PDF iFilter problems (again!)..

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PDF iFilter problems (again!)..

Jeff ingham

SSChasing Mays

Points: 627
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March 12, 2014 at 4:39 am

#284576

Using adobe ifilters on filtables..
This is really a continuation of an earlier topic ( http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1464679-2799-1.aspx#bm1465104 )
After getting the adobe iFilter 9 working on the development site on my laptop it was time to deploy to the server..
I was confident, having spent days fiddling around trying to get the ifilter to index the documents, that deploying to the production server should be a breeze but I'm now getting the error: 'Error '0x8004fd02: The filter daemon MSFTEFD failed to load an IFilter interface for document' whenever I try and index a pdf document..
So..
adobe ifilter 9 is installed
EXEC sp_help_fulltext_system_components 'filter' shows filter the filter for pdf is installed at 'C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe PDF iFilter 9 for 64-bit platforms\bin\PDFFilter.dll'
PATH environment is set to the above directory
Permissions to the above folder is set to 'EVERYONE' has full control (temporary until I can get it working!)
ft_index dropped and recreated several times, numerous restarts both of sql services and the complete server but still can't index pdf files!
All other file types (docX etc) seem to index fine..
In serious need of some ideas so any help really appreciated.
Thanks in advance..

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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Jeff ingham SSChasing Mays Points: 627 More actions · Answer 1

Update and solution...

The problem in this case proved to be the PATH variable..

Setting the PATH through Control Panel > System > Advanced System Settings apparently only changes the path for the currently logged on user?

Running this command:

DECLARE @RegistryValueNVARCHAR(4000)

,@RCINT

,@HiveNVARCHAR(128)=N'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE'

,@KeyNVARCHAR(255)=N'SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment'

,@ItemNVARCHAR(128)=N'Path';

EXEC @rc = master.dbo.xp_regread@Hive

,@Key

,@Item

,@RegistryValue OUTPUT

,N'Not Used'

SELECT @RegistryValue RegistryValue;

Shows the PATH variable actually used, which did NOT contain the path to the iFilter.

Altered the corresponding key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Session Manager > Environment >PATH using regedit to include the path, re-registered the iFilter, dropped and recreated the full text index and everything works fine!

Not sure whether this is me being slow or whether the documentation is just poor but hopefully this might save someone from premature hair loss!

manfred.dusold SSC Journeyman Points: 80 More actions · Answer 2

I have had the same problem!

I saerched so long for a solution...

Thank you very much...with this advice the index of pdf files now works...:-)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 3

Jeff ingham (3/12/2014)
...hopefully this might save someone from premature hair loss!

Apparently, it DID! Well done!

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

EveningStar SSC Enthusiast Points: 109 More actions · Answer 4

Thank you ever so much for reporting back, Jeff - brilliant and worked like a charm.

Who would have guessed that installing PDF iFilter doesn't work out of the box without path additions, when iFilter for Office 2010 does? :ermm:

Tom Belliotti Grasshopper Points: 24 More actions · Answer 5

Thanks for figuring this out Jeff. I had the same problem and editing the PATH in the registry as you described fixed it.

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 6

Been a while but I thought there was a way to update the PATH without directly editing the registry. I will have to do some research over the weekend.

Sue_H SSC Guru Points: 90860 More actions · Answer 7

Lynn Pettis - Friday, October 20, 2017 3:11 PM
Been a while but I thought there was a way to update the PATH without directly editing the registry. I will have to do some research over the weekend.

Maybe you were thinking of setx from the command line?
You can update the machine environment variables with setx. Will update HKLM instead of HKCU when using the /m switch.

Sue

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 8

Sue_H - Friday, October 20, 2017 5:05 PM
Lynn Pettis - Friday, October 20, 2017 3:11 PM
Been a while but I thought there was a way to update the PATH without directly editing the registry. I will have to do some research over the weekend.
Maybe you were thinking of setx from the command line?
You can update the machine environment variables with setx. Will update HKLM instead of HKCU when using the /m switch.
Sue

Actually I seem to remember a GUI interface for doing this. Of course the last time I had to worry about this I was working with NT 4.0.

jasona.work SSC Guru Points: 50117 More actions · Answer 9

Lynn Pettis - Friday, October 20, 2017 5:27 PM
Sue_H - Friday, October 20, 2017 5:05 PM
Lynn Pettis - Friday, October 20, 2017 3:11 PM
Been a while but I thought there was a way to update the PATH without directly editing the registry. I will have to do some research over the weekend.
Maybe you were thinking of setx from the command line?
You can update the machine environment variables with setx. Will update HKLM instead of HKCU when using the /m switch.
Sue
Actually I seem to remember a GUI interface for doing this. Of course the last time I had to worry about this I was working with NT 4.0.

You can, quite easily.
Right click on Computer-> Properties-> Advanced system settings-> Environment Variables-> then find Path in the System variables section and change away.

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 10

jasona.work - Monday, October 23, 2017 6:29 AM
Lynn Pettis - Friday, October 20, 2017 5:27 PM
Sue_H - Friday, October 20, 2017 5:05 PM
Lynn Pettis - Friday, October 20, 2017 3:11 PM
Been a while but I thought there was a way to update the PATH without directly editing the registry. I will have to do some research over the weekend.
Maybe you were thinking of setx from the command line?
You can update the machine environment variables with setx. Will update HKLM instead of HKCU when using the /m switch.
Sue
Actually I seem to remember a GUI interface for doing this. Of course the last time I had to worry about this I was working with NT 4.0.
You can, quite easily.
Right click on Computer-> Properties-> Advanced system settings-> Environment Variables-> then find Path in the System variables section and change away.

Thank you, I knew there was an easier way than editing the registry.

Adam.denby@focus-solutions.co.uk Mr or Mrs. 500 Points: 541 More actions · Answer 11

Thank you so much, wasted an entire day on this. It's midnight here atm and only just come across this and it worked first time with version 11 of Adobe iFilter on SQL 2022. Going to bed now!