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Cannot open PDF in word

Anonymous
2017-12-07T21:29:59+00:00

Hey guys,

I am having difficulties opening PDfs in word 2016.

When I try and open the PDF file, word asks me to choose the file type to be converted from (which is strange, as it should have detected the file type itself). After I have chosen PDF, it says it's experiencing an error opening the file.

I have tried many files, it only happens on PDFs.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Suzanne S Barnhill 277.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2017-12-18T16:11:55+00:00

    Where are you getting this information? Both Word 2013 and Word 2016 offer "PDF Reflow," which is the ability to open and edit PDF files. It's not perfect, but it should not request format confirmation. It's certainly working as advertised here in Word 2013.

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  2. DaveM121 888.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2017-12-07T21:37:11+00:00

    Hi Zku, contrary to popular belief Word does not open many PDF files.

    Word does have PDF support, but it is sketchy at best. It will open PDF files created in Word, but very little else . . .

    What do you need to do with the PDF?

    If you just want to read it, open it in Edge

    If you want to edit it, you will need to either convert it to a different file format or get one of the many free apps available on the web that can edit PDF's

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-18T12:40:32+00:00

    We appreciate the information that you have provided. Microsoft Word is not compatible with the PDF format, which is why you're receiving an error when you open it. For us to assist you, we recommend that you follow the suggestions of DaveM121. Wherein, if you need to view your PDF files you can use Microsoft Edge but, if you want to edit your PDF files, you'll need to download an app that can do that.

    Let us know if you need further help with any Windows issue.

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  4. Vijay A. Verma 104.8K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-12-10T07:29:16+00:00

    Did you get an opportunity to check out the suggestions given above? Please let us know if you would like further assistance.

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  5. Vijay A. Verma 104.8K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-12-08T08:49:07+00:00

    It is happening with all pdf files -

    Try following one by one as see after every step whether it resolves the issue-

    1. Sometimes, add-ins can cause problems. To determine, if add-in is a problem start your application in safe mode and see if problem has gone away.

    To start in Safe Mode -

    Hold CTRL key and click on application icon and don't release the CTRL key till it asks you for Safe mode confirmation.

    If yes, then start application normally and disable add-ins one by one and start application again every time you disable an add-in to determine the culprit add-in.

    1. Try repairing your office installation (Quick repair is good enough). Try repairing your Office installation. First try Quick Repair (takes 5 - 10 mins) , if that doesn't help then try Online Repair (Takes more than 30 mins but less than 1 hour in general)

    https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Repair...

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