Adobe Acrobat Pro new version export Docx file with incorrect format

[yannis_5500]

Hi all, my company have created an excel macro generator to generate PDF file from docx files.

The docx file is exported from another PDF file which user will download it from an application.

Usually user normal practice will be download the PDF -> Export to Word file -> Upload .docx file to Generator -> Generated PDF file.

However, after user updated to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Continuous PMP 25.001.20937 and the generator cannot read the .docx now.

It shows message "Error reading document". I've tried to change PDF convert to Word setting, re-installing Acrobat but it is still no luck to change it.

User can only upload the file export from their teammates who haven't updated their PDF.

Is there any setting can change from the latest PDF version? Or any other solution can fix other than rolling back to the old version PDF?

Thank you.

[Tariq Ahmad]

HI @yannis_5500, 

Thanks for reporting this. We want to understand your workflow clearly so we can test this on our side.

Right now, we’re a bit unsure how each step is connected, so could you please help clarify a few points:

1. Why do you export the PDF to a Word (.docx) file first, and then convert the .docx back to PDF?

   – Is this required by your generator tool?

2. When you say “generator,” do you mean an external Excel macro tool your company built, or something inside Acrobat?

3. Does the macro tool use Acrobat in the background when it processes the .docx file?

4. Could you share the exact steps you follow from downloading the PDF to uploading the .docx to the generator?

   – A short screen recording would be very helpful if possible.

5. If you use Acrobat alone (PDF → Word, and then Word → PDF), does everything work normally?

These details will help us understand where the issue is happening and whether it’s related to the latest Acrobat version.

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team

[yannis_5500]

Hi Tariq,

Thank you for your reply. Below are my response:

1. Why do you export the PDF to a Word (.docx) file first, and then convert the .docx back to PDF?

   – As our user download the PDF file from front-line applications which only have PDF file. But the generator is created to generate PDF file with customer information from DOCX so I think that's why it need to have duplicate procedures.

2. When you say “generator,” do you mean an external Excel macro tool your company built, or something inside Acrobat?

   It means an external Excel Macro built by our company but I think it is not owned by anyone now as the owner might left company already

3. Does the macro tool use Acrobat in the background when it processes the .docx file?
   Not sure what does it mean, but when user upload .docx file, it should be automatically generate PDF file. In normal practice, when the macro successfully generate file, PDF will automatically open the file.

4. Could you share the exact steps you follow from downloading the PDF to uploading the .docx to the generator?

   – User download PDF file from one of the Finova application (Mortgage application which front-line agent will need to use)
   - Use Adobe Acrobat Pro export .docx, no any other setting need to click
   - Upload .docx from Macro in Excel Spreadsheet
   - Normal practice, it will read the customer information and generate a new PDF file to fill in customer info.
   Due to confidential information, I can't share the screenshot for you but I've attached the error pop up window on my original post.

5. If you use Acrobat alone (PDF → Word, and then Word → PDF), does everything work normally?

No, it's not work. And I've tried to save the PDF and open it with Word instead of export it from PDF, it also not working.

User also provide me a point that when user download the PDF from the front-line application and send it to their teammate for helping them to export .docx file, the .docx file is able to upload. So the PDF itself might not the root cause, but when they export the file, the file content will be mess up. I've tried to feed both file to chatgpt for comparision, it said The text is not in normal <w:p><w:r><w:t> sequences, Phrases do not exist as continuous text, Find/Replace cannot detect words. It looks like after export, the XML file is not in usual format.

Would you have any clue? Thank you

Yannis