"This is not a valid Portable Document File (PDF)..." random error in Photoshop

[jencreates]

For the past couple of months I've been getting this error: "this is not a valid Portable Document File (PDF) document. It cannot be opened." error when I'm NOT trying to open anything.  I'd say it's happened maybe 10 times over the last couple of months and 9 of those times, it's happened when I'm waking the computer from sleep.  I can't seem to figure out any pattern to it.  It's like it's trying to open a file on it's own but it doesn't show in the recent list and I'm not seeing any action that could be doing this.

Any ideas?

{Thread renamed by moderator}

[MSLJim]

Just had this issue myself. Same error when starting Photoshop 2021 about PDF file not being recognised and it even did it when creating a new document using File->New. I originally suspected a rogue plugin, reset my preferences and even reinstalled PS.

However, for me at least, it was indeed something on the clipboard.  I simply overwrote the clipboard contents by copying some plain text from Textedit and the error went away. 

Only seemed to be Photoshop this affects though. Before I reset the clipboard content I started up Illustrator to see if I got the same error and it worked fine.

[Dandreti]

I stopped experiencing this error when I disabled the "Optimise Mac Storage" feature of iCloud Drive.

There are a few reasons why this might be the culprit:

• Adobe software doesn't support this feature (InDesign users are frequently pained by needing to manually re-download broken links in the Finder.)
• The error occurs after a period of time, e.g. After sleep or time away from Photoshop etc. This is typically when the optimise feature will round up large files and move them to the cloud. 
• The "PDF file" is possibly Photoshop's clipboard contents, which is stored in a location that gets optimised (the users library).

[rogerinlondon]

Emptying the clipboard (Edit=>Purge=>Clipboard) worked for me.

[Steven.Jacob]

This solution worked for me 👍

[clif_CROP]

Just to make sure I'm clear, you posted this a short term solution, like in the case someone might get the popup error message more that once, back to back. Since the Clipboard is filled and refilled over and over throughout the day, a purge isn't a long term solution, the only fix is going to be getting Adobe to shutdown whatever background process it tring to do with Clipboard infomation that isn't at the users request. 

[rogerinlondon]

Well, it might be a short-term solution for you, but it has not happened to me since I did that in March 2021, so for me, it seems to have been a long-term solution. Just trying to help....

[clif_CROP]

Appreciate the help! Crazy you haven't had it since. I thought I would try it but when I opened Photoshop, Clipboard was grayed out and even if I have something in my mac OS clipboard its grayed out. I think in my case when I've seen this error is shortly after opening my laptop after its been closed/sleeping. Most likely I had vector art from AI that I had copied and pasted in to Photoshop that may have still been hanging around in PS's clipboard. If I see this error again I'm going to certainly apply the purge right away and see if I can get a long term fix that way. 

[jencreates]

Following up on a few things I've seen here as suggestions that might help but alas, I am still suffering from the dreaded "this is not a valid pdf" dialog box.  A few comments...

1. I've gotten the box twice over the last week - both times it was there when waking from sleep.  Each time, I did a paste afterward to see what was on my clipboard and it was always a string of text. So the theory of it being an image on the clipboard isn't true in my case.
2. Someone mentioned purging the clipboard would help but that doesn't seem probable as the clipboard is fluid and even when you purge it, the next time you copy something, the clipboard will have contents again.
3. I've trashed multiple versions of the preferences files to no avail.
4. Another mentioned disabling Optimize Mac Storage in icloud drive.  Mine is and always has been unchecked.  
5. I've turned off all the cloud (both Adobe Cloud (which I don't use at all) and Apple iCloud) connections within photoshop - everything saves/uses my local hard drive.

Those are all the things I've tried and nothing seems to have solved the problem.  It's not a work stoppage problem but it sure is annoying especially since it's a problem I can't solve!

Anyone else have any more things to try?

[rogerinlondon]

So you have actually tried to purge the clipboard and it came back again immediately after that? I have never had it again after doing that.

[jencreates]

I'm not sure I understand the question. I've purged the clipboard and it does happen again after that - not immediately but days later. The issue doesn't happen with any predictability. I've never left the clipboard empty for a week to see if it didn't happen again as that's not really a feasible solution.

[rogerinlondon]

I was just asking since you commented that it was not probable that it would work, and it sounded a bit like you had not actually tried it, that is all. Sorry that it did not work for you to purge the clipboard.

[Enlightened_Coast5C49]

This just started happening to me maybe a month ago. It seems to happen while I'm surfing the web, suddenly I'm jerked over to PS and it's telling me it can't open the PDF file. M1 mini running 12.4. I'll upgrade to Venture tomorrow and see if that helps.

[Gary Butcher]

Adding myself to this as I get the same error. It seems dodgy as it happens when I'm not using the app. Photoshop open in the background with no files open. What's it trying to do?

Macbook Pro 16 Intel 2019

macOS Monteray 12.6

Photoshop 24.0.0

[jencreates]

You got me!  I started this thread three years ago.  Still don't have a solution.  I think I've ugraded Creative Cloud and OS at least 3 timed since then too and it's still not fixed.  Desperately waiting for someone at any point in this conversation to come up with something that works!  Welcome to the club!  😞

[elin.o]

Adding myself to this thread, also. This just started happening to me recently, so I was surpised to see this issue is at least three years old! Somewhat relieved to know it's likely not a virus. I was wondering if I needed to report it to the IT department...

[jencreates]

Happened to me AGAIN today.  Clipboard was empty so that's not the issue.  I'm running the latest Mac OS Ventura 13.0.1 and the latest Adobe Creative Suite Apps.

Crazy how this is STILL an issue and there is not a fix for this four years after it first started happening to me.

[mayra0101]

Also getting this box. Any luck figuring it out?

[jencreates]

No, still nothing new that is a viable fix.  😞

[Tami22032982b2ds]

Same here, Macbook Pro.

[StructAural]

As other's have said it's a clipboard issue.

For me it only happens when I use Teamviewer (same thing can happen with Parallels), which has a 'Use Shared Clipboard' function to copy something from a remote machine. This functionality will also corrupt the clipboard if pasting between illustrator and other adobe apps (including another illustrator document). And this corruption is what photoshop is complaining about. If I turn off 'use shared clipboard' in teamviewer then everything is as normal.
This might help someone, so I'll add it to this thread.

[gunnarlinn]

+1 on this. I now and then get the dialogue when I wake my Mac from sleep. Photoshop idle in the background, and is never the last app I used before I let the Mac go to sleep.

P-shop is NOT my default PDF handler – although Acrobat is, and there might very well be some inter-Adobe connection for all I know. 🙂 On the other hand, that can't be the problem since someone else here has the same issue with Preview as default PDF handler.

Not using iCloud storage, nor Adobe's cloud services.

Will keep an eye on my clipboard from now on. But the long-term solution is for us all to report this as a bug to Adobe, or at least a non-feature.

[gunnarlinn]

But the long-term solution is for us all to report this as a bug to Adobe, or at least a non-feature.

By @gunnarlinn

Whoops, can't find the Bug reporter anymore?

[zmaar]

It's 2023 and it's still happening. On MacOS Monterrey, Apple M1 Max Macbook Pro, latest PS.

[vintezisCS]

Same here since years... (also in Betas!) so it's definitely a bug.

[abuse removed by moderator]

[heyusa]

This is a bug that I've been getting for years now. I'm always baffled how Adobe prioritizes bugs and features. Infusing neat AI functionalities, but lacking UX / bugs and simple user friendly learnings that would make our work actually better and faster.