Sunday 17 May 2009

Know about File Extension .etd

The File Extension ETD belongs to one of two programs, the first being Adobe eBook Reader. Though Adobe has discontinued eBook reader, its features are included in the Standard Adobe Reader software beginning with version 9. Adobe Reader versions 8 and earlier do not have .etd support available, so users of these versions will need to upgrade to the newest version of Reader or download any previous version of eBook Reader in order to open .etd files. Adobe also publishes a software package called Digital Editions. With Digital Editions users can purchase, download, manage, publish, and read all of their digital media including .etd files.

When an eBook is purchased from an online store, oftentimes the download will be a file called ebx.etd. This file is not the book itself, rather it is a transfer file that will instruct the Adobe software where to download the eBook file from. Users have reported downloading the ebx.etd file only to have Adobe Reader open to a gray screen and go no further. This is generally due to the operating system's settings not allowing files to automatically open after download. These settings can be changed or the user can open the file manually from Adobe's "File/Open" menu. It should be noted that EBX files usually expire within a day of the initial download. It is vital for users to open the ebx.etd before it expires or risk having to purchase the eBook a second time.

The File Extension Etd is also used for DRM (Digital Rights Management) purposes, especially at major universities. Students have reported downloading digital works in .pdf format but being unable to read them because they are missing an Adobe plugin called AdobeDRM. This plugin must be downloaded and installed which will enable Adobe to retrieve the ebx.etd file and verify DRM rights. Unfortunately it appears as though this plugin is only available after a user signs in with a .Net Passport or Adobe ID. Though eBooks downloaded and opened on one computer can be transferred to a second computer for viewing, it will be necessary for Adobe Reader or Digital Editions to be installed on the second machine, and the software to be registered using the same .Net Passport or Adobe ID as the first. It is to be noted that the File Extension Etd should not be confused with Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD), a standard for publishing electronic media used by universities and colleges. Adobe's .etd extension is loosely related to the ETD standard so there is much room for confusion.
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