Open PDF in Word without Conversion Message

Question

I would like to open a PDF file inside of Word 2013 from an Excel Spreadsheet.  I have this working with the exception of a dialog box that pops up when I open the PDF file.  Is there any way to not have this dialog box show up?

code:

Set oDoc = oWord.Documents.Open(Filename:=strPathFilename, ConfirmConversions:=False, ReadOnly:=True)

Dialog Box Message:

Word will now convert your PDF to an editable Word document.  This may take a while.  The resulting Word document will be optimized to allow you to edit the text, so it might not look exactly like the original PDF, especially if the original file contained lots of graphics.

There is a "Don't show this message again" check box; however, I don't want the user to even see this dialog as it is part of a long running application that will hang until it is responded to.

Basically, I don't want the user to see that message when opening the file.  Is there any way to do this? 

ConfirmConversions - is for a different conversion window that doesn't look like it is normally seen any longer.

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Bob

Answer 1

Maybe there is another way to specify the open since I already know that it is a PDF file and I wan to open it Word - Documents.Open that won't display this message?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff835182.aspx

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Bob

Answer 2

Hi Bob,

Would you please try to use Application.DisplayAlerts=False before the Open action? Don't forget to turn it back after the Open.

Application.DisplayAlerts = wdAlertsNone
...Open action
Application.DisplayAlerts = wdAlertsAll

Good day.

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Yoyo Jiang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us
Develop and promote your apps in Windows Store
Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help.

Answer 3

I have the same issue Bob has, I'm using Word 2013 and the displayalerts=wdAlertsNone , doesn't work when I open a pdf file on word. I've got the same "Word will now convert your PDF to an editable Word document.  This may take a while.  The resulting Word document will be optimized to allow you to edit the text, so it might not look exactly like the original PDF, especially if the original file contained lots of graphics."  , please help me

Answer 4

Sorry, I never found an answer.  The ideas above do not work.

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Bob

Answer 5

If it doesn't work, please remove the "Answered" check you placed on YoYo Jiang's replies. Only you can do that. The Microsoft team is going to think it's all OK once you've clicked the "Answer" link...

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Cindy Meister, Office Developer/Word MVP, <a href="http://blogs.msmvps.com/wordmeister"> my blog</a>

Answer 6

I unmarked the answer as you suggested.

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Bob

Answer 7

When you check the PDF warning check box it writes the following value to the registry (Word 2013 shown)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Options\DisableConvertPdfWarning: 0x00000001

Initially that key doesn't exist, so you can check whether the key exists or ascertain its current value and process the key accordingly - see below.

You can remove the message boxes when you have tested.

Option Explicit

Sub DisablePDFWarning()
Dim WSHShell As Object
Dim RegKey As String
Dim wVer As String
Dim strValue As String
Dim bSwitch As Boolean
    If Val(Application.Version) < 15 Then
        MsgBox "This macro is for Word 2013 and later!", vbOKOnly, "Wrong Word Version"
        GoTo lbl_Exit
    End If

    Set WSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    wVer = Application.Version
    RegKey = "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\" & wVer & "\Word\Options\"

    strValue = GetKeyValue
    Select Case strValue
        Case vbNullString, "0"
            WSHShell.regwrite RegKey & "DisableConvertPdfWarning", 1, "REG_DWORD"
            MsgBox "Convert PDF warning is switched off", vbInformation, "PDF Check"
            bSwitch = True
        Case Else
    End Select
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    'Run your process here
    
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
    
    If bSwitch Then 'Reset the setting as you found it
        WSHShell.regwrite RegKey & "DisableConvertPdfWarning", 0, "REG_DWORD"
        MsgBox "Convert PDF warning is switched on", vbInformation, "PDF Check"
    End If
lbl_Exit:
    Set WSHShell = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End Sub

Private Function GetKeyValue() As String
Dim WSHShell As Object
Dim RegKey As String
Dim wVer As String
    Set WSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    wVer = Application.Version
    RegKey = "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\" & wVer & "\Word\Options\"
    On Error GoTo err_handler
    GetKeyValue = WSHShell.RegRead(RegKey & "DisableConvertPdfWarning")
lbl_Exit:
    Set WSHShell = Nothing
    Exit Function
err_handler:
    GetKeyValue = vbNullString
    Err.Clear
    GoTo lbl_Exit
End Function

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP
www.gmayor.com

Answer 8

Hi Graham,

I know this thread is old but THIS was the only place I found this information. Your registry trick did solve the problem and my macro runs like a charm after this.

Rgds,

Tobias