Can't open a pdf file: there was an error opening this document access denied

Report · Nov 14, 2009

Could anyone help in this problem I am facing. I have scanned documents as PDF and they opened nicely but after I renamed the files I am not able to open them. I get the message 'There was an error opening this document. Access denied'. When I try to copy/paste the document I also get the message 'cannot copy accounting 3: access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and the file is not currently in use'. I resterated Windows but still get same message although new files I scan open nicely even if I rename and/or copy/paste. Thank you

Report · Jul 19, 2012

Hi,

You just need to Launch Reader 10.1.0 -> go to help and press check for updates. Reader will update to the latest version.

Thanks,

Shakti

Report · Sep 17, 2014

Hi,

I am using Adobe Reader XI version. In the PDF ,If I click email button. Particular form has attached .But I am not able to open it. I am facing Access denied problem . Can you please suggest for the same. Once I sent the mail.. same form I can able to open

Regards,

Vinoth

Report · Oct 13, 2015

Try to long path tool. It is very helpful.

Report · Jun 27, 2015

If you are unable to read the PDF content and you are getting an error option as access denied. This error is shown when the pdf has been protected by password.So you need to crack the password to read the pdf file. This password can be cracked by using PDF Password Recovery for Mac. This is a very helpful tool by which you can crack both the user password and owner password that is set on the pdf files.

Report · Aug 25, 2015

I know this is an old post but just in case, like me, anyone is still having this problem, I have just discovered that this error message is displayed if the file path is greater than 256 characters. This is happening in Adobe Reader XI so is still a current problem.

Rename the file or folders to reduce the path size and the file will open fine.

Hope that helps someone,

Stephen

Report · Sep 10, 2015

I just ran into this issue with a customer (attempting to open only specific PDFs resulted in "There was an error opening this document. Access denied."). What ended up being the issue was the file name size. Between the file path and the file name, it had just gone over the amount of characters Windows could handle, and to quote Jonesy ("Hunt for Red October"),

"it kind of runs home to mama".

We decreased the length of the filename, and that resolved the issue for each PDF which had formerly been inaccessible.

I doubt this will be the case for all instances of this issue, but it's what resolved things for us.

Report · Sep 17, 2015

‌anyone here experience error in opening pdf that only has 447 kb while in fact im currently using adobe version higher than 10..can u please help me guys, i badly need the form

Report · Sep 18, 2015

This was happening to me because the file path was too long, regardless of the file size, and in Adobe XI.

I would suggest moving the file to somewhere with a shorter file path or making the filename shorter and trying to open it again.

Report · Sep 21, 2015

The length of the combined path and file name may be too long. Try shortening the file name so it and the path do not exceed a total of 230 characters. I've run into the same error several times and shortening the file name has always resolved it.

Report · Jul 24, 2016

In order to open up my pdf documents on my PC I had to download the documents onto a flash drive and install them in my laptop. The documents open immediately on the laptop. Then I downloaded the documents that I placed in my laptop onto a flash drive and used it to open up the documents in the PC. All the documents I had the problem with were all documents that I had previously scanned into the PC. Wish there was an easier fix.

Report · Aug 21, 2016

I also had this difficulty. I found that if I forward the email containing the attachment to an email on my phone, it will open. I then send it back to my PC and voila, it will open.