FreeCommander Forum

I installed the PDF viewer plugin below, added it in the "Plugins" tab in the Viewer configuration, but when I restart FreeCommander, it always disappears.
Any ideas why it is disappearing after being added, and what I can do to be able to preview PDF files? I know I could install something like Adobe Reader or FoxIt Reader, but I don't want anything that "heavy" just to view PDF files.


https://totalcmd.net/plugring/sumatra.html

Hi,

The fastest way to display PDF files is using the viewer from the system:
Menu Tools -> Settings -> Viewer -> - Viewer (Button) -> General (tab):

Include the PDF (.pdf) extension in Windows Preview box to let Windows use the internal viewer.
or
Include the PDF (.pdf) extension in the Internet/Office box to let Windows use the default viewer (usually Acrobat if installed)

danpeig wrote: 25.10.2020, 14:05 Hi,

The fastest way to display PDF files is using the viewer from the system:
Menu Tools -> Settings -> Viewer -> - Viewer (Button) -> General (tab):

Include the PDF (.pdf) extension in Windows Preview box to let Windows use the internal viewer.
or
Include the PDF (.pdf) extension in the Internet/Office box to let Windows use the default viewer (usually Acrobat if installed)

The .pdf extension is already there by default. I said in my post I was not interested in using Acrobat or Foxit reader because they are too heavy for just a PDF viewer. My question is why does the sumatra plugin not work?

FAQ – Viewer

You can use any PDF viewer, even Sumatra, which is quite lightweight, but you have to use the install version, not portable.

Dreamer wrote: 25.10.2020, 21:55 FAQ – Viewer

You can use any PDF viewer, even Sumatra, which is quite lightweight, but you have to use the install version, not portable.

Oh! I thought that the Sumatra plugin was stand-alone. Thanks for clarifying that!

It works with the Portable version Sumatra as well.... but only as external viewer.
Settings:

- Filter: *.pdf
- Program: Path to Sumatra exe.
- Parameters: %AcceptOnlyFiles%

Do not forget to enable the filter.

Hello Everyone,
I am having trouble view PDF files with SumatraPDF v3.3 on Windows 10 with FreeCommander v832 64 bit Portable Version.

1) Installed SumatraPDF with the install file (not portable)
2) Associated all files with extensions ".pdf" to SumatraPDF
3) I am able to preview the PDF file with Windows Explorer - Preview Pane

Try to use QuickView in FreeCommander and I get garbled output.

I have tried:
Menu Tools -> Settings -> Viewer -> - Viewer (Button) -> General (tab):
Include the PDF (.pdf) extension in the Internet/Office box to let Windows use the default viewer

Any other ideas, I can try?
Thank you for any help.

Try to move .pdf to "as Windows preview" field, and make sure it's not in other fields too.

Thank you very much @Dreamer.
It works perfectly now. Much appreciated.
Have a great day!

Hello @Dreamer.
One more question.
I realize that when I close FreeCommander and open the application again.
The .pdf setting is removed from the "as Windows preview" field.

1) Is this behavior due to using the Portable version?
2) Is there a way to keep the setting permanent if it is the Portable version?
3) Will installing the full non-portable version solve this problem?
Thanks for any insight.

You're welcome.

Regarding your problem, answer is in the FAQ:

My settings or/and keyboard shortcuts are not preserved after program restart, how to solve it?

How do I install the portable ZIP version?

For new questions use new topics, 1 question per 1 topic, please.

Hello @Dreamer,
Thanks for all the insight and information.
I looked at the PortableApps and decided that I wanted to always use the latest version of FreeCommander.
Therefore I decided to install the latest version of the non-portable x64 version of FreeCommander.

To get the PDF Quick Viewer working I have to do the following steps:

Step 1: Put the .pdf text in the as Windows Preview field - Click OK -> Click Apply.
Step 2: Erase the .pdf test in the as Windows Preview field
Step 3: Put the .pdf text in the as Internet / Office field -Click OK -> Click Apply

The PDF file displays perfectly for the entire session.

When I close the FreeCommander application and restart.
The settings for QuickViewer are lost and I have to do Steps 1 - 3 again.
Am I doing something wrong?
I am working with that latest version of FreeCommander X64 build 834

Installed the Javelin PDF Reader to understand if Sumatra PDF was causing the problem.
However I got the same problems with Javelin.
When I first start up FreeCommander, the PDF in quick view is garbled.
Change the settings as in my previous post, the PDF looks and works fine in the Quick Viewer.
When I close, and restart FreeCommander, all previous settings are lost.

Hello,
So I tried Portable Apps and FreeCommanderPortable_2020_Build_810a.paf.exe.
Unfortunately, the same problems are happening.


To get the PDF Quick Viewer working I have to do the following steps:

Step 1: Put the .pdf text in the as Windows Preview field - Click OK -> Click Apply.
Step 2: Erase the .pdf test in the as Windows Preview field
Step 3: Put the .pdf text in the as Internet / Office field -Click OK -> Click Apply

The PDF file displays perfectly for the entire session.

When I close the FreeCommander application and restart.
The settings for QuickViewer are lost and I have to do Steps 1 - 3 again.

can confirm the problem - if you dare fiddle around with freecommander.ini you can easily work around it