Fix PDF Printouts Not Displaying (Red X) in OneNote 2010
Question details
The user is unable to view or print PDF printouts previously inserted into OneNote 2010.
- Product
- Microsoft OneNote 2010
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Accessing embedded PDF printouts in OneNote 2010 notebooks after installing a recent Windows update.
- Observed behavior
- Inserted PDFs fail to render, appearing instead as blank white boxes with red X marks, while other image types continue to display normally.
Ensure you fully back up your local OneNote notebooks to an external drive or secure location before modifying any cache files or repairing applications to prevent accidental data loss.
Repair or Reinstall Your Default PDF Reader
Compatibility issues between Windows updates and your default PDF application can break OneNote's printout rendering engine.
OneNote relies on an external PDF reader to render document printouts. If a Windows update disrupts this connection, OneNote can no longer generate the images, resulting in a red X error.
Click the Start menu, type 'Control Panel', and press Enter. Navigate to 'Programs' and then 'Programs and Features'.
Locate your default PDF reader in the list of installed programs. Right-click it and select 'Repair'. If the repair option is unavailable, select 'Uninstall', then download and install the latest version from the official website.
Open Windows Settings, go to 'Apps' > 'Default apps', and ensure your newly installed or repaired PDF application is set as the default handler for all .pdf files.
Close OneNote 2010 completely and reopen it to verify if the PDF printouts now display correctly.
Convert PDF Pages to Images or XPS Files (Workaround)
If the PDF rendering remains broken, inserting the document as standard images or an XPS file bypasses the problematic PDF printout engine entirely.
Recover Missing Printouts from OneNote Cache
If you have lost the original PDF files, you can manually extract the cached image versions of the printouts directly from OneNote's temporary directory.
Upgrade to WPS Office for Seamless PDF Management
Legacy software like Microsoft Office 2010 is no longer supported and is highly prone to compatibility bugs with modern Windows updates. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight alternative with built-in PDF viewing, editing, and seamless document management, eliminating the hassle of broken printouts.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite.
- 2. Open WPS PDF: Launch the application and select the 'PDF' module from the home screen.
- 3. View and Annotate Seamlessly: Drag and drop your PDF files directly into the workspace to read, annotate, or convert them reliably without relying on third-party printout rendering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do PDF printouts show up as red X marks in OneNote 2010?
This typically occurs when a Windows update breaks compatibility with the background program (like Adobe Acrobat or another PDF reader) that OneNote 2010 uses to render the file printout. It can also happen if the OneNote cache becomes corrupted.
Will upgrading to a newer version of OneNote fix the PDF printout issue?
Yes. Modern versions of OneNote (such as the Microsoft 365 version or OneNote for Windows 10) utilize a modernized rendering engine for PDF printouts that is fully compatible with current Windows updates, bypassing the legacy bugs of OneNote 2010.
Can I recover my PDF data if OneNote continues to display white boxes?
Yes. If the data is still cached, you can navigate to 'C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneNote\14.0', sort the files by date, and use a standard image viewer to open and recover the cached PNG or XPS versions of your printouts.
Should I delete the OneNote cache directory to force a sync?
No. Deleting the cache directory, especially for local offline notebooks in OneNote 2010, is extremely risky. It can lead to permanent data loss if your notebooks have not been properly backed up or synced elsewhere.
