Unable to display pdf file (missing or invalid reference message) in drawing after allowing app to access icloud

[docfarrah]

Hello!

I recently got a new MacBook Pro and installed AutoCAD 2026 on it. I inserted a pdf underlay into a .dwg file and it has been working fine for the past couple of days. However, this evening, I got a pop up box that asked me if I wanted to allow icloud to access the app ( I use icloud drive) and I selected yes. Since then, I can no longer see my pdf. I just get an error message in the place that the underlay was inserted which states: Missing or invalid reference: File (followed by file location on my desktop. I believe the issue is that ACAD is now syncing with the cloud and the pdf was also synced with the cloud. Before I told it yes, it was grabbing that file from my desktop. But now it wants to try and access it from the cloud. I tried turning icloud drive off to documents, but then I couldn't even access my .dwg files. I am so frustrated! Please help! I really need that pdf for my blocks. 

[docfarrah · Accepted solution]

Well, I just found out how to fix it! Hopefully this will help someone else. I simply detached the pdf in the external references palette (XREF), and then reattached it (PDFATTACH). It was able to locate the file.  

[docfarrah · Accepted solution]

Update: every time I closed the ACAD app and then reopened it, the file could not be located and I would have to detach and reattach/ rescale again. The issue is that the pdf overlay file that I was pulling into my drawing was not in the same desktop folder as the .dwg file. I did not realize that they had to be in the exact same file folder. Once I moved them into the same desktop folder, the issue was completely resolved.