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Ruth Lundquist reports: <<I have a PDF file from another entity that has
been encrypted. It is an 8 page document. The first page contains two lines
that have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the document. I'd love
to delete that page,
but can't because the author secured it...>>
Sure, the pages may have nothing to do with the purpose of the rest of the
document, but do they actively harm that purpose? If not, why not just
pretend they're not there and forget about the problem? On the other hand,
if someone created the PDF for you as a paid service (or because they're a
staff member), someone must have contact with the author, or must be able to
tell you how you can reach the author; that being the case, follow the chain
of handoffs until you reach the author and ask that worthy why those lines
are present. Since that author is providing the file as a service to you,
they should be willing to redo the file so that it meets your purpose;
that's particularly true if they're a contractor who was paid to deliver a
suitable product. In any event, there may be a good reason for the presence
of those lines, and you should ask the creator why; if not, they'll almost
certainly be willing to send you a new version without the offending page.
<<Does anyone know how I can delete this &*%$#!! useless page from the PDF
file?>>
If it's secured, you'll need to either crack the password (a few folks have
already sent you suggestions on how to do so), or find an application that
will open the PDF file. Recent versions of Adobe Illustrator and (I believe)
InDesign will open PDF as a native file format. Once the file is open, I'll
bet you a nickel that the security settings are bypassed (it would be
logical for them to be preserved, given that this is an obvious loophole and
that the software is all produced by the same company, but logic and
software design rarely go hand in hand). If so, you'll be able to delete the
relevant page, then re-export the file as PDF. All you need to do is find
someone who has a copy of either program, or obtain a demo copy from Adobe.
--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
"User's advocate" online monthly at
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one vine until you have a solid hold of the next.--Anon.
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