Error message: "Missing PDFMaker files" when trying to make a PDF

21 May 2013

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	Error message: "Missing PDFMaker files" when trying to make a PDF

Solution This is an error I get often when trying to make PDF files form Microsoft Office documents so thought I would put the solution into the Knowledgebase so I don't ever forget the solution and just in case anyone else has this problem.

Error Message: "Missing PDFMaker files"

Issue:

When you try to convert a Microsoft Office document to Adobe PDF the application returns the error message: "Missing PDFMaker Files" and refuses to create the Adobe PDF file.

This error may occur when you try to convert files from Microsoft Office 2003 (Word, Excel, Publisher).

This issue is caused after you have updated either: Adobe Acrobat, Windows, or Microsoft Office. These updates seem to reset items back to the banned list of applications in Microsoft Office.

Solution: Remove Adobe PDF from the Disabled Items list in the Microsoft Office application.

To manage your Disabled Items list in a Microsoft Office application:

1. Open the Microsoft Office application (Word, Excel, Publisher).
2. Choose Help > About [the application name] .
3. Click Disabled Items.
4. Select Adobe PDF from the list, and click Enable.
5. Quit the Microsoft Office application, and then restart it.

If the error message continues to appear after you enable Adobe PDF, then check the security level for macros in Word:
1. Choose Tools > Macro > Security.
2. In the Security dialog, click the Security tab.
3. Choose Medium or High.
4. Do one of the following:
-- If you chose Medium, then click OK.
-- If you chose High, then continue with steps 5 through 7.

5. Click the Trusted Publishers tab.
6. Check Trust all installed add-ins and templates.
7. Click OK.

PDFMaker and the right-click context menu should function again.

Background information:

Microsoft Office automatically disables applications it perceives as causing functionality problems. Adobe Acrobat and the Adobe PDF plug-in do not cause functionality problems; however, Microsoft Office may mistakenly mark Acrobat or PDF plug-in functionality as a problem when updates are run or when Office closes prematurely.

Article Details

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Created On:

01 Sep 2006 08:10 AM