Fix Acrobat Outlook PDF Portfolio Plugin Failing on RDS
Question details
The Acrobat Outlook plugin creates blank PDF portfolios for subsequent users on a Windows Server 2019 RDS environment after the first user session.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Plugin for Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- Windows Server 2019
- Scenario
- Multiple users attempt to use the Acrobat plugin within Outlook to create PDF portfolios simultaneously in a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) environment.
- Observed behavior
- The first user successfully creates a PDF portfolio, but all subsequent users receive blank PDF portfolios due to shared background processes locking up.
Ensure you have administrator privileges on the Windows Server to manage shared components, apply system patches, and modify Remote Desktop Services temporary folder settings.
Resolve Shared Process Locking
Identify and terminate shared background processes that become locked by the first Outlook session, preventing other RDS users from generating PDFs.
In a multi-user Remote Desktop Services environment, specific executable files like HTML2PDFWrapFor64Bit.exe or AcroTray.exe can become locked by the first user who triggers the Acrobat plugin. When this happens, subsequent users encounter blank outputs because the shared component is unavailable.
Right-click the server taskbar and select 'Task Manager', then navigate to the 'Details' tab to view all running processes across all user sessions.
Scroll through the list to find processes named HTML2PDFWrapFor64Bit.exe, AcroTray.exe, or Acrobat.exe that are currently active under the first user's session ID.
Right-click the locked process and select 'End task'. Ask a secondary user to attempt creating a PDF portfolio in Outlook to confirm if the plugin now functions correctly.
Enable Per-Session Temporary Folders
Configure Group Policy to ensure each RDS user has a completely isolated temporary folder environment for PDF generation.
Update Microsoft 365 and Acrobat
Apply the latest enterprise patches for both Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Outlook to resolve known compatibility issues.
Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Management
If Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat plugins continue to cause process lockups in multi-user environments, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly stable environment with built-in PDF tools that eliminate the need for heavy third-party plugins.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installer tailored for Windows.
- 2. Install on Your Server or PC: Run the setup file and follow the standard installation prompts to deploy the software.
- 3. Access Built-in PDF Tools: Open WPS Office and select the 'PDF' tab from the main workspace to instantly create, edit, or merge PDFs natively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Outlook emails converting to blank PDFs in Adobe Acrobat?
This usually happens when a required shared component, such as HTML2PDFWrapFor64Bit.exe, is locked by another user or session. It can also occur due to insufficient read/write permissions in the Windows temporary folders.
Does this Acrobat plugin issue also affect Windows 11 and Microsoft 365?
Yes. Users have reported similar issues where emails erratically convert to blank portfolios on Windows 11 running Microsoft 365, indicating broader plugin compatibility issues beyond just Windows Server 2019 RDS environments.
How do I fix Acrobat process isolation issues on a multi-user server?
You can mitigate process isolation issues by configuring Group Policy to enforce per-session temporary folders and ensuring you are running the latest enterprise patches. If the component remains locked, you may need to reach out to Adobe Enterprise Support for an application-level fix.
