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Why has Word suddenly stopped allowing me to save a Word Document as a .pdf?

Ross Barnard 25 Reputation points
2025-08-01T06:13:10.8166667+00:00

I'm writing a 32-page Annual Bulletin. As I tidy up each page, I save as a Word Document, then ask my Mac to save as a .pdf so I can check how it looks, fix any page breaks etc as it will be sent as a .pdf attachment to an email. But all of a sudden when I try to save as a .pdf, it tells me it can't do this, and "try again later". Any ideas why????

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | MacOS

Answer accepted by question author

Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 435.8K Reputation points
2025-08-01T15:24:14.8833333+00:00

It sounds like you're using one of the PDF options from File> Save As which can be problematic due to internet connection among other causes.

Try using File> Print — PDF - Save as PDF

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  1. Ben4724 3,740 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-08-01T17:56:48.26+00:00

    Hi Ross! My name is Ben a fellow member here in the community.

    Just to add up to the answers provided by others above, you can also try the following steps below to troubleshoot the app version of Word:

    • Quit Word, then restart your Mac.
    • Open the Word document and try File > Save As > PDF again.

    If the same issue persists, try to re-create the document by creating another copy. You can try these:

    • Save a new copy of your document with a different name.
    • Try exporting just a few pages (e.g., File > Print > PDF, then select a page range).
    • If that works, the issue may be with a specific page (e.g., corrupted image, table, font).
    • Remove or replace content on the suspect page and try again.

    Also don't forget to check if there are any updates on your Word app by checking it on the App Store.

    I hope the information helps!

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