"One or more pages are in use and could not be deleted" - AGAIN.

[Dirk van Boxtel]

1. Open a PDF file.
2. Save it under a different name
3. Try to delete a page

You'll get this error:

"One or more pages are in use and could not be deleted"

I've had this billions of times now and the only solution that works 100% of the time is closing and re-opening the file. This leads me to believe it's something with "locking" the file while saving, but not unlocking it after done saving.

GET THIS FIXED PLEASE because it's annoying LOADS and LOADS of people.

As evident by the 7000+ search results for the exact phrase "One or more pages are in use and could not be deleted".

And that's just the part of the userbase that actually reports the problem.

There are several topics about this issue, some marked as "solved" erroneously.

Note, I'm a paying customer, use Photoshop/Illustrator/Dreamweaver/Fireworks and Bridge during my daily work, and have had this issue for months and months across several different computers (two different workplaces, and at home) and have ran into this time and again, when all I want to do is cut a PDF into several smaller PDFs.

Closing and re-opening your program because you're unable to fix this issue is NOT ACCEPTABLE. It's THE WORST kind of user experience, as this issue is the ONLY reason I use Acrobat at all, and it can't even do that.

Cheers,

- Dirk

Ps.: Sorry, I'm very frustrated running into this time and again, and then having to wade through thick mud (your site is a UX nightmare) to report this issue, which has been report oodles of times on this board before.

[OhioNT014]

Dec 2021 and I am expriencing this issue. I'm guessing its not a concern for Adobe to fix or address since the original post from 2012! I created the PDF from InDesign. Acrobat X, using a OS X El Capitan. If I open it on a PC, I can delete the page, but not my MAC. Frustrating.

[Qael]

All I do is jump from issue to issue not actually being able to get any work done. Actually fix your programs instead of forcing us to exist in your capitalist hellscape Adobe. 

[Kas229901627mo7]

Such a bummer to read this thread.  I've been  a paying customer for the last 7 years and operate on a mac.  This issue started about 6 months ago.  Like everyone the experience is frustrating and disruptive to the workflow.  Has anyone found a good alternative to Acrobat?  I am ready to ditch this platform, especially since they are not making an effort to resolve this.  I operate on Catalina 10.15.7 and have the following acrobat specs

Architecture: x86_64

Processor: Intel

Build: 21.11.20039.0

AGM: 4.30.115

CoolType: 6.0.3

JP2K: 2.0.4.50016

[scotw74004221]

I tried "the best alternative" PDF Expert for the Mac but ran into compatibility issues with the Workproof ProofHQ website we use with our clients. Same goes for OS X Preview – compatibility problems when using the resulting PDFs with the proofing site, and Acrobat on Windows (others in the office have no issues with Acrobat). But if all you need is to hand off the PDF itself, try PDF Expert.

[jolyonralph]

Feb 2022 and this problem still hasn't been fixed.

It can't be that difficult to track down, can it? Or at least explain to us why sometimes pages are locked and prevented from being deleted, and how we can deal with it. Because it's extremely annoying to say the least.

[Михаил235914224zd4]

March 15 2022 Problem actual
it gets even worse when you select pages and click extract - delete after extraction. A deletion error appears, parts of the pages are deleted, but not extracted.

[TaylorMadeAmja]

Yes, my exact same problem as well.
I was on the phone with Adobe Support months ago and they suggested that I take my open PDF and export the file out of Acrobat. (I cannot remember exaclty which export option we did) We did it over the phone and I was able to then delete chunks of pages and avoid the error. So, that is something to consider.

What I've just been made aware of —and worked in my test document so fingers crossed it works from here on out—is to drag the PDF to your Desktop, open, and then do what you are trying to do. I see it helped a lot of other people as well. 🙂

[RXTF]

Adobe, this is STILL happening. Get your s**t together and fix this. We should not have to put up with your incompetency.

[jolyonralph]

Ten years on and this still isn't fixed. 

Please, Adobe. Make your software that we pay a monthly fee for useable.

Having a major bug like this unfixed for TEN YEARS is not acceptable.

[Isaias0D4C]

I am still having this issue now with Acrobat DC Pro DC.

[~BarbaraT]

Same problem in June 2022 in Acrobat DC! Closing and reopening document did not help. Hoping quit and restart does.

[michaelcnolan]

Seems to work to close, move the file to the desktop, and then reopen. Unless your desktop is in Dropbox.

[michaelcnolan]

A combination of solutions from people in the comments below:

It happens when you try to delete pages from a redacted document. And yes, it's still happening in 2022, 10 years after the first post, at least on MacOS.

It seems to mostly work to close, move the document to the desktop, and reopen, as long as your desktop isn't being backed up in Dropbox.

[anna24416169f5uc]

I called Adobe support because I run into this issue multiple times a week – we started a screen share and support had me close out of every single program besides Acrobat that I had open (not just Adobe but all programs), and eventually, I was able to delete the page I wanted gone. Support said the page I wanted to delete really was "in use" elsewhere, which I don't understand – I didn't have the PDF or any of its pieces/elements open in any other program. This also isn't a great solution ("close every program you have open every time you run into this issue!"), so any other quick solution to this would be super helpful. This wastes a lot of time and gets me frustrated as it happens so often. I only started experiencing this issue a year or two ago seemingly after an update (anybody else?).

[TaylorMadeAmja]

I was on a Adobe Support phone call a few months ago. They said they could not fix this exact trouble I was having (select a chunk of pages to Extract and tic the "Delete Pages After Extracting") -- but they were able to find a work-around which was to open the PDF in Acrobat and then from Acrobat, export it all over again. I can't remember exactly which export option we did, but the "new" PDF I was able to delete the chunk of pages and avoid the warning.

Lastly, I've said it a couple times previous to this response, but someone else shared that dragging the PDF to their Desktop allowed them to avoid the error. I tried a test document and I also got it to work as intended while on my Desktop. YAY! So, that's my plan for the forseeable future. 

ETA: my test file worked, the file that I actually needed to split for work today did NOT work. I saved to Desktop, I've tried exporting so many ways. Nope, nothing. <sob> I can't find a rhyme or reason why it's not working.

[Alain Filhol]

You are perfectly right, moving the PDF file to the desktop makes the delete action again possible.

The error "One or more pages are in use and could not be deleted" is so old that it is unbelievable that Adobe never corrected it. May be they have fired all the good programmers they had to save money!

[Charlene28171236ukjo]

Unfortunetly, moving to the desktop has been hit or miss for me. 

[Dave27787276k3o4]

I have been dealing with this problem for at least 7 years now. IT NEVER GOES AWAY---PLEASE FIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[phillipp78508477]

Extract pages you want to remove and check delete box

[TaylorMadeAmja]

Right, that's the goal but that is what throws the error message! We are unable to delete the pages. 😵‍

[Charlene28171236ukjo]

That does not always work...hence the reason for the aggrivation. It should be that simple but its not. I have individual PDF files sent to me that have to be combined into one file. Sometimes the client makes a changes, so I have to delete a page(s).  Then when I cant, I have to redo this combining of 20 files all over again. 

[TaylorMadeAmja]

Oh my gosh, how FRUSTRATING! 

I get large documents and need to split them apart. I'll grab 14

pages (sometimes in order but most often scattered here and there throughout the document) and want to pull them out AND also delete them so I don't have to weed through them again.... and I can pull them out fine and save as it's new little file. Then I go back to my monster file and have to try and remember if I already pulled this page or that. If it were gone, I'd be free and clear. The biggest aggravation is that it worked swimmingly for me for a while ... but maybe that was when I was on the PC? I'm strictly on a Mac now and get the bug. 
knowing how easy and quick it used to be versus how much longer the project takes is enough to make me cry. 😂🫠

[phillipp78508477]

Extract pages and check delete

[Artie61]

Does this work ? is it confirmed ? anybody ? I just had this again when I had 4 instances each with 3 tabs of acrobat opened had to shut them all down before it would unlock the page I wanted deleted it doesnt happen all the time but BAM it happened at the worst time , I was  frustrated I searched this board and found this small and inconspicious post  Thanks if it works

[Alain28354103d9ju]

Even if it works (I cannot test it right now) it is not normal to be forced to rely on such a workaround.