How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Discussion for the End User use of OCR in PDF-XChange Editor and Viewer

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Puffolino
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How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by Puffolino »

I am using the PDF XChange Editor on a memory stick which is absolutely cool as I need to wotk on many different PC's day by day. To make an installed version portable, I just copy all files and directories to an USB stick, add a portable.dat file, uninstall the program and be happy...
...until the update because the new OCR feature won't work anymore.

How to get the advanced OCR function within portable mode?
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Tracker Supp-Stefan
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hello Puffolino,

The new Enhanced OCR we included with V9 does require the activation process, and as such this effectively means that it can not work in portable mode.

Kind regards,
Stefan
Puffolino
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by Puffolino »

Hello Stefan,

wouldn't have a problem to repeat the activation when needed as I don't use the editor very often when I work on another PC. But one thing is strange anyway as it seems that the enhanced OCR is available in the PDF Tools (hopefully this behaviour will not be changed for the next update :roll: ).

Actually, I am using the PDF Change/Tools programs portable only because my hard disk space tends to zero. Using the XChange programs on a USB 3.0 memory stick works quit good (except the OCR thing :lol: ).

Kind Regards,
Michael
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hi, Puffolino

PDF-Tools is not available as a portable app, so you most certainly do have that one installed, which explains why the EOCR is working in it.

As for possible changes to the portable, I cannot make any promises (and honestly I do not forsee it being approved, so please do not get your hopes up), but I have prompted a discussion to see what options might be available at this stage.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

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Puffolino
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by Puffolino »

Hi Daniel,

whatever I do, you and the rest of your team do a much better job than I expect (most of the time) :wink:

Just some informations about the "portable" installation - did only one installation of the PDF XChange (enhanced OCR works then) and uninstalled it (OCR doesn't work anymore).

Since that I only copy all files (from the msi files) instead of installing them when possible (otherwise Windows would create a new printer device of the standard printer each time an update is done, I'd get tons of language files and so on). Copying the files speeds up the update process, all I need to keep in mind, that some folders need to be copied into the 'Common' directory...

Concerning the OCR capabilities: my 'PDF Tools.exe' (enhanced OCR available) is in the same directory as 'PDF XChange Editor.exe' (no enhanced OCR available), using the same dll files and so on.
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by Puffolino »

Ouch, not that good.
OCR.png

I am a single user who works with a single (portable) installation. I do run the program from a memory stick because my own notebook is an oldtimer which is not very fast. So when OCR is needed, I try to get a powerful PC on my workplace to do this time consuming jobs much faster then.

Need to read the manuals, maybe something like unvalidating the license could be done to allow validating on another PC.

Beside this I do not understand the different behaviour of the Editor and the Tools programs (activated for the Tools but not for the Editor?).
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hi, Puffolino

Regarding the activation limit, you can manage this from your account page, by clicking the "activation list" and removing old devices, though do be careful with this, a single user license is only entitled to use on a single Desktop and a single laptop/tablet. If more than that are detected, or repeated changes to the activation status are noticed, our system may block you from activating at all.

As for the difference between the portable and tools, like I mentioned, it is not possible for tools to be running truly "portable", and if you have found a way to "finagle" this into working, it is not intended, supported, or advised as there can be issues which arise from doing so (otherwise we would obviously offer it ourselves). As such, the difference you are seeing is because the portable version of the editor cannot be "activated" it does not have an activation mechanism, and it is not necessary, as it cannot use the EOCR, period. Tools on the other hand, does require activation, as it is ONLY an installed app and can make use of the EOCR.

Please, I need to ask that you do not dismantle our installers and manually move the files, there are a number of tasks that those installers do, many of which are required for the software to be fully functional, and some will not be obvious (or possible) for you to do simply by dragging and dropping. I understand that size is an issue, but frankly, you cannot expect the software to work properly if you will not use the tools we have provided to set it up. If your drives are that full, maybe it is time for an upgrade.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

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Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
Support@pdf-xchange.com
Puffolino
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by Puffolino »

Hi Daniel,

as you told me to be careful, I didn't do anything as everything could get worse :)

But now, some months later and after having updated to 9.354 soe weeks ago I'd need to use OCR once again (so it's obviously not the most needed function for me)...
...and once again, the enhanced OCR mode is not available within the editor. I am quite sure it was available after I have done the update.
Now I was searching for the "activation list" you told me, but I don't see this point anywhere within my account. Can you give me a hint what I should do now?

Thanks.
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: How to use advanced OCR in a portable installation?

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hi, Puffolino

As of V9, the EOCR plugin is not available within the Portable version. If you need access to the EOCR plugin, you will need to install the software normally.

I should also note that, since application size is the main point of your earlier concerns; regardless of whether it was present in the portable or not, the EOCR engine and its included functions alone is nearly half of the current application size. If there was a way to implement it in the portable version, it would not remain the small application it is now, and would instead be the same size as the installed application (if not a bit larger to hold additional files).

Regarding the "activations list" this should appear under the "actions" column on your account page, in the same area you see each of your license keys. There will be one button for each key which requires activation.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
Support@pdf-xchange.com
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