Can not save/edit .PDF File within a mapped drive

[Davincci_88]

Issue Summary:
Users are unable to save or edit PDF files located on a mapped network drive using Adobe Acrobat.

Error Message:
“The document could not be saved. The file may be read-only, or another user may have it open. Please save the document to a different location.”

Observed Behavior:

• When attempting to save changes to a PDF located on a mapped drive, the save operation fails with the above message.

• If the user renames the file, changes the folder, or saves it locally and copies it back, the operation is successful.

• This issue only affects PDF files; other file types (e.g., DOCX, XLSX) save without issue in the same directory.

• The problem is not isolated—multiple users are affected across the organization.

• Issue onset: Around April 1, 2025.

• Adobe Acrobat and all other software are fully up to date.

• The issue persists even after reimaging affected machines and reinstalling Adobe Acrobat.

• Folder and file permissions have been reviewed; users have full read/write access.

Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken:

1. Verified user permissions on the network share.

2. Confirmed Adobe Acrobat and OS are updated.

3. Reimaged affected systems and reinstalled Adobe Acrobat.

4. Verified the issue does not affect non-PDF files.

5. Tested saving to different folders and with different filenames (works).

6. Checked for file locks or concurrent access—none identified.

Current Status:
The issue remains unresolved and is impacting productivity. It appears to be isolated to Adobe Acrobat saving directly to mapped drives under certain conditions, potentially related to a recent software or network update.

We applied this but did not work:  

Adobe Protected Mode Interference

Sometimes Adobe’s Protected Mode prevents proper file access over network drives.

Fix (Client Side):

1. Open Adobe Acrobat.

2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced).

3. Uncheck "Enable Protected Mode at startup" and/or "Enable Enhanced Security".

4. Restart Adobe and test saving again.

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @Davincci_88, 

Thank you for reaching out and helping us with detailed information and what you have tried. 

Given that you have tried everything that could have been suggested.

Acrobat may have issues saving to network drives:

When you save a PDF in Acrobat, it doesn’t just update the file in place — it creates a new temporary copy, writes your changes, and then attempts to replace the original. On network drives, this process can fail if:

• The file was modified externally or appears changed due to sync/cache delays.

• There’s a permissions or locking issue on the network share.

• Antivirus or sync tools interfere with Acrobat’s save process.

Check with the network team to see if the file's permissions are changing before you attempt to edit it. Also, try to check the permissions after saving to the mapped drive and after opening the file. 

You may try in the meantime:

• Save to your desktop first, then manually move the file to the network location. (I know this is something you don't want)

• Or try using the full UNC path (\\server\folder\file.pdf) instead of a mapped drive (e.g., Z:\).

• Make sure Acrobat and your system are fully updated.

Let us know how it works and share your findings.

~Tariq

[Davincci_88]

We have already attempted the recommended workaround, but this is not a viable permanent solution for us.

The issue appears to be isolated specifically to PDF files, which strongly suggests that Adobe is the root cause. This is not related to permissions, antivirus software, or sync/cache delays—if it were, we would be experiencing similar issues with other file types such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, images, and more. However, that is not the case.

We are confident that the problem is limited to PDF files only, and it is affecting multiple users across our organization.

The guidance provided so far has only confirmed what we already know and what we had already tried. We are seeking a more comprehensive response and a long-term resolution to this issue.

Please also note that all software is fully up to date and maintained regularly.

[Anthony31758160p57v]

We have the same issue and tried the following to no avail:

1. Adobe Acrobat > Edit > Preferences > General > Basic Tools > Deselect ‘Show online storage when opening files’
2. Adobe Acrobat > Edit > Preferences > General > Basic Tools > Deselect ‘Show online storage when saving files’
3. Adobe Acrobat > Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Sandbox Protections > Deselect 'Enable Protected Mode at Startup'
4. Added \\domain\folder to the Safe IntraNet List in Internet Options (UNC path adjusted for each internal departments location)
5. Net speeds: UP 52 Mbps+; DOWN 162 Mbps+; Latency ~18ms (or better for all 17 identifed users)
6. Deleted AppData 'Adobe' folder from:
        C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\
        C:\Users\ USERNAME \AppData\LocalLow\
        C:\Users\ USERNAME \AppData\Roaming\
7. Uninstalled/Reinstalled Acrobat to latest version (uninstalled all Adobe Products; when uninsatlling, 2 versions appeared, both 2025 and 2022 (or 2023)---odd behavior as we did not know it had 2 versions on there; not displayed in Programs/Features)
8. Ran Adobe Removal Tool and uninstalled everything option then Reinstalled Acrobat to latest version after downloading the Adobe Creative Cloud Manager
9. Reimaged computer to base Standard OS image
   
   

NOTE: The issue is only on network drive. If PDF is saved to local drive (i.e. C:\users\<USERNAME>\Downloads), edited/modified, saved, signature applied and saved, etc....the issue does not occur.

[Davincci_88]

We still dont have a solution for this issue. 

[edward_8069]

This is happening to me sporadically. What fixes it is a complete reinstall, but that is not tenable long-term.

[maurice_1980]

We are experiencing this same issue.  Is there a solution?

[Anthony31758160p57v]

In our case, after many a trial and error, looking through the logs, it had something to do with our Cisco Secure Client, even though there were no instances showing in the Cisco Admin Console nor any pop ups on the client side. All event logs showed nothing blocking it either. So, after we removed it completely, whilst keeping Cisco AnyConnect, the failures went away.

The only thing left was signatures not showing up or saving. The resolve for some users was to uninstall Acrobat from Creative Cloud Manager (in our case, there were 2 versions; latest and a hidden version; the hidden version did not show up until the uninstall on the latest install was selected for uninstallation.) The other thing was to reimage the computer with a fresh slate. We provided a loaner laptop with fresh install and had not seen any further issues with signatures not appearing or saving.

I hope that bit of info helps. I did have assistance from Enterprise Adobe Support; I recommend them if you have that level of support in your contracts.