Open pdf file from excel vba?

[tinkythomas]

I'm trying to open a pdf file from within excel vba. I have tried using the followhyperlink method but adobe acrobat opens very briefly then immediately closes

Sub OpenPDF()

'Dim pdf As String

    On Error Resume Next

    'pdf file to open
    pdf = "K:\PDF\mypdf.pdf"

    'open the pdf file
    ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink pdf

End Sub

So then I tried to create an instance of acrobat by setting a reference to the acrobat object but I can't get this to work either!

The code I'm using is

Sub OpenPDF()

    Dim pdf As AcroPDDoc
    Dim strPDF As String

    Set pdf = CreateObject("AcroExch.PDDoc")
    
    'pdf file to open
    strPDF = "K:\PDF\mypdf.pdf"

    'open the pdf file
    pdf.Open strPDF

End Sub

Any ideas what could be wrong with either approach?

Thank-you

 

[Tarkan VURAL]

Hi tinkythomas ;

 Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, ByVal lpFile As String, _
ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

Sub EVN()
Filename = Application.DefaultFilePath & "\myPDF.Pdf"
ShellExecute 0, "Open", Filename, "", "", vbNormalNoFocus
End Sub

 

[tinkythomas]

Hi Tarkan, where do I place the first line sof code? I'm receiving a compile error with the code as displayed. The error is "Only comments may appear after End Sub, End Function or End Property"

Sorry my vba skills are still poor!

Thanks

 

[tinkythomas]

Ok, I have now placed the code in a new module and have eliminated the compile error! But the pdf file doesn't open. I have systernals process explorer to monitor whether acobat.exe launches and it does but then immediately closes

Any ideas??

 

[JP2112]

Try this:

Dim myShell As Object
Set myShell =  CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
myShell.Run "K:\PDF\mypdf.pdf"

--JP

 

[tinkythomas]

Thanks JP, it appeared that my acrobat pro install was corrupt! Although I could open pdf files normally by double clicking

Anyway, I uninstalled acrobat pro and installed the latest reader and now I can open pdf's using the followhyperlink method.

Not sure what was wrong with the pro install, maybe I will re-install and have another go? But for now with the reader all appears to be well.

Thanks for evryone's help it has been a great help.

 

[JP2112]

That's usually the cause when the usual methods of opening PDFs stop working. Glad to hear it worked out!

--JP

 

[Tarkan VURAL]

Hi again,
Alternative code example

Sub RunPDFWithExe()
Shell "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe C:\Documents and Settings\user\Desktop\Traveller_ypk_full.pdf", vbNormalFocus
End Sub

or

Sub RunPDFWithExe()
MyPath = "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe"
MyFile = "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Desktop\Traveller_ypk_full.pdf"
Shell MyPath & " " & MyFile, vbNormalFocus
End Sub

Please change this Mypath and MyFile ...


or look at this example movie
http://www.excelvba.net/forum/RunPdf.html

 

[tinkythomas]

Tarkan VURAL, thank-you for the reply. I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to reply, have been very busy recently.

Thanks for the revised code, this works perfectly. I now have several methods for opening pdf files.

Thanks

 

[El Tio]

What command would you use for doing something similar with PDF but printing instead of opening? I have a very similar application to tinkythomas but printing is my objective, not opening. Thoughts?