Home / “Save As” fails in newer version

This is my first post, and perhaps my problem is already resolved elsewhere; if so, apologies.

In previous versions of this excellent programme, I could open a pdf file from one location and save it, under another name, to another location.

In the current version (3.3.3), I am no longer able to do this. I receive each time an error message stating “File not found. Check the filename and try again”. This makes no sense since I am not searching for a file, but attempting to save it.

Can someone indicate how I can avoid this problem, please?

Regards
donihue

File handling has been a slight issue in some cases, however just testing “save as” in my 3.3.3 worked to another folder

On occasion it got confused somehow so I have also seen this message

If you are confident an overwrite would not matter then you can say yes

I do not see any save as issue testing with 3.3.2 and
Testing with current version 3.4 pre-release that issue seems not to appear resolved.

Thank you for your reply.
However, the issue still persists, even if I do not use the .pdf extension when attempting to save.
I still receive the error message “File not found. Check the filename and try again”.
Regards
donihue

Unsure why your action is different.

Just a note for other related action:-
The way to rename has always been to use F2 so that Angela.pdf will be renamed and reopen as Bertram.pdf even if you move it to another drive.

Save as was to either duplicate and save a copy of an existing PDF as PDF or text or build a PDF of image files. The overwrite warning was slightly adjusted because of recent saving annotation but in 3.3.3 it seems it may on occasion warn incorrectly (prematurely?)

In 3.3.3 both 32bit and 64bit I am now getting “save as” working without any warning, so am now scratching my head as to why it warned me before !

Thanks for your further reply.
I am afraid that I am not as technical as you.
All I want to do is what I always used to do:
(1) open a pdf file in Sumatra from, say, my Downloads folder
(2) save that same file to another folder and with a different name, using “Save as”
This used to work flawlessly; it no longer does.
Regards
John Cuddy

I tried to reproduce this with 3.3.3:

• opened a PDF file
• used File / Save as... menu
• selected a folder and a new name

and it worked

So you would have to provide step by step description of what you do, preferably with screenshots that shows the issue.

Specifically: at which point are you getting the “file not found. Check the filename and try again” message? It’s not coming from Sumatra because we don’t have such message.

Hi John,
Not trying to minimize the issue of an apparent bug, but I was just curious why you don’t just save the file where you want it and with your chosen name during the download process.

It’s true that most browsers default to automatically save everything into your downloads folder without asking, but that very quickly starts to become a big mess.

In Chrome Settings->Advanced->Downloads, turn on the option that says “Ask where to save each file before downloading”.

That way, everything goes right where you want it with the name you specify without having to load-and-save or copy. You can even create new folders to put files into during the download process to keep your files more organized and keep your downloads folder from growing out of hand.

Just my $0.02 worth.
Russ

Hello Russ and thanks for your message,
Indeed, that would be an option, but as a professor, I download a lot of articles based on the abstract, which I then look at more carefully and decide whether or not to save. When saving, I give a “proper” name including author(s), date, journal and title. I don’t want to have to do that for articles I don’t intend to keep. hence my problem.
Regards
donihue

Hello and thanks for your reply.
Step-by-step:

1. Download a pdf file
2. Open it in Sumatra from the Download folder
3. (Attempt to) Save it into another folder with a different name.
4. Failure
   
   

   4Sumatra3763×1523 382 KB
   
   Regards
   donihue

This is Window’s dialog, not Sumatra’s. My best guess is that it’s a permissions issue with this folder.

Have you tried other directories? E.g. re-save in Downloads folder under a different name.
Does it fail for all of them or just this one? If just this one then it’s permissions.

It works for me. Does it fail for anyone else?

Also, you can use File / Show in folder and then use explorer to copy the file.

Thank you. I believe that you are right, as I was able to save to the Downloads folder, as you suggested.
Something must have changed in Windows when I installed the new version of Sumatra, as I was able to do this operation previously with an earlier version.
I don’t know anything about “permissions” but I will try to figure it out.
Regards
donihue

The only prime difference between 3.3.3 and 3.3.2 was a fix for PdfFilter.dll which is an option during install (does not affect official portable version) so just out of interest you could try 3.3.2 to see if it is only version 3.3.3 that causes your problem

Thank you to all for your suggestions.
I believe that I have found the problem:
Windows Ransomeware Protection uses something called “Controlled folder access”.
It has been “on” but when I turn it “off”, I am able to save files from Sumatra wherever I like.
Why this should have affected version 3.3.3 and not the earlier version 3.1.2 which I was using, I do not know. But at least I can work now!
Regards
donihue

It is odd there is a difference I do not know how it works but similar products have the ability to include/exclude folders or folder groups thus if saving to a new area not previously “relaxed” it could trigger blocking file write.