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A
afpadc
Known Participant
March 19, 2023
Answered

Can't Save PDF as PDF/A

  • March 19, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 18080 views

I've moved to a new coomputer and have reinstalled Acrobat but now when I try to save any PDF as a PDF/A I get an error message.  This is true whether I use 'Save As' and select PDF/A from the pulldown options or whether I go to Save As Other and select Archivable PDF/A.  It's the same result.  I have a screenshot of the error message but didn't want to upload it unless asked.  It basically says "Could not copy file C: [complicated Acrobat path that is not the saved document]; C: [complicated appdata path that is not the intended destination]. The parameter is incorrect."

Any help?  If it fixes *either* method of creating a PDF/A I'm fine with access just to one but right now I can't make any type of PDF/A.  Thanks,

 
 
Correct answer Jose Roberto31977926yf9f

Sort of.  After going through two standard-level phone techs, the
problem was escalated to a supervisor who shared my computer and added a
plug-in that immediately fixed it.  Why couldn't they have used that
immediately?!  Anyway, that fixed the .pdf/a problem but it created, or
left behind, a new problem.  Now when I create a .pdf/a it wipes out the
document's bookmarks.  Same problem with standard-level techs until
finally they came up with this solution. Every document that I want to
turn into .pdf/a -- including simple black and white memos -- must be
run through preflight to retain the bookmarks.  That works but when I
complained that this was sort of burdensome to do for every document the
response came back that the problem retaining bookmarks is a known
problem and will be dealt with in a future update.

TL;DR.  Apparently we can't solve the .pdf/a problem ourselves, a
second-level tech must install a plug-in to make it work.  Sorry, good luck.

--[P.I Removed by moderator]


I think I found a solution to this problem... I hit the print button and then select save as PDF and in properties you can select PDF/A type... Hope it helps

1 reply

Amal.
Community Manager
Amal.Community Manager
Community Manager
March 20, 2023

Hi @afpadc 

 

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that.

 

Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check. If the file is stored on a shared network/drive please download it to your computer locally and then try again.

What is the version of the Acrobat DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 23.01.2006x installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

Try to repair the installation from the help menu (Win Only) and see if that works. Also (For testing purposes), go to Edit (Win), Adobe Acrobat (Mac) > Preferences > Enhanced Security > Uncheck 'Enable protected mode at startup' > click OK and reboot the computer
Note: Please turn on the security after testing to avoid any security risk.

Try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described here https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-default/td-p/4792082

You may also try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights in Win or enable the root account in MAC and try using the application there and check.

 

 

Regards

Amal

A
afpadcAuthor
Known Participant
March 20, 2023

Thank you for responding. First, the problem is for all types of files that are presently PDF. I tested as many variables as I could -- single-page or multi-page files, files distilled from Word, distilled from WordPerfect, downloaded PDFs, scans. I did try repairing Acrobat (BTW I'm using Acrobat Pro version 2023-001-20064 64-bit on Windows 11 pc) but that didn't help. I uninstalled and reinstalled it, that didn't help. I reinstalled it again using a freshly downloaded installation file, that didn't help. I uninstalled it, copied the Adobe folder from my previous computer out of Program Files x86 then reinstalled it, that didn't help. That led me to the forum.

I just now tested your suggestion about unchecking the box in 'Enhanced Security' and it didn't work but it did, however, give me a different error message that reads, "No output intent defined. In order to convert a PDF file to PDF/A an Output Intent is needed. Please define an Output Intent in the Preflight preferences."  After reopening Acrobat I tried again, first going to Preflight and selecting Acrobat Pro 2015 Profiles --> Standards --> Save as PDF/A --> Save as PDF/A-1b.  After that there was no 'OK' or 'Apply' or 'Save' or 'Done' so I looked around but couldn't figure out what to do other than X out of Preflight and the error message came up when I attempted the save.

Thanks for sticking with this, I'll look forward to the next attempt (I've rechecked the security at startup box). Let me know whether or how I should upload screenshots of the two different error messages.  Thanks,

 
 
J
Jose Roberto31977926yf9fCorrect answer
Participant
August 30, 2023

Sort of.  After going through two standard-level phone techs, the
problem was escalated to a supervisor who shared my computer and added a
plug-in that immediately fixed it.  Why couldn't they have used that
immediately?!  Anyway, that fixed the .pdf/a problem but it created, or
left behind, a new problem.  Now when I create a .pdf/a it wipes out the
document's bookmarks.  Same problem with standard-level techs until
finally they came up with this solution. Every document that I want to
turn into .pdf/a -- including simple black and white memos -- must be
run through preflight to retain the bookmarks.  That works but when I
complained that this was sort of burdensome to do for every document the
response came back that the problem retaining bookmarks is a known
problem and will be dealt with in a future update.

TL;DR.  Apparently we can't solve the .pdf/a problem ourselves, a
second-level tech must install a plug-in to make it work.  Sorry, good luck.

--[P.I Removed by moderator]


I think I found a solution to this problem... I hit the print button and then select save as PDF and in properties you can select PDF/A type... Hope it helps

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