Cannot plot to Adobe PDF due to missing driver?

[Anonymous]

I am trying to plot to PDF from AutoCAD LT 2020 but when I select "Adobe PDF" from the dropdown menu, I get the following dialog box:

"None: This plotter configuration cannot be used for one of these reasons: the driver cannot be found, the device cannot be found, or the driver has a problem. The None plot device has been substituted."

[pendean · Accepted solution]

"adobe PDF" may be an old/ dead driver on your system: LT2020 comes equipped with 5-other PDF drivers, why not try one of them instead?

[Anonymous]

It worked! Thank you!

[KekoaRFWCo1]

But I want to use Adobe PDF. How do I add it or reinstall it??? HELP!

[cadffm]

Hi,

nothing to do with AutoCAD, you have to install Adobe Acrobat (if you have a license?) and by this step, Adobe will install a PDF driver in windows

In AutoCAD (and every other program too), you can use your installed windows printers.

[KekoaRFWCo1]

I appreciate your response. It is installed and running. It just decided to stop working yesterday. Maybe repair install on Adobe? Or add the device to the printer again??

thx

[cadffm]

to stop in Acad, or to stop at the PC? I am not sure to follow you

[Win]+[R]

Open: control printers

Ist there a Printer "Adobe PDF" or similar?

If Yes,

Open WORD, print to "Adobe PDF", does it work?

If Yes,

Open AutoCAD, command "PLOT"

Pull down of printers

Is there a "Adobe PDF"?

Are there printers listed with the ".pc3" extension listed aswell?

Try to Plot with "Adobe PDF" (without .pc3)

Is there a error message?

[KekoaRFWCo1]

Again, thank you kindly.

I went into my control panel and added the device. Popped over to AutoCAD and there it was AdobePDF! 

I'm not sure why it originally occurred but it's fixed now. 

[dberthiaumeBL]

Hi everyone, sorry I know this is over a year old.

I'm having the same issue here. I just did a clean install of Windows and reinstalled all of my programs from scratch, including AutoCAD LT 2026 and Acrobat DC, and I get this same driver problem message when selecting Adobe PDF as a plotter in AutoCAD. Otherwise, the Adobe PDF printer works fine in my other applications.

I have tried reinstalling the adobe PDF printer in my control panel and reinstalling Acrobat. I also tried AutoCAD's Add-A-Plotter wizard, wich crashes when adding the Adobe PDF.

I understand there are other options to plot as a PDF that do not depend on a second software to be installed (and I will definitely prioritise them for all my futur drawings), but it is slightly annoying that all my current and previous drawings will need to be reconfigured to plot. However, the worse is that "something's not right with my installation" and I have to live like that 😅. It seams like this is not a common issue or that it is usually easily resolved, but I just can't get it to work.

Anyone has a cue?

[pendean]

@dberthiaumeBL why did you do all of that on your system, what problem where you trying to resolve?

FYI "adobe pdf" is from Adobe as part of the Acrobat software package, so you'll have to go to Adobe Support (and their forums) for assistance if you still believe the fix is there, start here https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/ct-p/ct-acrobat?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all 

NOTE: LT2026 and older all come with built-in PDF drivers, you can use them in the interim until your Acrobat software installations are resolved.

EDIT: I wonder if your issue is simpler, you are simply selecting a PC3 file that is no longer tied to your Windows Acrobat Driver (unlike the other programs on your PC that do not have this issue because they never us AutoCAD's PC3 file). Does your actually say "... windows system driver..."?

[dberthiaumeBL]

Thanks for your reply @pendean.

I love refreshing my system with a clean install once in a while, so this was no big deal. Overall accumulation of bloat, declining performance and bluetooth problems that weren't fixed by a restoration. Bluetooth is solved and the computer is quicker now.

I'll have a go at Adobe's forums, but since the issue is specific to AutoCAD in this case, I thought I was missing something about AutoCAD's printer implementation that I might learn here.

I can't reproduce the view you've got there (in the plot window, i assume), because if I select Adobe PDF as a printer, I get the message and it gets substitued by another plot device. However, I can see that I don't have an Adobe PDF.pc3 option in the dropdown menu (only Adobe PDF) and no such .PC3 file in my Plotter Manager folder. So, to my understanding, it is looking for the system printer. Does that rule out the .PC3 hypothesis?

I would like to understand and fix this, but one way or another, I know the other PDF printing options will work just fine.

[pendean]

---

@dberthiaumeBL wrote:

...Does that rule out the .PC3 hypothesis?

---

Not sure, do you have this box checked (to access Windows drivers) or not? It should not be to use system drivers

Did you open the folder PC3 files are stored in and looked for such a PC3 file? PLOTTERMANGER command will open that folder for you.

[dberthiaumeBL]

Box is not checked. If it is checked, Adobe PDF and my other system printers are not shown in the printer selection dropdown menu.

No Adobe PDF related .PC3 file in my Plotter Manager folder.

Thanks again.