PDF printing bug

Question

Bug report summary

Issue: Microsoft Word (desktop, Microsoft 365 Apps for business) intermittently fails to generate a valid PDF when printing to PDF from an image-heavy document. The resulting file is 0KB and won't open ("something went wrong"). Printers tested: Microsoft Print to PDF, PDF995 — both fail identically. Troubleshooting already completed (all ruled out):

• Not a driver conflict — issue predates installing PDF995
• Not image file size — same failure occurs even with compressed photos
• Not Universal Print — disabled the EduPrintProv scheduled task, issue persists
• Not a Word add-in — issue reproduces in Word Safe Mode (winword /safe)
• Not template corruption — reset Normal.dotm, issue persists
• Not Office corruption — ran Quick Repair, issue persists
• Not OneDrive/cloud sync — saved to non-synced local folders (Downloads, local Documents subfolder), issue persists
• Not a general Windows print pipeline issue — an equivalent image-heavy Publisher document prints to PDF successfully every time using the same drivers
• Event Viewer (Application log, Error/Warning level) shows no error at all at the time of failure — the job fails silently Reliable workaround: File → Save As / Export → PDF (Word's native PDF export) works every time. What I'm looking for: Root cause of why Word's print-to-PDF path (as opposed to native export) intermittently fails silently on image-heavy documents, when the identical drivers work fine from Publisher.

Answer 1

Can you upload a copy of a document with which you experience the problem to a sharing site so that we can try and investigate the issue. Post back here with the location from which the document can be downloaded.

Answer 2

Dear @Sr. Christina Marie Neumann,

To resolve this, Microsoft’s support team will need to step in. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can refer it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.   

  Here’s what your Office 365 Global Admin should do next:       

1. Submit a Service Request: The Global Admin should create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.     
2. Find Your Microsoft 365 Admin: If you’re unsure who the Global Admin is within your organization, you can find guidance on locating them here: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.    
3. Call Microsoft Support: For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number: Global Customer Service phone numbers - Microsoft Support

I hope the information shared helps point you in the right direction.

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