PDF preview, select and copy text into clipboard not possible

I've installed Acrobat Reader DC to use the PDF preview but I can't select text and not copy into clipboard.

Text selection and copy is possible within Acrobat Reader and Opera.

I need this text to rename the massive amount of PDF files.

Any idea how to enable this?

It's down to the PDF viewer.

Some viewers let you copy text and others probably don't.

It can also depend on the document and whether it is just an image (which would require OCR to copy text out of) or text as well.

None of this really involves Opus, and you'll see the same thing in File Explorer's viewer pane when using the same PDF viewer there. You can use other PDF viewers if the one you're using doesn't let you do what you want, or ask the people who make the PDF viewer you want to use for support on how to copy & paste using their viewer.

Thanks a lot.

I just looked into the Active X+Preview+Office+WebPlugin Configuration and see the enabled options

  • Adobe PDF for Vista (32bit) .. with file extension ".ai"
  • Microsoft PDF .. with file extension ".pdf"

I can remember that PDF preview didn't work and I asked here in the forum and got reply to install Acrobat Reader. Finally it looks like Microsoft PDF is the preview handler?

When I disable Microsoft handler I get this in the preview window:

This PDF document could not be displayed.

This could mean one of the following:

- No PDF preview handler is installed on your system.
- The PDF preview handler is broken (e.g. by other PDF software).
- The PDF preview handler could not open this particular file.
- Anti-malware software is blocking access to the document.

Repairing or (re-)installing a PDF viewer is recommended if:

- File Explorer's preview pane also cannot display the document.
- The problem affects all PDF documents.

PDF viewers with preview handlers include:

- Adobe Reader (Reader, not Acrobat)
- FoxIt PDF Reader
- PDF-XChange Editor
- Sumatra PDF (click Options when installing)

I have exactly installed the free version of "Adobe Acrobat Reader DC". Wondering about "Adobe Reader (Reader, not Acrobat)" in the message :face_with_monocle:

Microsoft PDF viewer is quite a recent addition to Windows, and probably took over the filetype.

Reinstalling PDF viewers usually fixes them, if they aren't the default viewer. At least until one of the other PDF programs breaks things again.

(You can also override the registry via the config window you were looking at, but this only affects Opus and not File Explorer.)

As always, check in File Explorer as well. If it doesn't work there either then you know your problem doesn't involve Opus, only the PDF software itself.

Leo, I've found this Select text from PDF preview - #6 by abr and disabled "Adobe PDF for Vista" and "Microsoft PDF" to get a fall back to Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (which is now my default when I double click the PDF file), but finally Opera doesn't preview and shows the error text as I posted above.

Spent now 3 hours of Sunday afternoon for this - instead of doing the PDF renaming work. My wife won't be happy :roll_eyes:

Finally in Explorer it also doesn't work. Looks like the new Acrobat Reader DC doesn't support select and copy text in preview mode.

UPDATE: Redirecting

Yes removed in newer Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Also tried actual MS Edge PDF as default. Inside MS EDGE it is possible to select text but not within the preview with Explorer.

Maybe I use XPFReader and convert all PDF to text and use them in preview (and delete them later) or make a SnagIt Screen shot and grab the text. :wink: