# Does this software exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141 "2009-12-13T21:10:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/1 "2009-12-13T21:10:30Z")
In my job I work with PDF files that were originally Word documents. I need to fill out these forms occasionally and because my handwriting is atrocious I prefer to be able to type the information. These PDF forms were not created with fill-able forms so what I’ve been doing is 1. Using the Word version if it was posted 2. Write really slow so the writing is readable 3. Asking a coworker to fill out the form for me (mostly just a name and address) 4. Taking a copy of the PDF home and putting form-fields in with the Acrobat Pro I have at home. I can’t get Acrobat Pro installed at work because it’s only for the people who need it in their position and I don’t _need_ it but it would make my job much easier. What I’m looking for is some PDF software that will run off a USB drive that would allow me to add the form fields into it. I’m not allowed to install software onto my work PC so any freeware/shareware that needs to be installed it out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/2 "2009-12-13T21:20:31Z")
This [online PDF creator](http://www.primopdf.com/online.aspx) may do the trick. No need to install anything, it’s all done online and it’s absolutely free. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/3 "2009-12-13T21:26:41Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > This [online PDF creator](http://www.primopdf.com/online.aspx) may do the trick. No need to install anything, it’s all done online and it’s absolutely free. That doesn’t allow you to make a PDF with forms to fill out and we are not allowed to send out forms out over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/4 "2009-12-14T00:22:54Z")
A recent thread mentioned a website which [converts PDF files to Word documents](http://www.pdftoword.com/). Would that be of any use? ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/5 "2009-12-14T02:06:08Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > A recent thread mentioned a website which [converts PDF files to Word documents](http://www.pdftoword.com/). Would that be of any use? No because I am not “allowed” to send our PDF files to any website. It looks like I’m going to have to continue taking the PDF’s home and editing them there to put in form fields. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/6 "2009-12-14T02:52:32Z")
[PDFill](http://www.pdfill.com/) is shareware lets you add form fields to already-existing PDFs. You might be able to run it off (or install it to) a USB drive, but I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/7 "2009-12-14T03:07:15Z")
If you’re friends with one of your coworkers with acrobat pro, you can have them make a version of the PDF file which has the “typewriter” feature enabled. This lets mere mortals who only have the reader enter text (but not edit preexisting text, or make boxes, etc). EDIT: Oh, oops, that would be like option #4 in your OP. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/8 "2009-12-14T04:08:17Z")
How about a typewriter? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/9 "2009-12-14T04:34:37Z")
WordPerfect will convert a .pdf into an editable text document (and back), although the formatting occasionally gets weird. Have you got that installed? ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/10 "2009-12-14T04:46:40Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > [PDFill](http://www.pdfill.com/) is shareware lets you add form fields to already-existing PDFs. You might be able to run it off (or install it to) a USB drive, but I dunno. That looked promising but it requires you to install it and GhostScript which violate the acceptable use policy at work. [quote=“GreasyJack, post:7, topic:521141”] If you’re friends with one of your coworkers with acrobat pro, you can have them make a version of the PDF file which has the “typewriter” feature enabled. This lets mere mortals who only have the reader enter text (but not edit preexisting text, or make boxes, etc). The people with Pro are not in my office they are in Trenton and I don’t have a working relationship with them. > [@cornflakes](#): > > How about a typewriter? Good idea but I don’t have access to one. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > WordPerfect will convert a .pdf into an editable text document (and back), although the formatting occasionally gets weird. Have you got that installed? No we don’t have WordPerfect on our systems and while my system (unlike my coworkers) is not prevented from installing software we are prohibited by the AUP. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/11 "2009-12-14T04:55:42Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > The people with Pro are not in my office they are in Trenton and I don’t have a working relationship with them.Good idea but I don’t have access to one. If you have pro at home, you could take the files home and do the same thing, if that’s at all workable. Another possibility is if you already have all the forms you’re likely to need to fill out is you could do the 30-day trial of acrobat pro and make type-writable versions of all the document. If you keep getting new forms, who’s making the forms? Could you ask them to enable the type-writer option? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/12 "2009-12-14T07:26:15Z")
[PDF XChange Viewer](http://www.docu-track.com/home/prod_user/PDF-XChange_Tools/pdfx_viewer) is a free PDF viewer that allows you to type (and make other marks and annotations) on already existing PDF documents. The marked up versions can be saved, too. I do not see why it should not run off a flash drive. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/13 "2009-12-14T08:10:33Z")
I can’t remember – does Acrobat Reader have the “typewriter” tool the same way the full version of Acrobat does? Which lets you type in anything you want anywhere on a form? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/14 "2009-12-14T09:24:00Z")
Get [OpenOffice Portable](http://portableapps.com/apps/office/openoffice_portable) and add the Sun PDF Import Extension - you can open a PDF, then add a floating text box over the field boxes, enter your text and print. And you can do it from a USB stick without installing OpenOffice. Si ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-software-exist/521141/15 "2009-12-14T20:14:11Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > I can’t remember – does Acrobat Reader have the “typewriter” tool the same way the full version of Acrobat does? Which lets you type in anything you want anywhere on a form? The latest versions do, but the file has to be enabled by the creator (e.g., using Acrobat Pro) to allow this. This is similar to enabling a fillable form to be saved with Adobe Reader. In both cases, it involves a simple step, but there are certain licensing restrictions that the licensee of Acrobat Pro is limited by. This is also the simplest solution for the OP.