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Conversion taking too long / getting "hung up"
Conversion taking too long / getting "hung up"
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Written by PDF2XL Support
Updated over a week ago

**IMPORTANT: If you are using an older/unsupported version of PDF2XL and the program is not working correctly, we will not be able to assist. You will need to purchase an upgrade to a current version.
Contact
[email protected] for an upgrade quote.


In ideal cases, PDF2XL can convert up to 500 pages in less than a minute. It also has no set limitation on the number of pages that can be converted at one time. However, many cases are less than ideal. Variables in the PDF or even in the computer, itself, can cause issues with conversions. Some users may be able to convert 200,000 pages without any trouble, while other users have to limit the conversions to 500 page increments. Occasionally, you may even encounter your conversion getting hung up, or taking a very long time to complete.

There are several factors that can affect the speed of the conversion:

  • Scanned PDF - If your PDF is scanned, it needs to run OCR, so that causes it to take a little extra time.

  • Computer memory - It's possible that your computer is low on memory and it's causing your applications to slow down. Try closing some other applications.

  • Corrupt Document - If there's any corruption within the PDF you are trying to convert, it can cause the software to get hung up when the extraction process reaches that section of the file. Try converting the file in increments of pages until you figure out where in the document the problem exists - you may need to manually input that section of the file.

  • Corrupt Software - Sometimes, things can change in your computer's environment that can cause some corruption of your PDF2XL installation. Try reinstalling the software to see if that solves the problem. 

  • Issues with File Format - Occasionally, you'll find an issue converting a specific document into an Excel file. If you can convert a different document, this means the problem is likely with the file, itself.

This problem usually occurs at the "Writing data to Microsoft Excel" stage.

In very large documents, it is often due to the text attributes. When PDF2XL needs to copy the properties of the fonts over into Excel, it can delay the conversion anywhere from several minutes to hours.
The most logical solution, then, is to disable the text attributes. 

Go to your Options > Settings and remove the checkmark from "Keep text attributes"

If this has not solved your problem, try changing the conversion format to CSV.

A successful CSV conversion would indicate that the issue is specific to the Excel program, not to PDF2XL. It could be an incompatibility (if you are using a much older version of Excel) or it could be a minor corruption in Excel that PDF2XL is unable to bypass. Reinstalling Excel might help, but it's not guaranteed.

If you are unable to convert to CSV, then it is likely there is an issue in the PDF2XL program. If you have already tried reinstalling, then you'll need to contact our support team for help. 

Contact: [email protected]
Be prepared to provide:

  • Your Payment Code (for versions earlier than 7.0

  • The email address registered to the software (for versions 7.0+).

  • The PDF file you are trying to convert, along with the layout (please understand that our ability to help will be extremely limited if you are unable to send us your document - we need to be able to recreate the problem to determine the source of it).

  • The version of Excel you are running.

  • Your operating system.

*Note that if the issue is a complex one, it can take several days for our development team to provide a resolution - we ask for your patience.

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