Cannot Add Excel File to Adobe Acrobat Pro – "Access Denied" Error

[andrej_0027]

Hello,

I’m experiencing an issue when trying to add an Excel file to Adobe Acrobat Pro using the “Combine Files into a Single PDF” function (and also when using “Create PDF from File”).

Every time I try to add the Excel file, I receive an error saying that Acrobat cannot open the file and that I should check if I have read permissions.

Here are the details:

I can open and edit the Excel file in Microsoft Excel without any problems.

I’ve tried:

Closing Excel completely before adding the file.

Running Acrobat Pro as Administrator.

Moving the file to a simple local folder (e.g., C:\Temp\test.xlsx) with no special characters in the name.

Confirming that the Adobe PDFMaker add-in is installed and active in Excel.

Exporting the Excel file directly to PDF from Excel (which works).

My Office and Acrobat versions are installed on the same PC.

Despite all this, Acrobat still gives the same “cannot open the file, check read permissions” error.

Could you please help me troubleshoot what might be causing this?
Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you!

[Tariq Ahmad · Accepted solution]

Hi @andrej_0027,

Thanks for sharing the detailed steps you’ve already tried — that helps narrow things down.

Since the issue persists despite permission adjustments and running Acrobat as Administrator, here are a few additional things you might consider checking:

1. Antivirus or Endpoint Security Software

    Some antivirus programs or corporate endpoint protection tools (e.g., CrowdStrike, Sophos, Windows Defender) may silently block attachments involving executable content or Office files. Try temporarily disabling real-time protection (if permitted) and test again.

2. Trusted Locations in Acrobat

    Go to Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) and try:

• Disabling “Protected Mode at startup” temporarily

• Adding the file’s folder to Trusted Locations

• Restart Acrobat after applying these changes

3. Excel File Permissions at System Level

    Right-click the Excel file → Properties → Security tab, and ensure:

• Your user account has Full Control

• The file is not blocked (look for the “Unblock” checkbox under Properties > General)

4. Try Attaching via Acrobat’s “Insert from File” Instead

     Instead of drag-and-drop or right-click, try:

• Open the PDF in Acrobat

• Go to Tools > Edit PDF > More > Attach a File

• Select the Excel file via the dialog — see if the error still appears

If the issue continues, please let us know:

• The exact Excel file type (.xls, .xlsx, macro-enabled?)

• Whether the file is stored locally or on a network/share/cloud folder

• Your Windows and Acrobat versions

Also, looking from the other angle, considering I don't have full information available: 

In case: IT-Managed Restrictions (GPOs, Endpoint Security, DLP)

In enterprise environments, IT admins often apply Group Policy Objects (GPOs) or Endpoint Protection/DLP policies that:

• Restrict attaching or opening certain file types (like .xls/.xlsx)

• Limit Acrobat’s access to system folders or temp directories

• Force “Protected Mode” on with strict access isolation

Even if the file appears accessible, Acrobat may be blocked from reading or copying it for attachment due to these policies.

In case: Non-Persistent User Profiles (e.g., VDI, Citrix, FSLogix)

In setups where user profiles reset on reboot or logoff, the following issues may arise:

• Acrobat fails to retain trust or access settings between sessions

• Temp/cache folders Acrobat relies on may not exist or may have restricted access

• Folder redirection or user virtualization layers might interfere with file handles

Acrobat may interpret these I/O errors as “Access Denied”, especially if temp or profile folders aren’t writable during runtime.

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team

[andrej_0027]

Thank you very much for your help!
The second suggestion did the trick — I disabled “Protected Mode at startup” and added the folder to Trusted Locations. Now attaching the Excel file to the PDF works without any errors.

Thanks again!