Fix Office 365 Cannot Save as Adobe PDF with Acrobat XI
Question details
The user is unable to save Microsoft Office 365 documents as Adobe PDF files using Acrobat XI Standard, even after reinstalling the Acrobat software.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Acrobat XI Standard
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to export or save a Word document to PDF using the Adobe Acrobat integration in Office 365.
- Observed behavior
- The 'Save as Adobe PDF' function fails to work, and the integration ribbon might be missing or broken despite reinstalling Acrobat.
Ensure your Microsoft Office 365 is fully updated and check if the Adobe Acrobat ribbon is visible at the top of your Word application.
Enable and Repair Acrobat PDFMaker Add-in in Office 365
The most common reason for this failure is that Office 365 has forcefully disabled the older Acrobat PDFMaker COM Add-in.
Because Adobe Acrobat XI is an older version, Office 365 may sometimes disable its integration add-in (PDFMaker) for security or compatibility reasons. Re-enabling this add-in often restores the functionality.
Launch Microsoft Word, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.
In the Word Options dialog box, select 'Add-Ins' from the left-hand pane.
At the bottom of the window, locate the 'Manage' drop-down menu, select 'COM Add-ins', and click the 'Go...' button.
Check the box next to 'Acrobat PDFMaker Office COM Addin' and click 'OK'. If the box was already checked but inactive, uncheck it, click 'OK', and repeat the process to re-check and reactivate it.
Install Acrobat XI Updates and Run Repair
Applying the final patches for Acrobat XI and repairing the installation can resolve missing registry keys or corrupted PDFMaker files.
Easily Export Documents to PDF with WPS Office
Skip the hassle of outdated add-ins and expensive software troubleshooting. WPS Office offers a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office with a built-in, seamless 'Export to PDF' feature that works effortlessly without requiring third-party PDF converters.
- 1. Open your document in WPS Office: Launch WPS Writer and open the Word document you want to convert.
- 2. Click on Export to PDF: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the ribbon and click on the 'Export to PDF' button.
- 3. Save the PDF: Choose your desired save location, adjust any export settings, and click 'Export' to generate your high-quality PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Acrobat PDFMaker missing from my Office 365 ribbon?
Office 365 may automatically disable outdated or incompatible add-ins like Acrobat XI's PDFMaker for stability. You can re-enable it manually through the COM Add-ins menu in Word Options.
Is Adobe Acrobat XI still supported for Office 365?
No. Adobe Acrobat XI reached end-of-support in October 2017. While it may still function with older software, it frequently encounters integration issues with constantly updating platforms like Office 365.
Can I save as PDF in Office 365 without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, Office 365 has a native feature to save documents as PDF. Simply go to File > Save As, and choose 'PDF' from the file format dropdown menu, or navigate to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document.
What should I do if the COM Add-in box is checked but PDFMaker still fails?
If the add-in is enabled but failing, try running Microsoft Word as an administrator before enabling the add-in. Alternatively, perform a repair installation from within the Adobe Acrobat Help menu.
