Author Topic: [EXPIRED] PDFZilla free for 20 days - Ends 14 March 2012 (Read 17126 times)

4wd · « **on:** February 21, 2012, 10:49 PM »

Via OzBargain again:

PDFZilla is being given away free for 20 days, registration code is: AQ1W6F0ZN7Q9D85

PDFZilla Key Features

Convert PDF to Word
Convert PDF to Word with all text and Graphical data.
Convert PDF to RTF
Convert PDF to Rich Text Files. You can edit all text and graphic by Windows Wordpad.
Convert PDF to TXT
Convert PDF to plain text files. You can edit text by Notepad.
Convert PDF to Images
Convert PDF to BMP, JPG, GIF or TIF files.
Convert PDF to HTML
Convert PDF to HTML files and automatically generate the Index file.
Convert PDF to SWF
Convert PDF to Shockwave Flash Animation files which can be published on websites.
Page Selection
Convert all the pages, or partial pages of PDF file.
Easy to use software
Add a PDF File -> Select the Output File Format -> Click on Start Converting button, then just have a cup of coffee

Note for Win7/Vista users:

How To Activate on Win7/Vista: If you are not the Administrator User, Please run the program as Administrator: click on the icon by right mouse button, select "Run As Administrator", and then use the giveaway key to activate.

erikts · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2012, 03:02 AM »

Thanks for the head up. I had trialed the software a few months ago. So this giveaway is a bless.

Innuendo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2012, 09:57 AM »

"How to activate on Win7/Vista...."

Does this mean it phones home to activate? And what happens if your system goes ka-boom & you have to reinstall your OS? Are you out of luck if you want to reinstall your freebie?

tranglos · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2012, 10:14 AM »

"How to activate on Win7/Vista...."

Does this mean it phones home to activate?
-Innuendo (February 22, 2012, 09:57 AM)

Admin rights are not required to phone home :-)

Rather, it stores the registration info in the folder where it is installed. Since that typically means under Program Files, it needs admin rights to write there. Though by default the setup wants to install files in c:\PdfZilla, actually.

Not a good design, really. Very few apps that I've seen require elevation to be registered. This kind of data should be stored under common data folder for all users, no elevation needed.

Ath · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2012, 03:20 AM »

it stores the registration info in the folder where it is installed
-tranglos (February 22, 2012, 10:14 AM)

It's much more likely that it stores the registration in the HKLM hive of the registry, where, for most locations, Admin access is required to be able to write.

tranglos · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2012, 04:46 AM »

It's much more likely that it stores the registration in the HKLM hive of the registry, where, for most locations, Admin access is required to be able to write.
-Ath (February 23, 2012, 03:20 AM)

Likely - yes, true - no :-) When I activated it I had the installation folder open in TC and noticed in the corner of my eye that a file was updated there at that very moment. Seeing as most other apps handle registration without needing admin rights, I wonder if it's worth the additional support work this must bring in.

Ath · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2012, 05:02 AM »

@tranglos, maybe you got the portable version, but I've used the installer version

Can only find the uninstaller exe and an ini file that doesn't hold any license related data, being dated on the install-date.

mrainey · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2012, 09:19 AM »

And what happens if your system goes ka-boom & you have to reinstall your OS?

Make an image of your Windows partition once a week - takes twenty minutes. I've used Windows for close to twenty years and have never reinstalled from scratch, but images have saved my butt half a dozen times.

tranglos · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2012, 11:16 AM »

@tranglos, maybe you got the portable version, but I've used the installer version Can only find the uninstaller exe and an ini file that doesn't hold any license related data, being dated on the install-date.
-Ath (February 23, 2012, 05:02 AM)

I did use an installer, but the one I used tried to put the files in c:\PDFzilla, so maybe I did get a portable version. Out of curiosity, see if you have a file under there whose timestamp matches the time you registered it.

One way or another the app does need to be run as admin in order for the registration to be successful. If it isn't, it won't tell you - in fact, it will still thank you for registering.

Midnight Rambler · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2012, 12:15 PM »

Needed a .pdf conversion program a while back. Downloaded trial of another one that didn't work well and was overpriced so used it once and uninstalled it. PDFZilla offered too much utility to pass up and generally trust Ashraf's reviews so added it to my software hoard.

scancode · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2012, 12:27 PM »

It's much more likely that it stores the registration in the HKLM hive of the registry, where, for most locations, Admin access is required to be able to write.
-Ath (February 23, 2012, 03:20 AM)

Likely - yes, true - no :-) When I activated it I had the installation folder open in TC and noticed in the corner of my eye that a file was updated there at that very moment. Seeing as most other apps handle registration without needing admin rights, I wonder if it's worth the additional support work this must bring in.

-tranglos (February 23, 2012, 04:46 AM)

***** C:\PDFZILLA\sound.dll
36: czzverrhzzcv56757
37: asdfasdfasdfaswkk
***** C:\PDFZILLA\SOUND.DLL_
36: czzverrhzzcv56757
37: asdfasdfasdfasw21
*****

So i'm guessing backing up SOUND.DLL (which is NOT a DLL file) should back up your registration too.

Innuendo · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2012, 03:06 PM »

Make an image of your Windows partition once a week - takes twenty minutes. I've used Windows for close to twenty years and have never reinstalled from scratch, but images have saved my butt half a dozen times.
-mrainey (February 23, 2012, 09:19 AM)

I install and trial a LOT of programs. If I'm going to do an OS reinstall I'm going to want to shed all of that useless junk lurking around my hard drive & registry. I don't want to carry half-uninstalled program DLLs around wtih me till I upgrade to Windows 8.

PhilB66 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2012, 05:35 PM »

Shareware?

PDFZilla uses pdftk.exe, pdf2swf.exe, and pdf2htm.exe.

I say avoid.

daddydave · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2012, 08:16 PM »

Make an image of your Windows partition once a week - takes twenty minutes. I've used Windows for close to twenty years and have never reinstalled from scratch, but images have saved my butt half a dozen times.
-mrainey (February 23, 2012, 09:19 AM)

I install and trial a LOT of programs. If I'm going to do an OS reinstall I'm going to want to shed all of that useless junk lurking around my hard drive & registry. I don't want to carry half-uninstalled program DLLs around wtih me till I upgrade to Windows 8.
-Innuendo (February 23, 2012, 03:06 PM)

My sentiments exactly, except the Windows 8 part.

Innuendo · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2012, 10:46 PM »

My sentiments exactly, except the Windows 8 part.
-daddydave (February 23, 2012, 08:16 PM)

I'm keeping an open mind. What Windows 8 will be in its final form isn't going to emerge until we're into the beta process. That's MS's typical standard operating procedure, but I agree. At this point in time, there's no reason to upgrade. I'm confident that will most likely change.

Steven Avery · « **Reply #15 on:** March 06, 2012, 05:45 PM »

Hi,

Shareware? PDFZilla uses pdftk.exe, pdf2swf.exe, and pdf2htm.exe. I say avoid.
-PhilB66 (February 23, 2012, 05:35 PM)

Legal issues ? Ethics ? Please share more.

Let us say an open source project fulfills some function, and a commercial wrapper around the programs is sold. In some cases this could violate a GPL license. Or there could be a simple ethical issue of not acknowledging the source programs. There could be some cases where the value-added, to a commercial product, is sensible. Which level is your concern here.

Thanks.

If it is clear enough then those like Lifehacker should be informed. (They had a page a year ago on an earlier similar giveaway, a number of folks struggled with the registration.)

PDFZilla Batch Converts PDFs to Editable Formats, Is Free Until February
http://lifehacker.co...-free-until-february

Lifehacker today, on new threads, seems to be making it more difficult to comment, trying to get you to use Facebook or Twitter accounts. That could be another discussions.

The zilla name come s from the excellent FTP Filezilla program.
Use by a totally unrelated company is tacky.

Steven

4wd · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2012, 07:12 PM »

The zilla name come s from the excellent FTP Filezilla program.
-Steven Avery (March 06, 2012, 05:45 PM)

I thought it originated with Godzilla - the biggest, most monstrous of them all.

Anything else is just a pale copy.

Midnight Rambler · « **Reply #17 on:** March 06, 2012, 07:19 PM »

Godzilla - the biggest, most monstrous of them all.
-4wd (March 06, 2012, 07:12 PM)

Sorry to get off topic but my favorite too. Have four Godzira movies in my collection.

4wd · « **Reply #18 on:** March 06, 2012, 07:38 PM »

Godzilla - the biggest, most monstrous of them all.
-4wd (March 06, 2012, 07:12 PM)

Sorry to get off topic but my favorite too. Have four Godzira movies in my collection.
-Midnight Rambler (March 06, 2012, 07:19 PM)

I'm worse, I've got 29 Godzilla + 3 Mothra.

Midnight Rambler · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2012, 07:49 PM »

And don't forget: http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=k6rDWqjnW7w

Innuendo · « **Reply #20 on:** March 07, 2012, 10:34 AM »

The zilla name come s from the excellent FTP Filezilla program.
Use by a totally unrelated company is tacky.
-Steven Avery (March 06, 2012, 05:45 PM)

I thought the original usage of -zilla was Mozilla. But my memory could be faulty.