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PROBLEM: Prep4PDF doesn't produce links in PDFs
After the April 2017 Office updates, Prep4PDF doesn't produce links
Microsoft, in a sudden outburst of ill-placed security nannyism, has decided that EPS files are huge security risks and with no warning to its users, has completely disabled them. As of April 2017 you can no longer insert EPS graphics into Office 2010 and onward.
Because Prep4PDF relies on EPS graphics to "talk to" Acrobat and tell it where to place links and other features, this update pretty much disables Prep4PDF.
To get it working again, we have to disable the "fix" that Microsoft handed down. This page on the PPT FAQ (which PPTools also maintains) explains how:
I can no longer insert EPS graphics into PowerPoint
The fix involves editing the Windows registry, which can be tricky (and can possibly harm your computer if you make the wrong changes). If you're not accustomed to working with the registry, we suggest that you find someone who is and have them make the required changes.
Problem
If you use Office 2007 or later, Prep4PDF may not translate your PowerPoint links into PDF links, though the same presentation translates correctly in PowerPoint 2003 and previous, using the same version of Prep4PDF
Solution
If you don't mind a bit of registry editing, here's the fix:
- IMPORTANT: Make sure PPT isn't running. If you do this while PowerPoint is active, any changes you make will be ignored and eventually deleted.
- Start REGEDIT
- For PowerPoint 2007 go to: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\PowerPoint\Options\
- For PowerPoint 2010 go to: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\PowerPoint\Options\
- For PowerPoint 2013 go to: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\PowerPoint\Options\
- For PowerPoint 2016 go to: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\PowerPoint\Options\
- Right-click Options and choose New DWORD (32bit) Value
- Name the new value PrintMode
- Doubleclick PrintMode and change its value to 1 (it will be 0 by default).
- Quit REGEDIT, start PowerPoint and try making a PDF with Prep4PDF again.
This issue is supposedly also corrected by this hotfix.
Unfortunately, the description of the hotfix only refers to Word, and it's large download. Clearly, it's doing a LOT more than making just this small registry change (assuming it works for PowerPoint as well as Word in the first place).
We prefer the registry change described above. With it you know exactly what's changed, that nothing ELSE has changed, and you can easily UNDO the change quickly and thoroughly whenever you wish.
Background
Prep4PDF uses specially constructed EPS graphics to pass instructions about links to the PDF printer driver you use. Because of Microsoft's changes, these instructions are thrown away.
Making the registry change suggested above tells PowerPoint "Do it the old, CORRECT way. Stop throwing away my stuff!" And that makes the links work again.
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