Saving error: "This file cannot be saved. This file is too big for the current operation."

[ThisGuy-500]

I'm having a persistent issue that has occurred through different versions of Acrobat, and now it is happening in Acrobat Pro DC.

When I have combined a number of files together, I often cannot save the "binder" file, receiving a warning:

"This file cannot be saved. This file is too big for the current operation."

My solution has been to save the binder in two pieces, optimize to reduce each half, and recombine into a single PDF.  Each of the halves is no more than 2 GBs each, and often less.

Specs:

Adobe Acrobat DC

MacOS Sierra, 3.4GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB ram

What is the solution?  Thanks.

[Tariq Dar]

Hi ThisGuy-500,

Sorry for the delay in response.

Is it possible for you to share the files with us? If yes you may share the files:How to share a document via private message: How Do I Send Private Message

Will be waiting for your response.

-Tariq Dar.

[ThisGuy-500]

Thanks.  That's probably not possible at the moment, perhaps in a little bit of time when the files go to press.  Though it happens with anything above a certain size limit. 

[ThisGuy-500]

Hi, no, to the desktop, and often I attempt to save to various locations to see if it is a file path corruption issue.

[ThisGuy-500]

I should also mention that this has happened on PC, Windows 10, using Acrobat X.  Is this something that comes up commonly?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Acrobat X is not supported on Windows 10. This means that all sorts of strange stuff could be going on with that combination of software, which was never meant to be used to together. You can either upgrade your Acrobat version, or downgrade your operating system. One option is to run an earlier version of Windows in a "virtual machine" on top of Windows 10 (which is what I do to have access to older versions of Acrobat).

[ThisGuy-500]

My apologies, I meant Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro for Windows.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Acrobat 9 is even older than Acrobat X, so it's also not supported on Windows 10.

[ThisGuy-500]

Hah.  Ok, let's forget that machine altogether.  The primary machine I am using is MacOS Sierra, 3.4GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB ram, running Acrobat DC.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

And you are still getting the same error message? In this case, I would say there is a problem with your file that triggers an error condition in Acrobat that spits out the wrong error message (that would not be the first time that an incorrect error is displayed in Acrobat, see for example here: "No Pages Selected To Print" Error - KHKonsulting LLC

Have you submitted your file to Tariq as requested by his comment?

[ThisGuy-500]

I haven't submitted any files yet. I'm still trying to figure out how private the uploads are. Any information on this that you could point me to?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Only somebody with the link will be able to access the document. If you are not sharing it publicly, but only in a private message to Tariq (who is an Adobe employee), nobody outside of Adobe should have access. You can also remove the shared file after Tariq confirms that he downloaded the file.

[ThisGuy-500]

Great, thank you.  I've sent the files to Tariq.

[Tariq Dar]

Yes, I got the files.

And I am able to reproduce the issue using the files you sent. I will be sending you an email via the email id registered on Adobe forums. Would like to discuss this issue over the email now.

-Tariq Dar.

[jimp31767295]

Same problem.  Please post or send solution.

[davidg73063283]

I am having the same problem. These are not huge PDFs.  Can you help?

[Tariq Dar]

Hey Davidg,

This is an old discussion. You can send me the file via Dropbox or Google drive or Onedrive via private message: How Do I Send Private Message And I will take a look.

-Tariq

[davidg73063283]

Thanks Tariq. I appreciate this. I found a way to just save as PDF archival format to get it to save, then convert back. Not great for such smile files, but not horrible either. If you think you have better suggestions pelase let me know. I have 370 or so JPEGs which I combine into one file. I have many such folders of that number of jpegs so a lot of work remains.

Daivd

[Test Screen Name]

Are you saving to an external drive?

[Test Screen Name]

Ok, the reason for asking was because some filesystems (such as those on some external drives) are limited to files of 2 GB. A long shot.

[williamp18900830]

Your solution to cut the file into halves worked for me too.  It's a pain but it works. Thanks!

[Alutus]

I had the same problem in the last days, just we use Windows platform in the company not Mac.

I couldn't save the binder file, which was combined from 3 different PDF files, each of them no more than 1.5 Gbs.

My workstation PC is a 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-4790 with 16GB ram on a Windows 8.1 Pro.

After a several attempt, I tried on my colleague workstation to do the same process, who has the same PC configuration just he use a Windows 10. And it was successful. Now the combined saved PDF is 3,7 GB.