Resolving "Run-time error "53"... file not found" errors

The error is caused by an Adobe Office add-in that is still being loaded by Office, even though Acrobat was removed. The missing file path points to MacPDFM.framework, which Office is still trying to call at startup.

Use this cleanup path:

1. Check for leftover Adobe Office add-ins in the current Microsoft 365 for Mac startup location:
   • ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office365/User Content/Startup/PowerPoint
2. If an Adobe add-in such as SaveAsAdobePDF.ppam is present, remove it and restart the Office app.
3. Also check for older Adobe-related files that can trigger this error:
   • /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/User Templates/
   • /Library/Application Support/Adobe/MACPDFM/
4. If Adobe-related files such as linkcreation.dotm or MacPDFM.framework are still present in those locations, remove or relocate them temporarily, then restart Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and test again.
5. In Word or PowerPoint, review add-ins and disable unnecessary third-party add-ins:
   • Open Word or PowerPoint
   • Go to Preferences > Add-ins
   • Disable nonessential add-ins
   • Restart the app
6. If the add-in file is not in the expected folder, Adobe has changed file locations in some installations. In that case, further cleanup guidance should come from Adobe, because the problem is created by the Acrobat installer rather than Office.

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