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Mojave Books ONLY opens new pdfs in PREVIEW

blackxacto

blackxacto

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 15, 2009
1,232
145
Middle TN
17,1 iMac, 24gb, Mojave 10.14, 3tb fusion drive.

Is anyone experiencing this after upgrading to Mojave: The default opening app for ALL pdf's is PDF Expert (my choice). For any pdf I make, after upgrading to Mojave, is forced to open in PREVIEW from Mojave Books. PDF's anywhere else, desktop, etc., open in my choice, PDF Expert app.

Did the Apple+I, assign all pdf's to open in PDF Expert
Ran Terminal commands to clear the LaunchServices
Twice wiped my main HD and reinstalled Mojave, then migrated all data.

And still all NEW pdf's stored in Books, since upgrading to Mojave, open ONLY in PREVIEW. WHY?????
 
blackxacto said:
17,1 iMac, 24gb, Mojave 10.14, 3tb fusion drive.

Is anyone experiencing this after upgrading to Mojave: The default opening app for ALL pdf's is PDF Expert (my choice). For any pdf I make, after upgrading to Mojave, is forced to open in PREVIEW from Mojave Books.
Click to expand...
This is how it works for me as well. I'd suggest filing a bug with Apple if you don't want it to work this way.
 
blackxacto said:
17,1 iMac, 24gb, Mojave 10.14, 3tb fusion drive.

Is anyone experiencing this after upgrading to Mojave: The default opening app for ALL pdf's is PDF Expert (my choice). For any pdf I make, after upgrading to Mojave, is forced to open in PREVIEW from Mojave Books. PDF's anywhere else, desktop, etc., open in my choice, PDF Expert app.

Did the Apple+I, assign all pdf's to open in PDF Expert
Ran Terminal commands to clear the LaunchServices
Twice wiped my main HD and reinstalled Mojave, then migrated all data.

And still all NEW pdf's stored in Books, since upgrading to Mojave, open ONLY in PREVIEW. WHY?????
Click to expand...

Same here, I have quite a few PDFs saved in Apple Books, and now on Mac, they all open in Preview.
Very annoying. If I wanted to read the PDFs through Preview, I wold use the Finder to open the file, not Books.
 
I daily go to Product Feedback at Apple and complain, YOU GUYS WILL HAVE TO DO THIS DAILY TOO. Maybe we can shake them loose. They must see it is happening to many of us.
 
If you had to guess for a heading or text to search for in the editor, what would you look for. I don't mind scrolling, there are a lot of us that are very frustrated by what Mojave did to pdf's.
 
Just wiped the HD. Installed Mojave ONLY from internet. Installed PDF Expert.
Opened Pages, used a template to make a pdf, saved pdf to desktop.
Selected the pdf. Apple+I, "chose PDF Expert to open", then "open ALL pdfs w PDF Expert".
Closed pdf.
Double-Clicked the desktop PDF. PDF opens in PDF Expert. Closed.
Opened Apple Books. Drag desktop pdf into Books.
Double Click pdf in Books. Opens in Preview.
This proves only Apple Books is blocking PDF Expert.
 
Second Run:
Wiped main HD, installed Mojave only. Added PDF Expert app and PDF Pen Pro. Created a pdf.
Assigned PDF Expert to all PDFs. Opened Books, drug in pdf.
Double clicked Apple Books pdf. Pdf opens in Preview. Deleted Books pdf.
Chose desktop pdf. Assigned PDF Pen Pro to all PDFs. Opened Books, drug in pdf.
Double clicked Apple Books pdf. Pdf opens in Preview.

Wiped HD. Restored my HD from Time Machine backup.

RESOLVED: Apple Books only allows Preview to display Apple Books PDFs.
 
This AppleScript should give the terms to search for in the prefs plist:
Code: 
set appID to id of application "Preview"

set appID2 to id of application "Adobe Reader"

display dialog appID & "
" & appID2

Apple may have put the reference to Preview in the App bundle itself.
You ought to be able to change it there, but Apple has gotten funny about users modifying Apps.
At the very least you'll have to re-change the pref every time Books is updated.
 
Last edited:
Made the code into an Apple Script. Shut off all apps, then ran the script. Rebooted, moved a pdf from the desktop (assigned to PDF Expert) to Apple Books. Double clicked the Books pdf, PREVIEW. Do I need to alter the code any?
 

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You need to check the Application prefs plist for "com.apple.preview" and replace that text with "com.readdle.PDFExpert-Mac".

It's possible that the pref is actually set within the Application bundle itself. So if you don't find it in prefs, look there.
If Apple did that, they might also have compressed the data. In that case, all hope is lost, unless you can figure a clever AppleScript to intercept PDF file openings, and redirect them. Unfortunately, that'd be a major undertaking.
 
There are four files, can you tell which I can modify?
 

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You likely want to change the newest plist in your user library.
But I think you want to make the change in Books plist, not Preview.
 
Partron22, I created an desktop alias for two folders in LIST view by DATE:
1. Main HD/Library/Preferences
2. ~/Library/Preferences

I Apple+I a single desktop pdf, change all to PDFPen Pro app, closed.
Then Apple+I the pdf to PDF Expert change all. Close.

DobleClicked the alias to system preference: no file changed
DobleClicked the alias to ~/library/preferences: no file is changed.
I looked at the dates, for the time I did the change all. no file shows the change time.
Yet, a pdf on the desktop obeys the change all command.

Got any ideas on where this change is taking place?
 
It begins to sound as if Apple put the pref in the App in compressed format.
That means you are SOL.
File a bug report. Perhaps I'm wrong, and they'll send you a nice email telling you how to accomplish what you want.
Seems stupid that it isn't easy, but this is Apple we're talking about.
 
"they'll send you a nice email telling you how to accomplish what you want."

I've just turned blue from holding my breath.

I have been dealing with Apple Senior advisers. I made a desktop movie of the situation, small movie. Then Apple took computer data from me. That was last week. Today I received a letter from "Apple Support" saying, here's how you can edit in Preview!!!. I responded, please show me how I can edit in Books in the editor of my choice?
 
I'd like that post, but it's the sad ending I kinda expected.
Apple has become expert at limiting our options.
 
I just saw this thread and then checked my Mojave install. My pdfs from Books are opening in PDF Expert as they did previously. I did not do anything special to make that happen. I did upgrade from High Sierra vs. doing a from scratch install but nothing exotic.
 
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