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Can't search within PDF files

I've installed the Adobe Ifilter 6.0 and can now search to list posted pdf files in multiple sites by querying the pdf name. I can search content within Word files, but still cannot search content within these pdf files.

Is there something else I need to configure to see content within these pdf files? I can't seem to find any clues to what needs to be tweaked. Thanks.

[388 byte] By [EWANAME] at [2008-2-7]

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# 1

What version of Windows are you using? we discovered that when we upgraded our system to Windows 2003 64 bit, the adobe iflilter stopped working. We are attempting to work with MS and Adobe, but have received minimal support so far.

dlgross at 2007-9-6 >

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# 2

Running regular Windows 2003 Web Server Ed. 32-bit for all roles except db which is Std Ed. running SQL 2003 sp4.

EWANAME at 2007-9-6 >

# 3

Hi EWANAME,

The iFilter for some reason is not installing correctly. Try the following.

· Click on Start> Run and type RegEdit

· Go to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\12.0\Search\Applications\[YOUR GUID]\Gather\Search\Extensions\ExtensionList”

· Add a new REG_SZ value and name it 38.

· Set this new string value to pdf.

· Exit RegEdit

· Stop and Start the SharePoint Search Service.

· Start > Run : net stop spsearch

· Start > Run : net start spsearch

CoskunCavusoglu at 2007-9-6 >

# 4

Thanks, but I had already added this key and value per my research. Other ideas?

EWANAME at 2007-9-6 >

# 5

Where did you installed the Ifilter in your farm? I filter has to be installed on the Index machine.

Also, which version of Adobe are you using in creating PDF files? current iFilter provided by Adobe only supports 6.0 format. this means that if you are using 7.0 pdf format (last one) you will not be able to index any PDF file contents.

this is a limitation of current version of iFilter provided by Adobe and might be correctly shortly with a new version of PDF iFilter.

HTH,

Luca

lucaband at 2007-9-6 >

# 6

It's installed on my Index role. Your info re: PDF versions may be right on, most likely all PDF's here as well as those we download are likely v7.0 as this version has been out for a while now. I don't get why the Ifilter hasn't been updated, and v8.0 is out now as you know.

We also use a freeware/shareware PDF writer called PDF995 www.pdf995.com and I'm now wondering if IFilter can index these. The Sharepoint Search functionality we want doesn't have as much value by far if it can't accomodate these differences.

Thanks for your info! Any additional info is appreciated.

EWANAME at 2007-9-6 >

# 7

what version of SharePoint is this ? 2003 or 2007 ?

SharePointing at 2007-9-6 >

# 8

On our WSS 3.0 system, indexing PDF files did not work for existing PDF files. In order to have them indexed by the crawler we had to upload the PDF files again.

Try uploading new PDF files and see if those are indexed.

JeromeK at 2007-9-6 >

# 9

I'm having the same issue. My Operating System is Windows 2003 R2 x64 with SQL Server 2005 and WSS 3.0. I'm running the latest iFilter version -- 6.0 and have verified all registry settings. Some of the pdf files are indexing properly, but I believe that the ones created with Adobe 8.0 are not indexing content at all. I assume this is a bug with that software combination and hoping it will be fixed very soon. This is limiting the usefulness of Sharepoint.

RyanWaltz at 2007-9-6 >

# 10

As was stated earlier in the thread, this is a different issue. Adobe have not released a filter for x64 machines running x64 operating systems. The 32-bit filter you have installed is known not to work for x64 operating systems.

See http://www.asaris.de/sites/walsh/Lists/WSSv3%20FAQ/DispForm.aspx?ID=790&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Easaris%2Ede%2Fsites%2Fwalsh%2FLists%2FWSSv3%2520FAQ%2FAllItems%2Easpx

MikeWalshMVP at 2007-9-6 >

# 11

Hi All I'm not sure if you're still looking for a solution but here you go.

There's one simple workaround to get the filter running on 64 bit MOSS 2007. The steps are given below.

1. Install Foxit 64bit PDF Ifilter. http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/ifilter/

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/ifilter/

2. Add a pdf extension in MOSS search settings

3. Open regedit, locate [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\12.0\Search\Setup\ContentIndexCommon\Filters\Extension\.pdf]

4. Change the default value to {987f8d1a-26e6-4554-b007-6b20e2680632} .

5. Recycle the search service: net stop osearch
net start osearch

6. Start a full crawl to index your pdf documents

Check out the Ifilter blog

http://blogs.msdn.com/ifilter/archive/2007/05/10/long-awaited-64-bit-pdf-ifilter-finally-available.aspx

CoskunCavusoglu at 2007-9-6 >

# 12

Are the PDF files you're posting searchable? In other words, if you open them up in Adobe Reader or Acrobat Professional, can you search for text within them successfully? If not, there will be no content for OSearch to index.

If they are image-based PDFs (i.e. documents that have been created using a scanner), you'll need to perform OCR (optical character recognition) on them before they become searchable.

Acrobat Professional has OCR in it.

Bradley

bcrockett at 2007-9-6 >

# 13

I was with you on your first posting of the registry path up to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions

After that I don't have 12.0, only 5.0 and 6.0, plus All Ports, AV Scanner, Ports, and Secure

My OS is SBS 2003 R2 Premium in a 32-bit flavor. SPS and SQL Server 9.0 run on the same machine. I ran the iFilter for 6.0 installation, but nothing gets indexed.

Shut down what services, run the iFilter install again, and restart services in what order?...

OldBlindDog at 2007-9-6 >

# 14

Hi there,

I had the same issue a while ago...

I removed Ifilter 6.0 and stopped the search (in the ssp) and also from the command prompt net stop -osearch

then I applied this blogs install of Adobe reader to the server.....

BUT be sure you first open the reader up on the server to get rid of the dialog tha comes with it.....

http://blogs.msdn.com/ifilter/archive/2007/03/29/indexing-pdf-documents-with-adobe-reader-v-8-and-moss-2007.aspx

Hope it helps - it did for me...

Brebo

TheBrebinator at 2007-9-6 >