Problem with Excfel PDFs

  • Using Excel 2016, I created a PDF (just one sheet, not a workbook), which looks brilliant when completed. I add this to the ‘Media’ library in WordPress (version 4.5.3 ) and call it up from a link on a page. It appears, looking equally brilliant, but there is no way of turning it off or going back to the home page. The tools for whatever version of Acrobat is installed appear around the outside but nothing allow a return to the program.

    On all other PDFs on the site, a small circle with a cross appears (usually at the top right corner of the PDF) and clicking on this shuts down the PDF, but, in this case, there is no circle with a cross so the terminal needs to be re-booted, which is of no use.

    Why does it do this with only the PDFs, made using Excel 2016? I have no idea what version of Adobe Acrobat reader (if it is Adobe) is installed on this version of WordPress and no way of telling – could that be the problem? Does WordPress come with an installed reader? No other program, on-line or elsewhere, seems to be able to produce a decent PDF of an Excel sheet so, at least I accomplished that!

    Be grateful for any help – especially if it works!

    John

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  • Hi John,

    Since you posted this question to the “Localhost” forums, I’m assuming that you installed WordPress on your computer, and are building a site for deployment onto a server later. If that’s not the case, then there are possibly other answers that you can get in a different forum.

    WordPress does not include a built-in PDF reader – this is installed either with your web browser, or with the operating system on your machine. There are, however, plugins that you can install with WordPress. Did you install something like this?

    Try looking at the PDF in a different browser. It’s also possible that when you click on the PDF, it’s opening it in a different application (not your web browser) which would remove the “back” button.

    Also, how did you create the other PDF’s that you’re uploaded to your site?

    Thread Starter johnnybach4

    (@johnnybach4)

    Hello Ancawonka,
    Thanks for your reply. I tried not to give too much information, which was obviously the wrong thing to do, so I apologise.

    The WordPress website is on a dedicated server on our local museum but the people who put it there (about 4 years ago) have gone and no one knows how to operate it. The website, as far as a viewer is concerned, has no Internet connection, no printing facility and no way for the information to be downloaded – the system is intended, purely, for visitors to learn about local history – my job, as a volunteer, is to add the information.

    Seeing the programme just sitting there, with very little information, I offered to do what I could though I knew nothing about WordPress. Due to my ignorance, I keep coming up against problems, all of which so far I’ve solved but this one I can’t. To help me to learn, I’ve installed WordPress on my own computer and am, now, enjoying it.

    I tried to convert Excel sheets into PDFs using many online conversion websites but all failed. Then I tried Excel 2016 and that does it beautifully.

    I can pick up the PDFs I’ve created, on my version of WordPress, at home on my computer, and they look good but I have a back button so going back to the page is no problem. I use Internet Explorer that comes with Windows 10.

    I live several miles from the museum so send my work there over the Internet, which means that what looks good on my computer jammed the terminal up at the museum so I don’t want to do too many trial runs as I have to go home to change or delete whatever causes the jam!

    What ever PDF reader is installed must have been put there by whoever created the program in the first place – I’ll try to find out more, for my own benefit but how to do that, I’m not sure.

    All other PDFs have, in the top right hand corner, a circle with a cross, which closes the PDF but not those produced by 2016 Excel.

    The only thing that I have installed, both on my WordPress here at home and at the one in the museum, is TablePress.

    From what you’ve said, I need to find out what program is reading the PDF, what browser is reading WordPress. In fact, I need to understand more of what I’m looking at and what I’m working with.

    The strange thing is, that all other PDFs, and large images, have this circle with a cross but these don’t. Just as a matter of interest, it seems that PDF conversion programs (which is what I’ve used for all documents and images) prefer A4 portrait sheets and, of course, Excel are landscape – this seems to be part of the problem.

    By the way, I hope I’ve got the right forum – it’s very difficult, sometimes, to nowhere to go when you are not sure what you’re asking but thank you for taking the time – and if you have any idea or need any more information from me, I’ll be pleased to hear.

    Once again, my thanks,

    John

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
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