Converting PDFs into Word Documents in bulk

Issue/Question

How can I convert PDF files into Word documents in a bulk or batch set?

Environment

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro
  • Microsoft Word
  • Acrobat Actions

Cause

In some cases it may be easier to share Word files than PDF files

Adobe Acrobat Pro has the ability to convert large sets of PDFs into Word documents using it's Actions Feature

Resolution

  1. Create a new Convert to Word Action note: this requires Adobe Actobat Pro
    • From the Home Screen click on See All Tools > Action Wizard, or from Menu go to View > Tools > Action Wizard
    • Click on New Action
    • Under Default Option on the right side pane, next to Add Files… click the drop-down arrow and change it to Add Folder…  then click on the folder icon above default option to select the folder where all of your files are
    • Click on Save from the left side pane in the Save & Export section
    • Click the Add [⊕→] to move it to the right pane
    • Click on the Specify Settings button to set your Output Options. Make sure you change the output format to “Export File(s) to Alternate Format” and select the desired File Type (Word Document)
    • Select Save to Local Folder option
  2. Run your new action to bulk change PDFs to Word documents
    • From the Home Screen click on See All Tools > Action Wizard, or from Menu go to View > Tools > Action Wizard
    • Click on the action you want to run from the right-side pane. Ex. PDF to Word
    • You can view the files from your folder, and once you're ready click on Start
    • While the batch action is running you will notice Adobe is opening the files to process them.
      • You will need to keep Adobe open, but you can continue to work on your computer as the batch runs in the background 
      • You can click on Stop if you need to stop the process, and can click on Resume to pick up where it left off
    • Once the batch action is done, the button on the right-side pane will say Completed and you can view a Full Report of the actions and time it took to complete if needed
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