browser.

It looks like this may be the case. The files show as HTML files in my file folder. When I open them, they open in my web browser, but they still have a .pdf extension.

the 1st thing I did when I unwrapped my shiny new Dell i7 was to hack out everything that was google, took me a week.  Also shutdown all "background" loads without asking 1st.  Made a restore point.  MS got all pissy, so everyday I have to tell it NO!!!!!!!! i don't want to re-install xyz.  They then, somehow, restored some of MS features AND deleted my restore point!!!!
welcome to we know better than thee 
the warranty is up so now I need to find a real hacker, pay some $$'s and get this where I, me, me alone, wants my computer.

I THOUGHT that I had prevented such updates. I too got rid of everything Google and blocked software updates without approval. However, there wasn't much that I could do with the MS Windows operating system. This is where I THINK the problem resides. You'll appreciate this shooter. Every time MS pushes an update, it renders the medical devices using Windows as their operating system noncompliant with FDA approval. All system updates are technically required to be tested and approved by the OEM manufacturer to retain their FDA approved status.

[66Strat]

Just change the prefferred app to open your PDF files from Chrome to Adobe (or whatever pdf program you use) and that issue will go away.

I did this when I first got my laptop. All of my Adobe .pdf files opened in MS Edge when I got the laptop. I dismantled Edge, downloaded Adobe software, and set the Adobe software as the default for opening .pdf files.

[shooter]

it renders the medical devices using Windows as their operating system noncompliant with FDA approval.

wouldn't surprise me, GE used an open source RedHat lynx as the OS, what a PITA!
Phillips wasn't much better, they used MS but added their own OS on top.


They BOTH started required big $'s for an in-house license.  The boss was po'd.  So me and Paul (the other field engineer) figured out how to clone 1 "paid-for" OS into 14 umm..., useable copies.  Took the OEM's another 5yrs to come up with a "fix".  then Obama care came along and I went to work at the beer bait n gas 

[sluckey]

Set your network to a metered connection and Windows will quit updating without your approval.

[66Strat]

Set your network to a metered connection and Windows will quit updating without your approval.

Thanks. I'll try that.

[PRR]

My JPEGs keep changing "open with by default" option. I've quit trying to fight it.

Find a *small* former-PDF and Rename, add a ".txt" extension to the filename. When Windows warns "you'll hurt yourself!", say "Fug Off, just do it!!" Now right-click that and try to "Open With.. Notepad".

"The {PDF} file starts with a header containing a magic number (as a readable string) and the version of the format, for example %PDF-1.7"

In my example of an older PDF, the version is 1.3, but nobody knows what these numbers mean. (Someone must but...)
In Notepad:

Code: [Select]

%PDF-1.3
%âãÏÓ 44 0 obj
<</Linearized 1/L 787005/O 47/E 65665/N 6/T 786595/H [ 478 240]>> endobj
58 0 obj
<</DecodeParms<</Columns 4/Predictor 12>>/Filter/FlateDecode/The %PDF- is very definitive.

HTML should *usually* open directly in a text editor with minor trickery and start like:

Code: [Select]

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html class="client-nojs" lang="en" dir="ltr">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8"/>
<title>PDF - Wikipedia</title>

As there are things possible in PDF which can not reasonably be done in HTML, it is unlikely your files have truly been "converted" (corrupted), only that the default open-with has been changed.

In a hex-aware text editor:

[EL34]

I am curious

Did the file extensions actually get changed or are you seeing that PDF's now open in browsers?

PDF's began opening in browser tabs in most browsers a while back.

[shooter]

In my case they are just opening in browser, extensions didn't change.  Haven't loaded a PDF reader on the new system.

[EL34]

In my case they are just opening in browser, extensions didn't change.  Haven't loaded a PDF reader on the new system.

Yep, I really do not need the PDF readers now that pdf's open in browsers.
I have not installed the adobe readers on any of my systems

[shooter]

I've been using a freeware(?) PDF creator for 3 or 4 computers, can't recall name, the icon is a sheep.  Comes in handy for converting files, inserting new stuff.......

[66Strat]

I am curious

Did the file extensions actually get changed or are you seeing that PDF's now open in browsers?

PDF's began opening in browser tabs in most browsers a while back.

Evidently, the file extensions did not change. The files displayed as HTML files in my file folder. When I opened them, they opened in my web browser, but they still had a .pdf extension.

As an update, I deleted my browser history, and cleaned/defragged my disk, The files now all display as Adobe .pdf files in my file folders and open in Adobe by default.

[sluckey]

As an update, I deleted my browser history, and cleaned/defragged my disk, The files now all display as Adobe .pdf files in my file folders and open in Adobe by default.

I suspect you did something else to let Adobe be the default pdf handler.

As a sidebar, I hated Edge when it first came out. But the new Edge is Chromium based. I looks and feels like Chrome but has a couple different features. I like it now and it is my default browser. You may want to give it another try.

[66Strat]

As an update, I deleted my browser history, and cleaned/defragged my disk, The files now all display as Adobe .pdf files in my file folders and open in Adobe by default.

I suspect you did something else to let Adobe be the default pdf handler.

As a sidebar, I hated Edge when it first came out. But the new Edge is Chromium based. I looks and feels like Chrome but has a couple different features. I like it now and it is my default browser. You may want to give it another try.

I didn't do anything consciously to change any settings. The only other thing that I can thing of is that I right clicked on a file and used the "open with" function to open a file in adobe. This was just before I cleared my browser history and cleaned/defragged my hard drive.

[sluckey]

I didn't do anything consciously to change any settings. The only other thing that I can thing of is that I right clicked on a file and used the "open with" function to open a file in adobe. This was just before I cleared my browser history and cleaned/defragged my hard drive.

Maybe you also checked the box "to always use this app to open pdf files"? Anyhow, this is the way to change it when your browser takes over again.

Even though adobe is the default program, your browser will probably still open pdf files on the net. Most times I'm OK with that, but sometimes I want Acrobat Pro to open the file so I can edit it.

[66Strat]

Maybe you also checked the box "to always use this app to open pdf files"? Anyhow, this is the way to change it when your browser takes over again.

Even though adobe is the default program, your browser will probably still open pdf files on the net. Most times I'm OK with that, but sometimes I want Acrobat Pro to open the file so I can edit it.

Possibly. I open .pdf files on the net and am OK with the files opening in my browser. If I want to keep a file, I download the file, and save it to the applicable file folder. I've saved tube datasheets and manuals for years like this and have never come across this "perceived" problem before. Maybe I'm overly cautious. The PC that I had, prior to purchasing my current laptop, was hacked and infested with ransom ware. The PC was old and I had all of my files backed up on a thumb drive. It was cheaper to scrap the old PC.

[EL34]

I use Thunderbird as my email client
It even open PDF's in a new tab

So now Browsers and Thunderbird can display PDF's