Fix PDF Files from Word for Mac That Fail to Open in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
Users need to resolve an issue where PDF files exported from Word for Mac produce errors or fail to open in Adobe Acrobat.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac, Apple Preview, Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Exporting a Word document to PDF on a Mac and attempting to open it in Adobe Acrobat, often after the file has been modified in Apple Preview.
- Observed behavior
- The PDF opens successfully in Apple Preview but produces Adobe Acrobat error 14 or fails to open entirely when shared with other users.
Ensure you have access to the original Word document before beginning. It is also helpful to verify if the problematic PDF was modified, annotated, or combined with other files using Apple Preview after the initial export.
Export the PDF using Word for the Web
Bypass local Mac export issues by using the web version of Microsoft Word to generate a clean, structurally sound PDF file.
Sometimes the local Word application for Mac can introduce formatting quirks during export. Using the cloud-based Word for the Web ensures a standardized PDF conversion process that is natively compatible with Adobe Acrobat.
Open your web browser, navigate to office.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and open the original Word document.
Click on 'File' in the top ribbon, select 'Save As', and then click 'Download as PDF'.
Locate the newly downloaded PDF in your Downloads folder and open it in Adobe Acrobat to confirm that error 14 is resolved.
Recreate the PDF without using Apple Preview
Apple Preview can corrupt PDF structures when combining files. Recreating the file with a dedicated PDF editor fixes this compatibility issue.
Create and Edit PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
Avoid PDF corruption issues caused by native Mac tools. WPS Office provides a robust, built-in PDF editor that allows you to convert Word documents to PDF, merge files, and add pages without structural errors, ensuring full compatibility with Adobe Acrobat.
- 1. Open your Word Document: Launch WPS Office on your Mac and open your original .docx or .doc file.
- 2. Export to PDF: Click on 'Menu' or 'File' at the top, and select 'Export to PDF' to create a standard, structurally sound PDF.
- 3. Merge or Edit Safely: Open the exported PDF directly in the built-in WPS PDF Editor to add appendices or merge other PDFs without relying on Apple Preview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat show Error 14 on my Mac PDF?
Error 14 in Adobe Acrobat indicates a structural issue or font corruption within the PDF. This commonly happens on Macs when a PDF exported from Word is later modified, merged, or saved using Apple Preview, which can alter the file's underlying code in ways Acrobat cannot read.
Can I still use Apple Preview to read PDFs?
Yes, Apple Preview is perfectly fine for viewing and reading PDFs. However, if you need to merge documents, add appendices, or fill out complex forms that will be shared with Adobe Acrobat users, it is much safer to use a dedicated PDF editor to prevent file corruption.
Is there a way to fix the corrupted PDF without the original Word file?
Yes, you can try opening the corrupted PDF in a web browser like Google Chrome or Safari. From there, use the browser's 'Print to PDF' function to generate a new, flattened PDF file. This often strips out the corrupted structural elements, though it may also remove interactive features like hyperlinks or form fields.
