Can't insert PDF Objects into Microsoft Excel

[Tegger]

Just posting this in case it helps somebody somewhere...

Situation: Excel hangs for a couple of minutes, then errors with this
message:
"Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE
action".

Other Objects and Pictures can be inserted without problem.

The problem seems to be Adobe Reader X, and possibly Adobe Acrobat Pro X as
well (but I only have AAP 9.4, so cannot check to be sure).

Adobe Reader X has a brand-new-to-Reader setting called "Protected Mode".
This must be disabled in order for Excel to be able to insert PDFs into a
spreadsheet.

Disable "Protected Mode" this way:
Go to Edit > Preferences > General, then UNcheck the box that says
"Enable Protected Mode on Startup".

Here's why: Excel cannot display an inserted PDF without asking the help of
an already-installed copy of Reader or Acrobat, or other PDF-reading
program. Reader X, by default, wants to corral the opened file all to
itself, not allowing any other program to play with it. This is done for
security reasons.

The problem is that Excel is seen by Reader X to be a SECOND--and therefore
illegal--program attempting to access the PDF file at the same time as
Reader X (in violation of Protected Mode). So you need to disable Protected
Mode so Reader will allow other programs to work with the PDF at the same
time as Reader X.

 

[R.]

Thanks Tegger,

This was exactely the solution I needed!

Hopefully I'm not grave digging here, many of our machines are finally being upgraded to Reader X.

 

[Mark Lowther]

Tegger - this is brilliant - just the fix I required. I had already upgraded to Reader X and this fix really works! Thank you.

 

[kristaleary]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

 

[melaniezeesalgado]

This piece of the puzzle was exactly what I needed. This was PERFECT! THANK YOU TEGGER!!!

 

[bionicstraw]

This was also what I needed. Thanks a ton.

 

[de.tushar]

Just posting this in case it helps somebody somewhere...

Situation: Excel hangs for a couple of minutes, then errors with this
message:
"Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE
action".

Other Objects and Pictures can be inserted without problem.

The problem seems to be Adobe Reader X, and possibly Adobe Acrobat Pro X as
well (but I only have AAP 9.4, so cannot check to be sure).

Adobe Reader X has a brand-new-to-Reader setting called "Protected Mode".
This must be disabled in order for Excel to be able to insert PDFs into a
spreadsheet.

Disable "Protected Mode" this way:
Go to Edit > Preferences > General, then UNcheck the box that says
"Enable Protected Mode on Startup".

Here's why: Excel cannot display an inserted PDF without asking the help of
an already-installed copy of Reader or Acrobat, or other PDF-reading
program. Reader X, by default, wants to corral the opened file all to
itself, not allowing any other program to play with it. This is done for
security reasons.

The problem is that Excel is seen by Reader X to be a SECOND--and therefore
illegal--program attempting to access the PDF file at the same time as
Reader X (in violation of Protected Mode). So you need to disable Protected
Mode so Reader will allow other programs to work with the PDF at the same
time as Reader X.

Great solution SIR!!!. Its really helped me. This needs to be change in PDF reader software. Thanks!