Converting Word to PDF Sometimes Gives Grey Comment Bar on Side of PDF

[VeryAnnoyed2016]

Hi all -  

Sometimes, I get the grey comment bar on the side of the converted .pdf's.  Have tried a bunch of things and repeatedly researched.  Appears to be a bug being exercised, and not sure what is triggering it.  

Yes, I have: turned off markup; accepted all revisions and unchecked all 3 kinds; unchecked "markup" in the print dialogue. 

Is odd in that once it starts converting a doc with the grey bar, there is no way to get it to stop.  Restarting computer does not help.  Finally gave up on one doc and came back days later to try...and...wait for it...it worked fine.  

Today, I am taking a large book, pulling out a couple chapters, and converting each chapter to a PDF.  The first went fine.  The second is stuck in Grey Bar Mode (abbreviated #FML).  

Yes, I do have custom Adobe "Conversion Setting Profiles" set under preferences.  In first example, I was using a profile for print-on-demand.  Could not get it to work so that I could submit file to be published--yes, you may have heard my cursing, sorry for that.  But came back days later without changing anything, and it worked fine.  

Today, I am using one for online viewing.  There is nothing "weird" in these profiles, just settings for DPI and page size.  Anyway, the online one has worked fine for a number of other chapters.  Today, it is gagging on a chapter from the same blessed doc.  Suppose I will have to wait a few days.  Sorry in advance for the cursing.  

Also, I have been making PDF's for years and years and never had this issue.  Am wondering if has to do with a recent update, of some sort...?  Any info you can provide, appreciated.

Thanks,

Richard

[VeryAnnoyed2016]

Ok!  

For the record, tried this "fix" the first time when doc for printing had the grey bar...did not work.  But today...it did!  So, I used a different code path and instead of, "Create PDF File and Run Action" ==> "Prepare for Distribution," I went through the print option...using same preference profile, etc. (except, careful to *uncheck* "Use System Fonts Only" (also known as Satan's Default...spent half hour figuring that one out).  Worked fine, as expected.  Went back and tried again going through the Adobe option on the Word menu bar...still got grey bar of death.