Haha, thanks for that - I've got too much choice, now, and not enough time to try them all out. I'll probably stick with Sark's recommendation, this time, now I've started - although I'm not finding it particularly easy. I'll bear in mind the others for when I've got more time to play.

This isn't the first time someone's sent me forms in a non-editable format, and I don't suppose it will be the last, so it's worth me getting a more permanent solution sorted out. Or maybe just invest in a scanner, I don't know... I've ended up mucking about trying to photograph the things, before. Can be done, but disproportionate amount of skill and effort to get absolutely clear, readable text in a photo, as opposed to scanning.

T.

Open Office is pretty good - probably better than the MS Works if you only have that installed

Which version of Office? If you are planning to upgrade to 2013 then that can convert PDFs itself. See this MS page

No, not planning an upgrade, sorry. Got a dirt cheap (but legitimate) deal on Office 2010 just six months ago. I assume if I want to upgrade, I'll have to fork out the full retail price. On a tight budget, and only need basic facilities - apart from this one annoyance - which is not insurmountable by other means. No compelling case to U/G at the mo.

T.

Fair enough. Office 2013 licensing has changed quite significantly and they are pushing more towards the subscription based Office 365 service which then has an annual financial hit.

On the assumption that this is a one-off occurance (or at least until you have had more time to consider your choices), why don't you download a Free-Trial version such as Adobe® Acrobat® XI?

I already downloaded LibreOffice and Open Office - couldn't get the latter to work at all, probably because I was too impatient to learn how to use it properly - or rather, lacked the time on this occasion. It started prompting me about databases straight away - well, I don't want any flippin' database - I just want to import & edit a document!

I also tried Spasch's recommendation of an online service. After I'd negotiated the hurdle of the Captcha (I literally couldn't do about the first ten of them, and the audio ones were no better), it seemed to work, and mailed me the conversion. But not only were the results very poor (for this particular document - I accept Spasch may have had better results with others he's tried) - but when I opened the document, it immediately started trying to automatically install Word 2010 - which was already installed.

I quit out in a panic, hoping no harm had been done. I certainly didn't want a working application overwritten by a new installation I didn't request or authorise, so no idea what triggered that, but didn't appreciate it. Word still seems to be working, fortunately, otherwise I thought I was going to have to roll back everything to the last checkpoint.

The basic problem with all of them is that although they do it with varying degrees of finesse, you still end up editing - for all practical purposes - an image file. You can add text objects, but it's a lot clunkier than native word processing. For all the time I've spent on it, it would certainly have been quicker to print it all out, fill it in it in biro, and scan it back in again - had I owned a scanner, that is.

/Sigh.

I think it might even have been quicker to drop it in the post, without attempting to produce electronic versions at all. It's in the same city, so if I'd got it in the post on Saturday, they'd probably have been there this morning! As it is, I still haven't got the electronic versions completed and e-mailed.

I'll know next time!

T.

Sorry, but I had to laugh, your Trials & Tribulations make for amusing reading (in the Banana-Skin category!).

However I fully understand/sympathise with your plight. It was one of the reasons for suggesting that you use one of the up-market market-leader versions (albeit the 30-day trial version).

it immediately started trying to automatically install Word 2010 - which was already installed.

This may have just been word setting itself up for a new feature - word has been known to do it from time to time and it does make it appear as though it is doing an install.

It may have been coincidental, yes! But when it happens when you open something you've just downloaded from an online service, it is a bit panic-inducing! "Oh heck! What've I just opened? Is it a Trojan?"

Probably not, as not only are recommendations from here usually reliable, but Norton didn't flag up any concerns about the site. But you can imagine the horrible "Oops!" moment, when something unexpected happens when you open it.

T.