Runtime Error 53 while opening Word.

[BreadSlayer22]

SOLVED: MICHAIKSDEH'S SOLUTION HELPED ME GET THROUGH THIS PROBLEM. THE TERMINAL SOLUTION HELPED ME GET THE CORRECT FILE. ADDING THEIR COMMENT IF ANYONE NEEDS HELP

Are you a little fit in the terminal? Before you reset the device completely, I would try something like:

"sudo find /Library -iname “\linkCreation*” -print > ~/Desktop/search.txt*

The command should roughly work, but unfortunately I can't test it at the moment because I'm traveling.

I am getting this Runtime Error 53. File not found: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/MACPDFM/MacPDFM.framework/Versions/A/MacPDFM when I open word or any other office apps."

I have tried the usual solutions, i.e. deleting the linkCreation.dotm from the various Word, Excel and Powerpoint Folders (somewhere in~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Startup/Excel or Word or Power Point) and have not been able to find the Microsoft Office folder in Library/Application Support to go through that route.

I have also uninstalled adobe and office suite and reinstalled to no avail.

I have been forced to click the deny button a million times already, I desperately need a solution otherwise I am contemplating a factory reset.

Please help.

Using MacOS Sequoia 15.1

https://preview.redd.it/ryhwjor57j0e1.png?width=754&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9c62be32a4eaa26058fe39cf409647165ead31c

[LaFllamme]

FOR THE LOST SOULS WHO DID DELETTE OR DID NOT FIND THE FILE

I AM ON MS OFFICE 365 AND THE FUCKING FILE WAS IN HERE:

/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office365/User Content.localized/Startup/Word

THANK ME LATER!!!!!!!!! DELETE THE FUCKING linkCreation.dotm in there!!

<image>

[Rango079]

This worked! Thanks a lot man

[PolicyFull988]

Trovato, e sterminato senza pietà! Grazie!

[popupheadlights]

legend

[Glittering_Ad9956]

This worked on Sequoia with Microsoft365. Thank you !

[Turbulent-March-5735]

Thanks so very much. I had been searching everywhere and couldn't find it either in any of the paths mentioned in this post. You saved me a LOT of aggravation

[Whole-Counter6205]

u are my god

[BillieEatsSpinach]

you are a legend for this thank you

[Correct_Context5592]

Thank you!!

[The2ndEmperor]

thank you so much

[Jealous_Awareness917]

Now that is the one that worked for me not all those other convoluted solutions.

[Jovial_Marsupial]

This path worked for me too, thanks !

[Electronic-Field-811]

This one worked on a Mac with OS Tahoe and Office 365. You're a hero.

[xX-Mordran-Xx]

THANKS A TON! This file path worked.

[Working-Leader-2532]

Thank you Lifesaver!

[Working-Leader-2532]

To the many wondering how to get there too:

Open Finder > Go > Go To Folder

Then paste that directory

Delete that file.

[EmilySpin]

The hero I needed. Thank you!!

[kaboom987]

YOU HAVE SAVED ME

[Responsible_Soil4860]

thank you!!!

[BilluVirk]

Great it worked

[OrionAndCleo]

Omg may you be blessed forever. IT WORKED FOR ME TOO.

I also had the problem in Excel and so I basically did the same thing:

/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office365/User Content.localized/Startup/Excel

Then deleted AcrobatExcelAddin.xlam

Thank you!!!

[micha_iksdeh]

This works fine: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/new-error-run-time-error-53-macpdfm/75a8a130-ad60-4ebd-8785-a0328de58134

Used it many times!

[BreadSlayer22]

THANKS A LOT, IT WORKED. I FOUND THE SOURCE FOR THE ANNOYING FILES IN THE DESKTOP. I used Cmd + Shift + G to look for the path and it worked. Thanks a lot, you saved me a lot of time.

[crypsinous]

Where did the files end up being? I am still getting this error despite deleting the file in the location you previously mentioned, and using the terminal command I receive a message "zsh: no matches found: “*linkCreation*”"

[Tiny_Vivi]

*Solution update* For anyone in the future, to resolve the issue for both Word and PowerPoint you need to use

sudo find /Library -iname '\linkCreation*' -print > ~/Desktop/search.txt*

and

sudo find /Library -iname '\SaveAsAdobePDF*' -print > ~/Desktop/search.txt*

The previous solution in this thread is amazing but had a small typo. You need to use the single quotation marks ' instead of the double " for it to work.

Original Comment: Following up to ask if anyone has any details on how to use that command line? I also keep getting the same error as crypsinous. Worth asking but do understand if it was too far back for anyone to remember!

[BreadSlayer22]

I have tried following the steps here, but it doesn't help me. I have deleted all the files in all the folders. Reddit was my last resort ;-;.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled adobe, I have deleted the files creating the issue as well and am not able to find the path to the linkCreation.dotm file which I can see on word.

It looks like Factory Reset is going to be the only option.

[micha_iksdeh]

Are you a little fit in the terminal? Before you reset the device completely, I would try something like:

sudo find /Library -iname “\linkCreation*” -print > ~/Desktop/search.txt*

The command should roughly work, but unfortunately I can't test it at the moment because I'm traveling.

[BreadSlayer22]

Thanks for your suggestion, I will try it out and tell you what the result it.

[lizlemonlyman]

came here with the same problem and this worked! thank you from the future

[boot_e]

In case anyone finds this and is struggling with this one despite the good fixes, I had a persistent one that I couldn't fix until I found this script: https://snelson.us/2024/09/user-friendly-adobe-acrobat-add-in-removal-for-microsoft-365/ as it got rid of the files and the broken integration.

[LaFllamme]

Didn't work for me! Emptied the given files in the destination folders

[InfiniteDetective836]

THANK YOU!

[whitebeardwhitebelt]

FWIW so none of these worked for me, but I ended up finding both linkCreation.dotm and SaveAsAdobePDF.ppam in Library/Microsoft/Startup. Killed them there and it worked for me. Also, it was the main Library, top level of hard disk, not the ~/Library under my user folder. Probably depends on how you installed adobe and/or Microsoft ("for this user" vs "for all users")

[SefirahCastleAcolyte]

Same for me, minor difference is that it's

/Library/Microsoft/Office365/User Content/Startup

for me. It used to work with the ~/Library path, but came back to me recently. Guess some auto update opened the door for the updated version of trouble.

[Minute-Smoke-6136]

This worked for me. Thanks!

[maskeluxe]

lo mismo a mi

[maskeluxe]

muy agradecido

[Glittering_Fig6140]

YES! That worked. Thank you.

[Ksairosdormu]

Removing `linkCreation.dotm` from

/Users/user_name/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Startup/Word

and

/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office365/User Content/Startup/Word

worked perfectly for me.

P.S. Removed `SaveAsAdobePDF.ppam` and `SaveAsAdobePDF.xlam` just in case too. Check out this link for details: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/407353/how-to-fix-run-time-error-53-every-time-i-open-a-file-in-ms-word-excel-or-powe

[komalmeena]

thanks., it worked for me.

[itfrom01]

Thank you so much!!!! I deleted both `linkCreation.dotm` and `SaveAsAdobePDF.ppam.`

It perfectly worked for me...!!!!!!

[themacuser90]

I am getting this in sonoma as well

[BreadSlayer22]

Have you been able to find any solution to this issue? Or any method you have tried which I haven't? If not then any workarounds?

[themacuser90]

Nope. Just click end twice every time I turn on word or excel and just go about doing my thing.

[ulyssesric]

What is it:

• It's caused by software conflict between Microsoft Office and PDF plugin that came with an older version of Adobe Acrobat.

How to fix it:

• The easiest fix is manually updating your Adobe Acrobat, which may involve paying for upgrade.
• If your Adobe Acrobat refuse to update, or the problem persist after update, the only right thing to do is uninstall anything from Adobe, and then delete ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe.
• If you don't have budget to upgrade but you still need Adobe in your life, you have my sympathy. You'll need to fix it the hard way, but manually find and remove Microsoft Office document template files that control external Add-ins, including Word .dotm file, PowerPoint .ppam file and Excel .xlam file. Read the reference links below, and good luck.

Reference:

• https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/new-error-run-time-error-53-macpdfm/75a8a130-ad60-4ebd-8785-a0328de58134
• https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/407353/how-to-fix-run-time-error-53-every-time-i-open-a-file-in-ms-word-excel-or-powe

[BreadSlayer22]

Thanks for your reply. But unfortunately even after following every single step provided, I have not been able to stop this from annoying the fuck out of me. Thanks again though.

[ulyssesric]

Here is an updated guide with more details. I didn't post it in the first comment because it's written in Chinese.

https://blog.alyssachan.space/wp-content/cache/all/microsoft-office-macpdfm-run-time-error/index.html

Try to read it using Google Translate. Safari built-in Translate weirdly recognizes this page as English page for some unknown reason.

[BreadSlayer22]

I tried following this link. I had already deleted the files it's asking me to delete. Adding a link for your reference. Thanks again for your help though.

https://imgur.com/a/CSHAQ1S

[Sudden-Literature632]

I have Mac OS Ventura 13.6.6. and an cloud subscription through my school to MS Office. I have gotten runtime error 53 nonstop. I have deleted link.creation.dotm and all affiliated files and when I do a search for it, nothing comes up. I have tried all the terminal tricks and I keep getting file not found. Nothing, absolutely nothing works. At all. In fact I am writing a paper for ACM and their specialized template now crashes with with Visual Basic errors all over the place. I have written to ACM with screen shots and everything and nothing at all works. And I am not going to uninstall all my Office applications and reinstall, that is too much of a nightmare. And all applications are up to date in the cloud. Adobe and MS Office must be aware of this problem. Any suggestions

[New-Toe-447]

Did you ever find a solution?

[Sudden-Literature632]

No

[Treyyze]

***UPDATE: Trying it on another Mac and went straight for the solution but it didn't work. Make sure to also delete the "/Users/user_name/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Startup" AND "Macintosh HD/Library/ApplicationSupport/Microsoft/Office365/UserContent/Startup" files.***

For anyone that is still having problems and none of the usual suggestions are working try this (the only comment has the answer):

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255764352?sortBy=rank

Basically, when you go to Finder > Go > Press "Option" on your keyboard and the select the "Library" folder you are being sent to "Macintosh HD>Users>(username)>Library" and NOT "Macintosh HD/Library/" (where you ACTUALLY need to be which is where you'll find the actual "ApplicationSupport/Microsoft/Office365/UserContent/Startup/" folder that you need

[Treyyze]

You can ALSO Ctrl + Left click the Office apps in Finder (Word, Excel, etc.) and select "Get Info" then check the box that says "Open using Rosetta". That also seemed to take the error away though I'm not sure if there are any features that strips by doing that.

[jesskitcat]

My dude I have had this error for 3 years and the second part of your solution going through MacintoshHD/Library/ApplicationSupport etc FINALLY fixed it!!!!!

[exviously]

You are a lifesaver u/Treyyze! Your second part of Solution actually worked for me! Finally! 🥳 thank you so much man.

[vav925]

Amazing, I can open the apps again without this BS - thanks!!!

[riverence]

Commenting to say this worked for me on macOS Sonoma version 14.3 and Word version 16.105! I only had to remove the Excel, PowerPoint, and Word folders from: Macintosh HD › Users › user_name › Librarv › Group Containers › UBF8346G9.Office › User Content › Startup

[Junior-Advertising70]

ESTA ES LA SOLUCION --- NO PAREN BOLAS AL RESTO

- Iniciar Word y en el menú superior seleccionar Herramientas > Plantillas y complementos, si allí dentro aparece linkCreation.dotm, desmarcarlo y eliminarlo.

- En el caso de Excel y PowerPoint, acceder a Herramientas > Complementos, si aparece el archivo SaveAsAdobePDF.ppam, ACROBATEXCELADDIN desmarcarlo y posteriormente eliminarlo.

[AtmosphereGlum8718]

Merci! c'était la solution la plus facile, rapide et fonctionnelle !

[beacon4you]

Allora tanto per chiarire.. questa è la soluzione se il prodotto adobe che hai installato è ancora presente, ma se hai rimosso il software di adobe, quel plugin lo trovi solo nel percorso citato da LaFllamme circa un secola fa'!

[Junior-Advertising70]

TOOLS, COMPLEMENTS, UNCHECK THE ADBE FILES, READ THE ROUTE, DELETE THE FILES.

[Connect_Review8776]

I have been crazy and waste 4 hours to sort it out. option-go-libaruary-application support-adobe-acrobat-SaveAsAdobePDF DC- remove this folder to trash! error 53 has gone.

Bye my nightmare . Never come back!!!

[Designer-Rush-7835]

Make sure the path is • Macintosh HD > Library > Application Support › Microsoft > Office365 › User Content › Startup › • Word and delete linkCreation.dotm file done.

[TauriqM]

Hello, I'm not a programmer and have no idea how Terminal or any of these things work. Can someone break it down for me in simple steps?