Hi,
I’m trying to generate a PDF/a 2b from a PDF by using Acrobat Reader 11.0.2.
The PDF Creator crashs while printing: "PDFCreator has stopped working"
Here are the OS and PDF versions:
PDF Creator: Version 1.7.0
OS: Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 SP1
Here are the crash data:
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: PDFCreator.exe
Application Version: 1.7.0.0
Application Timestamp: 516d2839
Fault Module Name: ntdll.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7601.17725
Fault Module Timestamp: 4ec49b8f
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0003331f
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.400.8
Locale ID: 1031
Additional Information 1: 9ef3
Additional Information 2: 9ef32c06a712759815ae7a14ab25f97f
Additional Information 3: dc17
Additional Information 4: dc17daa7795c78661bcdb515bf8c82b3
Further Information:
The output PDF file is corrupt (size > 0 bytes, unable to open it). Ghost-Script Version 9.07.
Can you please help me? Thanks in advance!
Kind regards
Karsten
Hi,
Hi Everyone,
my environments:
- Windows 8 64 bit and Windows XP 32 bit
- Ghostscript 9.07 (32 bit, stand alone, not the PDFCreator’s built-in one);
- PDFCreator 1.7.0 (32 bit).
All my PDF/A-2b result in white pages print at all.
All other prints (PDF, JPEG, …) are right.
Why don’t you let people two different PDF/A print choices like:
- PDF
- PDF/A-1b
- PDF/A-2b
- JPEG
- PNG
- …
For the moment I go back to 1.6.2 release from here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/files/PDFCreator/
Thank you very much,
Carlo
After some tests:
- PDFCreator 1.6.2 + internal modified iText Sharp Ghostscript 9.05 -> PDF/A-1b -> OK
- PDFCreator 1.6.2 + external Ghostscript 9.05/6/7 -> PDF/A-1b -> KO (white pages documents)
- PDFCreator 1.7.0 + internal (modified?) Ghostscript 9.07 -> PDF/A-2b -> KO (crashes: me too)
- PDFCreator 1.6.2 + external Ghostscript 9.05/6/7 -> PDF/A-2b -> KO (white pages documents)
IMHO: newer exit from the standard use of a standard library (Ghostscript), it is better to collaborate to improve it, is not it?
Carlo
Hello,
thanks for your comments.
I tried to use PDFCreator 1.6.2 with internal Ghostscript 9.05 and PDF/A 1b.
But it didn’t work. I get empty (white) pages. Can anybody help me?
What’s wrong? Where is my mistake?
Kind regards
Karsten
Hello Homer,
two things:
- in my last post, the fourth case was clearly referred to PDFCreator 1.7.0 and noto to 1.6.2 one;
- are you sure to use the internal GS 9.05?
To check the second case you have to go to Start -> Programs -> PDFCreator -> Printer -> Options -> Program section -> Ghostscript -> and make sure that in the “Ghostscript Version” select is selected the “Internal GS: GS 9.05”.
If you has the use - like me - to install the external GS lib and you has not uninstalled - for example - all the PDFCreator’s settings, is quite sure that in the previous select you have not the internal one…
Make sure, retest and make me know.
Sunny day,
Carlo
p.s. If you have got yet the white page PDFCreator 1.6.2 + GS 9.05 PDF/A-1b files, try to open one of them and go to the file properties (Adobe Acrobat Reader -> File menu -> Properties or type Ctrl+D) and take a look to Description tab -> Advanced section -> PDF’s Autor label.
If you are using the internal GS you got a long string with a reference to the famous iText PDF free, libre and open source (FLOSS) library (java and C#). Many programs use them, like pdftk (that use an old iText version), java and C# client or server side programs and so on.
Because this thread I have understand that PDFCreator author(s) are deciding to move or migrate from Ghostscript FLOSS library (http://www.ghostscript.com/) to iText FLOSS library (http://itextpdf.com/).
But “to stay in the middle” may yield those undesirable/unwanted behaviours… 
p.p.s. FLOSS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software
Hi Carlo,
thank you for your reply.
My PDFCreator settings seems to be correct. I use PDFCreator 1.6.2
The file properties for the generated blank page shows the following Ghostscript version:
"GPL Ghostscript 9.05; modified using iTextSharp 5.2.1 © 1T3XT BVBA"
The problem still occurs, when using PDF/A 1b as output format. 
Here is the PDFCreaotr log:
16.05.2013 13:46:25: PDFCreator Program End
16.05.2013 13:46:26: PDFCreator Program Start
16.05.2013 13:46:26: Windowsversion: Windows 2008 R2 Server 6.1 Build 7601 (Service Pack 1) [TerminalServer IsWinXPPlus IsWinVistaPlus IsWinVistaSP1 IsWin2008R2Server]
16.05.2013 13:46:26: InstalledAsServer: False
16.05.2013 13:46:26: MyAppData: C:\Users\aeop\AppData\Roaming
16.05.2013 13:46:26: PDFCreator spool directory (Write access: true): C:\Users\aeop\AppData\Local\Temp\2\PDFCreator\Spool\
16.05.2013 13:46:45: PDFCreator Program Start
16.05.2013 13:46:45: Windowsversion: Windows 2008 R2 Server 6.1 Build 7601 (Service Pack 1) [TerminalServer IsWinXPPlus IsWinVistaPlus IsWinVistaSP1 IsWin2008R2Server]
16.05.2013 13:46:45: InstalledAsServer: False
16.05.2013 13:46:45: MyAppData: C:\Users\aeop\AppData\Roaming
16.05.2013 13:46:45: PDFCreator spool directory (Write access: true): C:\Users\aeop\AppData\Local\Temp\2\PDFCreator\Spool\
16.05.2013 13:46:58: Ghostscriptparameter:
-IC:\Program Files (x86)\PDFCreator\GS9.05\gs9.05\Lib\
-dPDFA
-q
-dNOPAUSE
-dBATCH
-sFONTPATH=C:\Windows\Fonts
-sDEVICE=pdfwrite
-dPDFSETTINGS=/default
-dCompatibilityLevel=1.4
-dNOOUTERSAVE
-dUseCIEColor
-sProcessColorModel=DeviceCMYK
-dAutoRotatePages=/PageByPage
-dCompressPages=true
-dEmbedAllFonts=true
-dSubsetFonts=true
-dMaxSubsetPct=100
-dConvertCMYKImagesToRGB=false
-sOutputFile=C:\Users\aeop\Desktop\test.pdf
-dEncodeColorImages=true
-dAutoFilterColorImages=true
-dEncodeGrayImages=true
-dAutoFilterGrayImages=true
-dEncodeMonoImages=true
-dMonoImageFilter=/CCITTFaxEncode
-dDownsampleMonoImages=false
-dPreserveOverprintSettings=true
-dUCRandBGInfo=/Preserve
-dUseFlateCompression=true
-dParseDSCCommentsForDocInfo=true
-dParseDSCComments=true
-dOPM=1
-dOffOptimizations=0
-dLockDistillerParams=false
-dGrayImageDepth=-1
-dASCII85EncodePages=false
-dDefaultRenderingIntent=/Default
-dTransferFunctionInfo=/Preserve
-dPreserveHalftoneInfo=false
-dDetectBlends=true
-f
C:\Program Files (x86)\PDFCreator\GS9.05\gs9.05\Lib\pdfa_def.ps
-f
C:\Users\aeop\AppData\Local\Temp\2\PDFCreator\Spool\FB85B21E932E4011B81C4B2457534691.mtd
16.05.2013 13:46:58: Time for converting [PDF/A (without encryption)]: 00:00:00:116
I hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.
Kind regards
Karsten
Hi Karsten,
you are right: the gs settings seem to be good.
Two things:
- try to uninstall answering yes to the uninstall question about erasing all PDFCReator settings;
- I give you my PDFCreator log generated only printing a simple pdf with link created by LibreOffice 4.0.3.3 (simple pdf) in PDFCreator 1.6.2 + internal gs 9.05 -> pdf/a-1b.
[OT] with that pdf we have discovered and signalled an Adobe Acrobat Reader 11.0.2 bug that the 11.0.3 has fixed some days ago:
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=64428
Compare it with yours and make us know the differences.
A Piriform CCleaner (4.01 or better!) general + registry cleanup are recommended, but we are speaking about a server, so keep calm…
Sunny Day,
Carlo
p.s.
17/05/2013 15.30.24: PDFCreator Program Start
17/05/2013 15.30.24: Windowsversion: VerMajor: 6 -> Unknown ‘VerMinor’:2 6.2 Build 9200 () [TerminalServer IsWinXPPlus IsWinVistaPlus]
17/05/2013 15.30.24: InstalledAsServer: False
17/05/2013 15.30.24: MyAppData: C:\Users\Carlo\AppData\Roaming
17/05/2013 15.30.24: PDFCreator spool directory (Write access: true): C:\Users\Carlo\AppData\Local\Temp\PDFCreator\Spool\
17/05/2013 15.31.01: Ghostscriptparameter:
-IC:\Program Files (x86)\PDFCreator\GS9.05\gs9.05\Lib\
-dPDFA
-q
-dNOPAUSE
-dBATCH
-sFONTPATH=C:\Windows\Fonts
-sDEVICE=pdfwrite
-dPDFSETTINGS=/default
-dCompatibilityLevel=1.4
-dNOOUTERSAVE
-dUseCIEColor
-sProcessColorModel=DeviceCMYK
-dAutoRotatePages=/PageByPage
-dCompressPages=true
-dEmbedAllFonts=true
-dSubsetFonts=true
-dMaxSubsetPct=100
-dConvertCMYKImagesToRGB=false
-sOutputFile=C:\Users\Carlo\Documents\sviluppo\Link test (4.0.3.3), PDFCreator 162.pdf
-dEncodeColorImages=true
-dAutoFilterColorImages=true
-dEncodeGrayImages=true
-dAutoFilterGrayImages=true
-dEncodeMonoImages=true
-dMonoImageFilter=/CCITTFaxEncode
-dDownsampleMonoImages=false
-dPreserveOverprintSettings=true
-dUCRandBGInfo=/Preserve
-dUseFlateCompression=true
-dParseDSCCommentsForDocInfo=true
-dParseDSCComments=true
-dOPM=1
-dOffOptimizations=0
-dLockDistillerParams=false
-dGrayImageDepth=-1
-dASCII85EncodePages=false
-dDefaultRenderingIntent=/Default
-dTransferFunctionInfo=/Preserve
-dPreserveHalftoneInfo=false
-dDetectBlends=true
-f
C:\Program Files (x86)\PDFCreator\GS9.05\gs9.05\Lib\pdfa_def.ps
-f
C:\Users\Carlo\AppData\Local\Temp\PdfCreator\Spool\932ED3C0D2774607AF99E6B24FB7FFA8.ps
C:\Users\Carlo\AppData\Local\Temp\PDFCreator\Spool\932ED3C0D2774607AF99E6B24FB7FFA8.mtd
17/05/2013 15.31.18: Time for converting [PDF/A (without encryption)]: 00.00.16.477
Comparing your log with mine (Notepad++ with Compare plugin) the only difference that I can point out is that in mine there are one more line at the end and exactly:
C:\Users\Carlo\AppData\Local\Temp\PdfCreator\Spool\932ED3C0D2774607AF99E6B24FB7FFA8.ps
I cannot see a corresponding one on your log… but only the “.mtd lasting” one…
It seems that it is not able to generate the .ps file from which, I suppose, it generate the final pdf…
What do you think about?
Perhaps someone or developer may help us to understand the the trouble?
Have you tried to cleanup the settings?
See you,
Carlo
Hi,
Hi Robin,
thank you for your comment.
I tried it again by using the PDF Creator testpage and it worked.
But, the problem still occurs in multiple PDF files. So, it seems to be a bigger problem.
Is it possible to email / upload a test file to you?
By the way, in PDF Creator version 1.2.1 (under Windows XP) it works fine.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards
Karsten
Hi,
Hi Robin,
thank you for your reply.
Uninstall, reboot and run a fresh install of 1.6.2 didn’t success.
But, after the following steps, it works: 
- uninstall
- clean registry
- delete pdfcmon.dll (system32 folder)
- restart
- install 1.6.2
Thank you very much!
Kind regards,
Karsten
Hi there
I got the same problem with 1.7.0 and saving with PDF/A-2b.
Was the problem solved in the newer Releases (1.7.1, 1.7.2)?
I installed the 1.7.2 and only PDF/A-2b is available as a PDF/A-format.
I prefer to install a newer version and not an older …
Thanks in advance for a feedback and regards
Beat
Hi,
the PDF/A-2b works in the latest version, but you are correct it is the only available option.
regards,
Robin