Fix Adobe Acrobat Macro Security Too High Error Converting Word to PDF
Question details
The user is unable to convert a Microsoft Word document to PDF using Adobe Acrobat because of an Office macro security error.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Converting a Microsoft Word document to PDF using the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat fails to convert the file, displaying a warning that the Office macro security level is too high, but the expected Microsoft Office security dialog does not appear.
Ensure you have administrative privileges to change security settings in Microsoft Word, and save any pending work before restarting your applications.
Adjust Microsoft Word Macro Security Settings
Modify Word's Trust Center settings to allow Adobe Acrobat macros and add-ins to run during the PDF conversion process.
Adobe Acrobat uses a Word add-in called PDFMaker to process the conversion. This add-in requires permission to run background macros. If Word's security is set too high, it blocks Acrobat from completing the task.
Launch Microsoft Word, click on the "File" tab in the top-left corner, and select "Options" at the bottom of the menu.
In the Word Options dialog box, select "Trust Center" from the left pane, then click the "Trust Center Settings" button.
Select "Macro Settings" from the left sidebar. Choose "Disable all macros with notification" or temporarily select "Enable all macros" to allow the conversion. Also, check the box for "Trust access to the VBA project object model".
Click "OK" to save your changes and close the dialog boxes. Completely close and restart both Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat, then attempt the PDF conversion again.
Convert Word Documents to PDF Easily with WPS Office
Skip the complicated macro security settings and third-party add-ins. WPS Office features a built-in PDF converter that allows you to save your Word documents as high-quality PDFs with just one click.
- 1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Office Writer and open the Word document (.docx or .doc) you want to convert.
- 2. Select Export to PDF: Click on the "Menu" button in the top-left corner and select "Export to PDF" from the drop-down list.
- 3. Configure Settings: In the dialog box, choose your desired export settings, such as the page range, save location, and output quality.
- 4. Complete the Conversion: Click the "Export to PDF" button to generate your PDF file instantly, without any macro security prompts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat require macros to convert Word to PDF?
Adobe Acrobat uses a specialized add-in (Acrobat PDFMaker) integrated directly into Microsoft Word. This add-in utilizes macros to accurately transfer advanced formatting, bookmarks, and hyperlinks from the Word document to the resulting PDF. If Word blocks these macros, the conversion process halts.
Can I convert Word to PDF without changing my macro security settings?
Yes. Instead of using the Acrobat add-in, you can use Word's native "Save As" feature and choose "PDF" as the file format. Alternatively, you can use comprehensive office software like WPS Office, which handles PDF conversion natively without requiring external macro permissions.
What should I do if the macro security dialog doesn't appear in Word?
If the security dialog does not trigger automatically when Acrobat tries to convert the file, you must manually adjust the settings. Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings in Microsoft Word, adjust the permissions, and then restart the application.
