PDF Opening Issues

Fix SharePoint PDF Files Taking Too Long to Open in Nitro Pro

Muhammad Talha Oct 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users experience severe delays or application freezes when opening SharePoint files in desktop PDF readers like Nitro Pro and Adobe Acrobat.

Product: Nitro Pro, Adobe Acrobat, SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Opening or downloading PDF files hosted on Microsoft SharePoint via a browser into a desktop PDF application.
Observed behavior: Files take 10 to 15 minutes to open, or fail to open entirely, causing Nitro Pro to become unresponsive without displaying any error messages. Downloading the file locally and trying different browsers does not resolve the issue.

Before you start

Verify that your internet connection is stable and check if the unresponsiveness happens exclusively with SharePoint files or with all local PDF documents on your machine.

Solution 1Recommended

Escalate to Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

Because the issue affects all files, persists across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), and occurs in different PDF applications (Nitro Pro, Adobe Acrobat), the root cause lies within the Microsoft 365 tenant or network environment.

When isolated troubleshooting steps—such as downloading files locally or switching web browsers—fail to resolve the freezing, it indicates a broader configuration or network block within your Microsoft 365 environment. Standard users cannot fix backend tenant issues, so it must be escalated.

Contact your IT Administrator

Reach out to the person or IT department responsible for managing your organization's Microsoft 365 environment.

Open a Microsoft Support Ticket

Ask the administrator to log into the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to the Support menu, and click on 'New service request'.

Provide environment details

Instruct your admin to detail that the issue affects multiple browsers, multiple PDF viewers (Nitro Pro and Adobe Acrobat), and that even downloading SharePoint files locally results in unresponsiveness.

Investigate tenant and network

Allow Microsoft support to investigate the tenant setup, device policies, and local network environment for potential conflicts blocking the PDF software from parsing the SharePoint files.

Escalate to Your Microsoft 365 Administrator

Why does this happen?: Sometimes SharePoint security policies, advanced threat protection scans, or network proxy configurations can interfere with how external applications attempt to verify or read document metadata, causing them to hang indefinitely.

Solution 2

Test File Isolation and Alternative Browsers

Perform basic isolation checks to gather necessary information before handing the issue over to IT support.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Fast Document Management

If your current Microsoft 365 environment or heavy PDF software is causing slow load times and unresponsiveness, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible suite for all your Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF needs without the heavy resource drain.

1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the lightweight installation process.
3. Set as Default PDF Reader: Open WPS Office settings and set it as your default application for opening PDF and Microsoft Office files to ensure fast load times.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats (docx, xlsx, pptx)Built-in lightweight PDF editor for fast opening, reading, and editingSeamless cloud integration for smooth file access without freezingFamiliar user interface with zero learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Nitro Pro freeze without giving an error message when opening SharePoint PDFs?

When an application hangs without an error message, it is usually stuck in an infinite loop trying to resolve a network path, authenticate with SharePoint, or pass a security scan from the Microsoft 365 tenant. Because it expects a response that never arrives, the software simply freezes.

Can downloading the SharePoint file locally fix the slow opening issue?

In most normal scenarios, downloading a file locally bypasses network latency. However, if the issue stems from a corrupted file structure generated by SharePoint or a tenant-level security encryption that the PDF reader cannot process, even locally downloaded files will cause the application to hang.

Is this issue specific only to Nitro Pro?

No. Users frequently report the exact same unresponsiveness and extreme delays (10 to 15 minutes) when attempting to open these problematic SharePoint files using Adobe Acrobat, indicating the issue is with the environment rather than the specific PDF software.

PDF Troubleshooting