embedded pdf file data lost from Azure DevOps Server attachment.

Question

Upload a word document (5M) which embedded a pdf file(2.3M) to Azure DevOps Server attachment. But when I download the document, the embedded pdf can't be open.

I can confirm the pdf file is embedded object, not a link.

Answer 1

Hi ,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

This issue typically happens due to the way Azure DevOps Server (on-prem) handles file attachments. Here is a breakdown of what is likely going wrong and your possible options:

Problem Diagnosis:

1. When you upload a Word document with an embedded PDF to Azure DevOps Server (e.g., as a work item attachment), the system may strip or corrupt OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) embedded objects during upload or download.
2. This behavior does not affect linked files or plain attachments, but affects embedded objects inside Office documents.

Why it happens:

Azure DevOps Server is optimized to store and serve file attachments, not preserve embedded binary objects within those files.

Some versions of DevOps Server or Office Web Services might alter or re-encode Office file internals during virus scanning or metadata extraction, leading to embedded object corruption.

Confirm the Issue:

Upload the original .docx file to a different system (e.g., SharePoint, OneDrive, or file share).

Download it from there and confirm whether the embedded PDF is still intact.

1. If it works there but not via Azure DevOps Server, the issue is confirmed to be with DevOps Server handling.

Workarounds:

Avoid embedding the PDF file inside the Word document. Instead:

Attach both the .docx and the .pdf file separately to the Azure DevOps work item.

  Add a reference in the `.docx` saying, *"Please refer to the attached PDF file: `DocumentName.pdf`"*.
  
  ZIP the Word document:
  
     Zip the `.docx` file before uploading it to Azure DevOps.
     
        When someone downloads and extracts it, the embedded object should remain intact.
        

1. Use a SharePoint or Teams link:
   • If embedding is critical (for regulatory documents), upload the original .docx to SharePoint or Teams.
   Share the access link in Azure DevOps work item description or comment.

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