PDF

Ultra Document to Text Converter promises to make it easier to convert files from one format to another, but it fails to even get off the ground.

This program's interface appears simple and user friendly upon first glance. There's a large screen for displaying selected files and file type. Along the bottom, several buttons offer help getting files, getting folders, loading lists, saving lists, clearing lists, and converting. Regardless of how simple the display appeared, we had absolutely no luck with this program. When we tried placing a Word document on the list for conversion, it failed to … Read more

The use of scareware and exploits that take advantage of common file formats like PDF, Excel and Word rose in the second half of last year as online scammers realized people are getting smarter about recognizing spam and phishing e-mails, according to a Microsoft security report released on Wednesday.

There was a significant increase in rogue security software, which falsely informs people they need to buy security software and instead either does nothing or steals personal information, the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report found.

Two rogue malware families--Win32/FakeXPA and Win32/FakeSecSen-- were detected on more than 1.5 million computers, … Read more

There are several well-regarded, free ways to take advantage of the Print function to transform just about any file to a PDF. PrimoPDF and doPDF sit at the top of the list, but what about reverse engineering that conversion? Converting in the other direction, from a PDF to a Microsoft Word-compatible format like DOC or RTF is trickier.

For one thing, there's a lot of crap out there. Many PDF-to-DOC converters have similar or even identical names, differentiated sometimes by nothing more than a cunning tap of the space bar. Many offer features that are hamstrung in various ways … Read more

Advanced PDF to Word Converter Free doesn't start off well, but, surprisingly, leaves you with a nearly-perfect document. When you install the program, it will ask you to reboot. While rebooting makes sense for programs that have deep hooks into your operating system, it strikes warning bells in such a simple converter. However, the final DOC output from this PDF to Word format converter looks pretty good, albeit with some image quality degradation and minor text alignment problems.

The program sports drag-and-drop additions, adding an entire folder or individual PDFs from different folders and custom output folders, and output … Read more

Free PDF to Word Converter shares many things in common with its competitors besides a similar name. There are some useful features here that try to address the various needs and permutations of PDFs, but it struggles to get a final output that looks perfect.

There's no drag-and-drop support, but the program can batch-convert PDFs without being restricted to specific folders. You can also customize your output folder, and choose a destination format in RTF or DOC. There's support for high levels of security, with space to provide passwords from the PDF owner and the PDF user. You … Read more

Some PDF to Word Converter is one of the better free PDF-to-Word format converters out there, but like its competition it's far from perfect. Its interface is basic but uncluttered, even with all of the user options handily available in a sidebar on the right. It handles batch conversions, converts outer fonts into text and embedded fonts into images, and supports both All Pages and page-range specific conversions. Some PDF can also remove graphics on demand from the output document, which is always in the RTF format.

Its biggest drawback is that the conversions aren't always the cleanest, … Read more

PDFVue is a new tool for both viewing and annotating PDF files. Similar to services like PDFMeNot and PDFHammer, PDFVue can open up PDF files right in your browser, forgoing the need to use desktop software. Better yet, if you've got the service's new browser extension installed, it can be set to automatically open up any PDF link you come across while browsing. This is not the fastest process since it first has to download and render the file, but if you've ever experienced hang-ups with Adobe's Acrobat Reader it's a nice step up.

So … Read more

Here's a little something for business users: PDF Converter can turn any PDF into a Word document while keeping all text, images, and formatting intact. Normally, it sells for $59.95, but it's available free on Monday from Giveaway of the Day.

The catch? You must download and install the program today, March 2. That's how Giveaway of the Day works: The site offers a new commercial-software freebie each day of the week, with the only requisite being that you act on it within that 24-hour window. Hardly a catch at all, in my book.

In addition … Read more

The freeware PDF writer opts for ease over customization with a one-step conversion app that works its will over any printable document. Once installed, pressing Print and selecting CutePDF Writer as a printer choice allows you to save the newly-made PDF anywhere in your file system. While we found the process flawless, advanced users who enjoy rolling up their sleeves for configuring greater DIY control should keep looking. Folks whose needs are more basic have in CutePDF Writer a fine choice.