[iFilter] Adobe released a work around for the PDF iFilter in x64

"Finally Adobe has come up with an interim solution to address the non-availability of a 64 bit ifilter. Now one can use the 32-bit Adobe IFilter on 64-bit platforms after installing a DCOM addin from Adobe. The installation instructions can be found on the Adobe Labs Wiki .

This is a great oppurtunity for folks who have a 64-bit installation of Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 and want to index pdf documents, but do not want to spend money on a 64-bit FOXIT IFilter."
Source: Filter Central

MOSS2007 Installation guide

Over the past few weeks I have been working on an installation guide for MOSS2007. I have updated a document I created earlier with new insights and am glad to announce that it is available for download!!

Available here:Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Installation Guide

[UPDATE: A new version has been released. More info, see this post]

[MOSS2007] PDF and SharePoint 2007

Just like in SharePoint 2003, SharePoint 2007 does not show the pdf icon and is not able to index these files. But fortunately Microsoft made it possible to reconfigure SharePoint yourself and upload an icon and install a PDF iFilter. Adobe created an iFilter to accomplish this.

SharePoint 2003 only came as a 32-bit version, but with SharePoint 2007 SharePoint can be installed as a 64-bit version as well. And here is the catch……Adobe has not released a 64-bit version of its iFilter yet and it looks like it won’t be available for a very long time (come on Adobe!!).

To solve this issue you have several options:

1. Reinstall the server with 32-bit Windows and reinstall SharePoint…….ok, not really an option.
2. Not index PDF files at all…….ok, also not an option.
3. Beg Adobe to create a 64-bit version of their iFilter…….ok, you have something to do for about 5 minutes but it won’t solve your problem. But if you have nothing to do……go ahead: Submit Product Enhancement
4. Try to trick MOSS into accepting the 32-bit version of the iFilter…….uhm, do you really want to?

But fortunately there is a fifth solution!! A company called FoxIT released a alternative PDF iFilter............and they created a 64-bit version as well…..and it is free!! What more do you want?? Great, isn’t it :-)

So go ahead and download the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version

Happy indexing!!