Installed OK on Win7 32 bit, but copy and paste of the registration information wouldn't paste and I had to type it into the boxes which was a bit of a nuisance given the length of the key.

I ran it choosing .DOC as the output format and a networked drive as the destination folder (because I wanted to test the output on LibreOffice on my laptop as well as Word on my PC) and it just sat there with Waiting ... in the status. I left it for half an hour with no change of status and no sign of a file created in the destination folder. I tried a different PDF file to the same destination folder and the same thing happened. I didn't have time to fiddle with it any more so I gave up for now. But if I do get any output from it it will have to be pretty good to stop me uninstalling it. Everything else on that computer works to a networked drive, and I don't need a fussy program, even if it is free.

Downloaded on both Win 7 and Win 8 machines.Installed using method explained by #26 Serena and installation was smooth for both machines.Tested similar document having photos, spreadsheets and indented texts on both systems with mixed results.Win 7 was slightly better than Win 8. But compared to other products installed in the same machines, overall performance isn't worth shouting about and I would suggest that the coding still needs polishing.
#22 Joe, I personally have no beef with Chinese programming and/or programmers. The key issue that raises hackles with Chinese code is that in some instances, back-doors and root-kits are hard-coded into the end-product with the explicit involvement of the Govt.Ditto NSA. In fact, source country has never been an issue for me. All countries are involved in the malpractise. It's the degree of involvement which determines my preferences.
Nuff said.

Similar problem to some other users-- XPSP3 machine, installation won't finish because "mfc100u.dll is missing". uninstalled, installed trial version from website per suggestion above: installs and starts ok, but GOTD registration is not accepted. Uninstalled again, and hoped that it would leave the dll file behind, loaded GOTD version again. Nope, no go, no dll file, program won't run. I'm not computer savvy enough to find the dll file and know how to get it in the right place, so perhaps not for me, even though it sounds like a program I could really use....

The dll goes into the program folder "Program files(x86)\Lighten PDF to Word Converter" alternatively I installed the trial version off their website first then installed the GOTD version on top of it; works OK and all the needed dlls are in.

Works Great-Converted 6 page pdf Lease ( CAR). Formating excellent & Fast.

To everyone:
I also had the missing "mfc100u.dll" error. This is what worked
for me (XP SP3-your milage may vary as a result):

Opened Windows Explorer.
Went to the folder "C:\Program Files\Lighten PDF to Word Converter\Microsoft.VC100.MFC" and right-clicked on the file "mfc100u.dll" (in the right panel) and chose "Copy"
Then went back one directory to "C:\Program Files\Lighten PDF to Word Converter" and right-clicked again inside that folder and chose "Paste"
Ran the program again and all was good... Good luck!

It works!!!! Converts very quickly and accurately. I am able to edit the text also. Win 7 Thank you GOTD.

Windows 8.1, copied registration number but said 'not activated, error in registration code.' Attempted several times. Whatever. . .

I don't like to download others because there is always crap in their downloads. I end up with a laptop full of stuff that won't allow its removal.

Pat

Nelze registrovat - Windows XP, SP3, Czech republic.

In short, thanks to all who cared to share their experience with non-latin character sets and line formatting. That’s crucial for many of us. Thanks

Downloaded the file - fine. Ran the file - fine. File ran. Said it's successfully activated. Didn't ask me where I wanted the program and have no idea where the hell it downloaded. Where is the program? It's not where I want it and it's not under C/Programs.
In addition in order to register you get an email and a key. What the hell are you supposed to do with that? Email the code? Shitty directions.

Will not accept registartion number no matter how it is inputted

I'm done with pdf to word conversions. MS Word 2013 opens .pdfs and converts them as good or actually better than ALL the pdf converters around. Try it :)
Rob

Installed on Windows 7 64bit.
Didn't work for me as despite other comments the results were not accurate.
Uninstalled and tried Giovanni's suggestion of Nemo, which converted 41 pages of 'How to Build a Simple Top Bar Hive' Manual, first time, quickly and perfectly.
All's well that ends well!
Thanks.

Well, it looked like it was installing, and it did start up when it was done. The window that opened, however, was entirely ghosted, and looked as though it hadn't finished filling out all its info. There were no buttons in the top right (for example, to close the window). From this point I could do nothing but alt-F4. Fortunately, that seemed to close it.

Uninstalling.

It's a shame; I could have used this program once in a while.

For me, the quality of the converted output- totally sucks. I find this surprising, since several commented that the output was very good.

Thanks for the PDF to Word Converter

- installed it on Win 7 64 bit, with no problems at all.
- User interface is easy and fast.

-Translated several documents containing different languages, pictures and graphics, and I must say that I am very impressed with the result.

Thanks GOTD for a very useful product.

I had the same problem as one of the others had.
ERROR: mfc100u missing
Does not work.

I tried Giovanni's suggestion of "Nemo pdf to word" and it did absolutely Nothing. Tried a conversion twice and there was a BLANK 48 page conversion. Win 7, 64 bit system. Uninstalled.

Could not install on a Windows 7 64 bit machine, says file is corrupt obtain another copy. Tried again, same response.

Does this GOTD (or any of the other suggested programs) support Central European fonts like äöü?
Thank you!

#26
Petr

Bad:
- unable to form paragraphs – uses fixed line-end instead

Result:
- visually good outcome, but not good for further editing, e.g. translation

This is easily resolved.
Go into the Ms Word document that was the output of the PDF conversion. Click Ctrl A to select all.
Click [Format] on the main menu of MsWord.
A scroll down list appears. Then click [Autoformat]
A dialogue box appears. The default is that the radio button is selected for [Autoformat Now]. Just click the [OK] button.

All your text that had End Of Line markers on each line will be changed to have only one End Of Line marker at the end of each paragraph.

Go ahead and try it yourself. Prove to yourself that it works.

Installed fine on Win7, 64bit. Lightning fast conversion.

Took the plunge and tried the PDF Converter OCR, and was impressed enough to purchase.

I've used Nuance PDF Converter Pro for years, most recently to convert fairly complex PDF expense reports from the clergy (as the Church treasurer) to Excel documents. No other software or online site (and I've tried literally dozens) has worked like PDF Converter Pro - until this one. It's OCR was actually slightly superior to Nuance, and it was simple to apply my own formatting to the .xlsx document that was created.

The price is absolutely right - $9.99 USD today (as compared to $80-100 USD for Nuance).

Try it, and you will probably be impressed.

Hi, I installed on a Windows 7 64 bit Professional system with success. I found that the key to many of these programs is to extract all the files from the Download folder (where all my downloaded programs automatically install) to the Programs folder on the C Drive (at least this is what I do). It then extracts all the files including the GOTD wrapper in the Programs folder in its own sub-folder (name of program, whatever it is). You can then go into the sub-folder and run the program from the GOTD wrapper and put in the registration info from the text file. I did this procedure for this giveaway and for others that wouldn't run before I figured it out. Maybe there's an easier way but this one worked for me. Good luck!

Tried to install but received the "dll" error message as well; tried to re-install to no avail. Frankly having tried many programs on this GAOTD page and found good in a lot of them, it is my opinion that any new program that has an error of this type in simply installing it may be a portent that something perhaps more insidious is waiting on the inside. Hence, I'll pass though I would appreciate a good program of this kind.

Downloaded and installed ok on winxp sp3, but same problem as VP, says there is a DLL file missing. Have a program like this that works fairly well, so uninstalled. Don't have time to mess around with this one.
All the same, thanks GAOTD for some really neat programs.

Tried converting a PDF that was just scanned images arranged on a page

The formatting was very wrong on the converted document. This was because in the original PDF, the pictures were small but with a large white border. The borders were placed so that they went off the sides of the pages. That does not matter as the image in the centre of them was printing perfectly on the page as required.

So those large borders are "invisible" when the PDF is displayed or printed, but they do still exist as it was throwing the formatting of the conversion off. Perhaps instead of fixing one corner of the image absolutely on the conversion's page and then trying to fit the other images in, it would be more accurate to fix the centre of each image absolutely on the page and then ignore any parts of the image that will not fit on the page as I had done with the original PDF perhaps?

Incidentally, is anyone else getting problems with the layout of the GUI as well? My screen is 1920 x 1080 and some of the buttons, etc. in the menu are placed over each other so you cannot read what is underneath.

Thanks to Lighten Software + GOTD.
Easily downloaded, installed and activated.
You can choose docx or MsWord2003.

Tested it with an 8 page PDF document entitled:
"Bernard Madoff_obsessive control freak who fooled the world"

Result:
Very Good.

It produced a neat document complete with graphic photo. All the PDF text had been converted in to editable text in MsWord 2003 document.

Installed and registered without problems on a Win 8.1 64 bit system. Converted a pdf with no errors, complete and able to edit. Great software, thanks GOTD.

So I gave it a try, thank you Petr (#26) for your response.
I must agree with all you have written.
The program is not excellent, but let's say it works. I am not excited, but I will keep it and try to use it when I need it. We'll see...

Quick install, easy to register, and converted several files, EXCEPT every time I used the software I'm asked to purchase upgrade. Very annoying. The conversions looked great but was not editable. Uninstalled.

Good:
- converts tables and images very well
- supports Central European fonts (like ěščřžýáíéů)
- uses simple output format

Bad:
- unable to form paragraphs - uses fixed line-end instead

Result:
- visually good outcome, but not good for further editing, e.g. translation

For the very BEST comprehensive review of PDF conversion software, go here: www.raymond.cc/blog/convert-pdf-files-word-documents-text-images.
Raymond, an independent blogger, does thorough comparative reviews of various things from time to time. Sadly, Nemo wasn't on his list!

Comment 8

http://mlfdll.com/mlf-mfc100u-dll then copy it in suitable place

Where is a suitable place?
Thanks

Installed on windows 7 32 bit. Very fast!
Converted a PDF with lots of images to docx and then opened it in Word 2010.
The conversion was fast and accurate. I didn't notice any problems. As I use this kind of conversion from time to time, I will not uninstall this software. Looks useful for me. Thanks!

Does Giovanni or any other of you know whether this software has the ability to convert Pdf files in Right to Left languages?
If negative, then what do you recommend?
Thank you.
Alex

Well...
i don't know why so many link to FREE ones,did you try them? Oh really.
I don't think so. Ive tried 'em all and this one plus PDF2Word are the only 2 that work decently, the rest are rubbish and i tried them all.
And some of the best programmers i know (i live in Nanning, Guangxi) and they're doing the same as all Devs..trying to make a living, so please don't judge the fact its made by Chinese.
Anyway, installed Win 7 64 bit and is a stayer for me as works great with some 'tests' i use that fail miserable, as someone said, with tables. It's nice that the formatting is almost spot on as the freebies offered here make my conversions a jumbled mess.
Two thumbs up.

PS: Don't forget Abbyy Screenshot Reader is now FREE also if you need OCR... http://www.abbyy.com.au/bonussr/ You can get it on thier Facebook page too...Cheers,
Josh.

another alternative--if one wants to save a webpage as a PDF document--is "Print What You Like"

http://www.printwhatyoulike.com/block

Two panes appear--left side is the utility, right pane is the actual web page--just block off what you like to save (for ex., text or narrative w/o the ads)...then go to the utility on left pane and click "save as" a pdf. Also does an autoformat. Places a bookmark on your toolbar for easy access...free

http://name911.com/whois/LIGHTENSOFTWARE.COM

Also providers the address. Without my typo. It is LOCKART ROAD, not LOCKARD ROAD

Re #3, Karl
As I bought three licences, I got a mail to confirm my subscription to their customer newsletter. After confirming, I saw their address:

Lighten Software
15/F SPA CENTRE, LOCKARD ROAD
WANCHAI HK
Hong Kong

The test of their ocr package made me decide to buy a licence for $9.99 when I return home later today.

I would say get the Lighten pdf converter OCR today, purchase OCR version--converts in multiple formats, not just Word--at the discount of $9.99 (regularly $19.99), fairly new, has one identical reviewer across several Lighten products, but slight issues with converted formatting. Windows, CNET and Softonic have good reviews--and, no, I do not work for Lighten.

REPLY TO @ JOHN (#2 comment above)

"Here are some FREE ALTERNATIVES (so many ^_^):"

http://download.cnet.com/Free-PDF-to-Word/3000-10743_4-75732609.html (ADDS ADWARE/MALWARE to one's system)

http://pdfburger.com/pdf-to-word (cloud-based software, has good although biased reviews, holds converted files in cloud for only six hours though, must download converted doc immediately to desktop)

http://www.pdfonline.com/pdf-to-word-converter/default-b.aspx?utm_expid=127285-82.hVyA0iq5Q9ynae28757vDQ.1 (free cloud-based software, but adds its own advertisements permanently, and documents that one saves are available for retrieval to the general public forever--forget privacy)

https://www.pdftoword.com/ (trial, $140 to purchase)

In reply to the missing mfc100u.dll error, I had the same issue.
I went to the Lighten website and downloaded the program from there - trial version - and then installed it and entered the GOTD username/password.
It all worked OK
Converted a PDF with tables, images, text boxes, etc. - good conversion
Joel

Does not support RTL languages. )-:
no keep for me.

Does this GOTD (or any of the other suggested programs) support Central European fonts (like ěščřžýáíéů)?
Thank you!

Installed and activated on an elderly XP sp3 computer without difficulty.
Converting complex pdfs to Word is not easy, since the formats seem governed by quite different principles, as anyone who has tried a pdf editor will know! I have tried many programs, including several from this website, and have usually been disappointed; some of the on-line converters have been better.
Like other users, though, this time I was agreeably surprised: for once, the output looked remarkably like the input, despite the fact that I chosen a difficult pdf, a complex brochure, for the test. I can't understand why the thumbs down are in the majority. It took about 10 seconds to convert 21 X A6 pages in full colour.
The drawbacks I noted were as follows:
1. It would have been nice to have been offered the source folder as a destination without having to browse to it.
2. In places the doc reverted to the default font (probably unavoidable where the source uses obscure embeddded fonts).
3. The output at 22.8MB was almost ten times as big as the highly condensed input (2.3MB). Compressing the images in Word to Web page resolution halved the size of the file, but it was still 11.1MB.
Overall, though, this is the best program of its kind I have tried. I also liked the option to save to .doc, as I am not a great fan of the .docx format. If the OCR version is as good, it is a snip at $9.99!

tested OK on XPSP3.
It is not so good as ABBYY PDF Transformer but much-much better than all previous GOTD converters.
Tried English 60-page hard file with very complicated tables. Converted in 2 minutes with about 80% accuracy.
What is important to me: all errors are spelling/trash errors, easy to correct. Document structure, table forms are converted perfectly.
Do not even want to remind freeware alternatives, unfortunately today all I tested are acceptable for plain text only, which I can export from PDF without any converters.

Simple installation and registration opens up to a very usable interface.
Tested on two documents both containing a mixture of text and graphics and the results were very pleasing.
Particularly liked the fact that the text was not put in little text boxes as many converters do and that the format of the document so faithfully retained., the speed of conversion was also very impressive.
This is certainly one of the better converters I have used and it's not a crazy price, sounds good!

I Have Libre Office installed in my pc. Installed Giovanni's recommended Nemo PDF to Word, but it requires Microsoft Office to be installed

not satisfying on my test documents: only 1 out of 6 was really usable
uninstalled at once.

While Givannis suggestion, NemoPDF failed as well, it was slightly better than todays giveaway: 2 of test documents were usable (but an additional issue was here, it needed MS Word being installed to convert to doc...)

By far better:

1. some online services (but I see, not alway wanted to give away sensitive data to elsewhere...

2. Able2Doc (not free, but was given away recently!)

3. since years my favorite (the best for me) and still available for free:
... first search "PDF to Word + Magnaways" and take
> http://pdfzuword-professional.softonic.de/

... second search "Magnus.de + PC-Magazin + Seriennummer" and take
> http://www.pc-magazin.de/ratgeber/freischaltcodes-fuer-heft-software-898723.html

there you find (since years!) the legal serial for "PDF2zuword" !

+ Better than all newer converters
+ legal and without fee
+ small(!) and fast(!)
o runs on Windows 7 correctly ONLY in compatibility mode!!!
- if I remember right(?) can only handle PDFs up to version 1.3
- has no built in OCR-Engine (but: what for most all of you DO already have such stuff from your AIO printer or your scanner... or use Online Services for this )

why alway newly invent the wheel...?

To repair the missing dll try to install it from that link
http://mlfdll.com/mlf-mfc100u-dll then copy it in suitable place ,then the program now can be activated