Expected a dict object error in Adobe Acrobat

Last updated on Apr 25, 2025

Learn how to fix expected a dict object error when saving or editing a PDF in Adobe Acrobat.

The 'Expected a dict object' error in Adobe Acrobat may occur while saving or working with a PDF containing annotations, complex structures, or corrupted elements. Acrobat may also display this error when commenting, editing, or using markup tools in older versions or corrupt PDF files.

Try the following methods to resolve the issue.

Export and import comments

If the error is caused by comments or annotations, exporting and re-importing them can help clean up the file structure and allow you to save the PDF without issues.

Open the PDF file in Acrobat.
Select Comments from the Side Panels.
Select Options in the comment panel and select Export All To Data File.
Save the comments as a .fdf file.
Close the current file and open the original file which is without comments.
Select Comments from the Side panels, and select Options > Import Data File to load the saved comments.
Save the file.

Print the PDF with comments

You can create a printed PDF version with comments to resolve the error and preserve your markup in a new file.

Open the PDF file in Acrobat.
Select File > Print.
In the Printer drop-down menu, select Adobe PDF.
In the Comments & Forms drop-down menu, select Document and Markups.
Select Print to save a new PDF version.

Split the PDF into smaller parts

You can split the PDF into smaller sections and save them, this will allow you to spot the problematic pages and save the file without the issue.

Open the PDF and select Edit > Organize Pages.
Select Split.
Mention the number of pages that you want to split and select Output Options to set the location to save the pages.
Select OK to generate split files.

Convert the PDF to PDF/A format

You can convert your file to PDF/A, a standardized archival format to resolve document structure inconsistencies that may be causing the error.

Open the PDF in Acrobat.
Select File > Save As Other > Archivable PDF (PDF/A).
In the Format drop-down menu, select PDF/A.
Select Save.

Restore a previous version of the file (Windows only)

If the current file is corrupted or unstable, you can restore a previously saved version to avoid the error.

Right-click the PDF file in File Explorer.
Select Show more options > Restore previous versions.
Select the desired previous version and select OK.
Open the PDF file in Acrobat.

Update or reinstall Acrobat

If the error persists, you can update or reinstall Acrobat to resolve the issue:

To update Acrobat, follow the step-by-step instructions in install updates for Acrobat.
To resintall Acrobat, follow the step-by-step instructions in reinstall Acrobat.

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