How to Fix Incorrect Greek Characters in SharePoint PDF Files
Question details
Users are experiencing issues where Greek characters in PDF files appear corrupted when previewed directly within SharePoint, though English text displays correctly.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Previewing PDF files containing Greek characters directly in a SharePoint document library.
- Observed behavior
- Greek characters render incorrectly or appear corrupted in the SharePoint PDF viewer, but display normally when the file is downloaded and opened locally.
Verify that the PDF file displays correctly when downloaded to your local device to confirm the file itself is not corrupted, and capture a screen recording of the issue to share with technical support.
Submit a Support Request via Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Since this is a widespread SharePoint Online rendering issue affecting all users, escalating to Microsoft Support is the recommended approach to fix the server-side encoding.
Because this issue affects multiple users and cannot be resolved through client-side settings, it points to a problem with how the SharePoint server renders PDF fonts. Microsoft Support needs to investigate the specific document library and tenant.
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using your administrator credentials.
Click on 'Support' in the left-hand navigation menu, then select 'Help & support' or 'New service request'.
Explain that Greek characters in PDFs are appearing corrupted specifically when using the SharePoint online previewer, but download perfectly fine.
Attach your screen recording of the problem and provide the URLs of the affected document libraries to help the engineering team reproduce the error.
Download the PDF to View Locally
As an immediate workaround while waiting for a server-side fix, users can download the affected files to view them accurately with local software.
View and Edit PDFs Locally with WPS Office
Avoid online rendering errors and browser limitations by managing your documents locally. WPS Office is a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office that offers a built-in, highly compatible PDF reader and editor that perfectly displays multilingual content.
- 1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your computer.
- 2. Open Your Document: Right-click your downloaded PDF or Office file, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Office to view your characters perfectly rendered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do PDFs look corrupted in SharePoint but fine when downloaded?
SharePoint uses a built-in online viewer to render PDF previews in your browser. Sometimes, this online viewer fails to correctly parse specific font encodings or non-English characters like Greek, causing them to appear corrupted. Downloading the file bypasses this online viewer and uses your local system's fonts and PDF software.
Can I change the default PDF viewer in SharePoint to fix this?
SharePoint Online does not natively allow users to change the default previewer for PDF files within the modern document library interface. The primary workaround is downloading the file or syncing the library to your desktop.
Does this font rendering issue affect all browsers?
Typically, if the issue stems from the SharePoint server's PDF rendering engine, it will appear consistently across all modern web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) when viewing the file directly inside the SharePoint interface.
