Fix Acrobat Pro X Crashing When Combining Excel 2016 Files
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where the PDF software crashes and displays an error when trying to merge a modern Excel spreadsheet into a PDF document.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro X, Microsoft Excel 2016
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Combining an Excel 2016 document into a PDF and selecting the 'Choose Pages' option.
- Observed behavior
- The application displays a C++ runtime error and completely freezes, preventing the files from being combined.
Ensure you have saved all changes in your Excel spreadsheet and closed the file in Microsoft Office before attempting any PDF conversion, as open background processes can interrupt the merge.
Convert Excel to PDF Before Combining
Bypass the direct compatibility issue by saving your Excel file as a PDF natively first, then combining the resulting PDF files in Acrobat.
Acrobat Pro X was released prior to Office 2016 and lacks the native integration plugins required to process the newer .xlsx format directly. This version mismatch triggers the C++ rendering error.
By converting the spreadsheet into a standard PDF format using Excel's built-in export tools, you remove the need for Acrobat to process the Office file.
Launch Microsoft Excel 2016 and open the spreadsheet you want to combine.
Click on 'File' > 'Export' > 'Create PDF/XPS Document'. Choose your destination folder, name the file, and click 'Publish' to save it as a standalone PDF.
Open Acrobat Pro X, go to 'File' > 'Create' > 'Combine Files into a Single PDF', and select your newly created PDF along with any other files you wish to merge.
Upgrade PDF Software
Upgrade to a newer version of Adobe Acrobat or a modern PDF editor that fully supports Microsoft Office 2016 integrations.
Seamlessly Convert and Combine Excel to PDF with WPS Office
Avoid version compatibility crashes and C++ errors by using WPS Office. With its built-in Spreadsheets tool and robust PDF Toolkit, you can directly open, convert, and merge your Office files into PDFs in one unified, lightweight application.
- 1. Open WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and click on the 'PDF' tab on the main navigation panel.
- 2. Select Merge PDF: Click on the 'Merge PDF' or 'Combine PDF' option from the available PDF toolkit.
- 3. Add your Excel files: Click 'Add Files' and select your Excel 2016 spreadsheets or any other documents you wish to combine.
- 4. Merge without crashing: Arrange the page order as needed and click 'Merge' to instantly create a single, perfectly formatted PDF document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat Pro X show a C++ error with Excel 2016?
Acrobat Pro X was released before Office 2016 and does not contain the necessary integration components to process the modern Excel file structure. When it attempts to render the file for combining, the background process fails, resulting in a C++ runtime crash.
Will combining Word 2016 documents also cause Acrobat Pro X to crash?
Yes, because the compatibility issue applies to the entire Office 2016 suite. Combining Word (.docx) or PowerPoint (.pptx) 2016 files directly in Acrobat Pro X may result in similar freezing or error messages.
Is there a patch available for Acrobat Pro X to support Office 2016?
No. Adobe has officially ended support for Acrobat Pro X, meaning it will not receive any updates or patches to make it compatible with newer software like Office 2016. Users must rely on workarounds like pre-converting files or upgrading their PDF software.
