Hack 4 Speed Up Acrobat Startup

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figs/beginner.gif figs/hack4.gif

Move the plug-ins you don't need out of your way .

Both Adobe Acrobat and Reader implement several standard features as modular application plug-ins . These plug-ins are loaded when Acrobat starts up. You can speed up Acrobat startup and clean up its menus by telling Acrobat to load only the features you desire .

One simple technique is to hold down the S hift key when launching Acrobat; this prevents all plug-ins from loading. A longer- term solution is to move unwanted plug-ins to another, inert directory where the startup loader won't find them. Another solution is to create plug-in profiles [Hack #5] that are switched using a batch file gateway. This latter solution becomes really useful when combined with context menu hacks [Hack #6] .

Keep in mind that omitting plug-ins will alter how some PDFs interact with you. If a PDF seems to be malfunctioning, try viewing it with the full complement of Adobe's stock plug-ins installed.


1.5.1 Unplugging Plug-Ins

Acrobat (or Reader) loads its plug-ins only once, when the application starts. On Windows, it scans a specific directory and tries to interface with specific files, recursing into subdirectories as it goes. This directory is named plug_ins and it usually lives someplace such as:

 C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Acrobat\plug_ins\ 

or:

 C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader\plug_ins\ 

On Windows, plug-in files are named *.api , but they are really DLLs [Hack #97] .

On the Macintosh, plug-ins are stored inside the Acrobat package. Control-click (or right-click, if you have a two-button mouse) the icon for Acrobat, and choose Show Package Contents from the menu. A window with a folder named Contents will appear. Inside that folder is another folder called Plug-ins , which contains the Macintosh version of the same plug-ins. These have names like Checkers.acroplugin .

Create a directory called plug_ins.unplugged in the same directory or folder where plug_ins (or Plug-ins ) lives so that they are siblings. To prevent a plug-in from being loaded, simply move it from plug_ins to plug_ins.unplugged . When a plug-in is located in a subdirectory, such as preflight , move the entire subdirectory.

"But how can I tell which plug-in files do what?" Read on, friend.

1.5.2 Which Plug-Ins Do What?

Acrobat and Reader Versions 5 and 6 describe your installed Adobe plug-ins in the Help About Adobe Plug-Ins dialog (Acrobat About Adobe Plug-Ins on the Mac). Human-readable plug-in names are on the left side, as shown in Figure 1-5. Click one of these and the right side gives you the plug-in filename, a basic description, and the plug-in's dependencies. It is a good read, as it provides a straightforward laundry list of Acrobat's features.

Figure 1-5. About Adobe Plug-Ins explaining Acrobat's stock plug-ins
figs/pdfh_0105.gif

Go through this list and write down the filenames of plug-ins you don't need. Close Acrobat and use your file manager to move these files (or directories) from plug_ins into plug_ins.unplugged . Open Acrobat and test the new configuration.

Examples of Acrobat 5 plug-ins that I rarely use include Accessibility Checker, Catalog, Database Connectivity, Highlight Server, Infusium, Movie Player, MSAA, Reflow, SaveAsRTF, Spelling, and Web-Hosted Service. Plug-ins I would never omit include Comments, Forms, ECMAScript (a.k.a. JavaScript), and Weblink.

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PDF Hacks.
PDF Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
ISBN: 0596006551
EAN: 2147483647
Year: N/A
Pages: 158
Authors: Sid Steward

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