Fix: “The path does not exist” When Opening PDFs from OneDrive or SharePoint

A financial services firm contacted us because their staff were unable to open PDF documents stored in OneDrive. Every time they tried to open a PDF from their synced OneDrive or SharePoint folder, Adobe Acrobat displayed an error saying the path does not exist. The files were visible in File Explorer and had synced successfully, but Adobe refused to open them. Here is what caused it and how to fix it.

Symptoms

When attempting to open a PDF file from a OneDrive or SharePoint synced folder, Adobe Acrobat displays the following error:

There was an error while opening this document. The path does not exist.

You may also experience:

• The error occurs only with PDFs in OneDrive/SharePoint synced folders, not with locally saved files
• The same PDF opens successfully in a web browser or other PDF viewers
• The issue appears after moving files between OneDrive folders
• Other file types (Word, Excel) open normally from the same location
• A similar error: “There was an error opening this document. The file cannot be accessed by the system”

Affected Software

• Application: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Platform: Windows 10 / Windows 11
• Related Services: Microsoft OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, OneDrive sync client

Cause

This error is caused by Adobe Acrobat’s Protected Mode and Enhanced Security settings. These security features restrict Acrobat from accessing files in locations it does not recognise as trusted.

OneDrive and SharePoint sync files using cloud-based paths that Adobe Acrobat treats as untrusted network locations. When Protected Mode is enabled, Acrobat blocks access to these paths even though the files are fully synced to your local machine.

The issue is more likely to occur when:

• Files have been recently moved between OneDrive folders, causing path references to change
• OneDrive is using Files On-Demand (cloud-only files that download when opened)
• The OneDrive sync path contains special characters or long folder names

Resolution

Method 1: Disable Protected Mode in Adobe Acrobat (Quick Fix)

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro
2. Go to Edit > Preferences (or press Ctrl + K)
3. Select Security (Enhanced) from the left panel
4. Uncheck “Enable Protected Mode at startup”
5. Click OK and restart Adobe Acrobat
6. Try opening the PDF again

Method 2: Add OneDrive as a Trusted Location

If you prefer to keep Protected Mode enabled for security, you can add your OneDrive folder as a privileged location instead.

1. Open Adobe Acrobat and go to Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced)
2. Under Privileged Locations, click Add Folder Path
3. Browse to your OneDrive sync folder (typically C:Users[YourName]OneDrive - [CompanyName])
4. Click OK to add the folder
5. If you also use SharePoint synced libraries, add those paths as well
6. Click OK to save and restart Adobe Acrobat

Method 3: Ensure Files Are Synced Locally

If OneDrive Files On-Demand is enabled, the PDF may not be fully downloaded to your machine.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the OneDrive folder containing the PDF
2. Look at the Status column – a cloud icon means the file is online-only
3. Right-click the file (or the parent folder) and select Always keep on this device
4. Wait for the file to download (the icon changes to a green tick)
5. Try opening the PDF again

Method 4: Reset OneDrive Sync

If the issue started after moving files between folders, the OneDrive sync client may have stale path references.

1. Press Win + R and type the following, then press Enter:

   %localappdata%MicrosoftOneDriveonedrive.exe /reset

2. Wait a few minutes for OneDrive to restart and resync
3. If OneDrive does not restart automatically, search for OneDrive in the Start menu and open it
4. Try opening the PDF once syncing is complete

Important Notes

• Protected Mode is a security feature that sandboxes Adobe Acrobat to prevent malicious PDFs from accessing your system. Disabling it reduces security, so Method 2 (adding a trusted location) is preferred in business environments
• If you manage multiple machines, Adobe Acrobat trusted locations can be configured via Group Policy or the Adobe Admin Console to avoid manual setup on each device
• The same error can occur with Dropbox and other cloud sync clients that use virtual file system paths
• If the PDF opens in Chrome or Edge but not in Adobe Acrobat, the issue is confirmed to be with Acrobat’s security settings rather than the file itself

Related Resources

• Fix: You are already syncing a shortcut to a folder from this shared library in OneDrive / SharePoint
• Fix: File Path Is More Than 259 Characters in OneDrive
• Fix: SharePoint Word Templates Corrupted by OneDrive Sync Conflicts
• Adobe Help: Enhanced security settings for PDFs
• Microsoft Support: Sync files with OneDrive in Windows

If you need help resolving PDF or OneDrive sync issues, get in touch with our team.