OneDrive iPad PDF form annotations not saving when pressing Save button and PDF getting corrupted and duplicated

Question

OneDrive iPad PDF form annotations not saving when pressing Save button and PDF getting corrupted and duplicated

Sara 0

After annotating on PDF form, the annotations disappeared while saving. Also, the PDF file got duplicated, one with two people icon and the other without. And then, not able to open PDF anymore with message that it got damaged and could not be repaired. Error code 5,

2 answers

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Answer 1

Jeanie H 7,850 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Sara,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on my understanding, your issue is that the notes (annotations, highlights) you added to the PDF file disappeared right after pressing the Save button. The file was duplicated and became corrupted (unable to open), along with an error message: "Error code 5".

Could you please send me a full screenshot of the error?

Also, may I ask:

Is the PDF file your own file, or was it shared with you?
If it file shared, do you have edit permissions for the file?

I've seen that many users have reported similar issues before.

While waiting for your screenshot, please try the following general steps:

Open the OneDrive app on your iOS device > Tap your avatar > Go to Settings > Select Help & Feedback > Tap Clear Cache
Go back to Settings > Tap your account > Sign out > Fully close the OneDrive app > Restart your iOS device > Sign in again
If the issue persists > Go to Settings > Account > Reset Account. In some scenarios, this will unsync and resync your account
If it still doesn’t work, please help me reset then uninstall and reinstall the OneDrive app.

Additionally, please try annotating a different PDF file that is not saved in OneDrive, such as a file stored in the Files app or iCloud, to see if you encounter the same error.

Please try these general steps first and provide the full error message so I can guide you with the next steps.

Looking forward to your reply! 

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

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Sara 0 Reputation points

2025-09-10T06:48:45.25+00:00

Here are error messages. And also opening the file becomes black. Is there a reliable way to annotate and depend on the PDFs when being in a time crunch? It’s my own PDF, but on OneDrive used by different devices at the same time.
Jeanie H 7,850 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-10T07:09:33.4666667+00:00
Hi @Sara,
Thank you so much for your quick response!
To help narrow down the cause of the issue, could you please try the following:

Open the PDF file on OneDrive Web (via browser) and check if the same problem occurs there.

If possible, try opening the file on a different device (e.g., another iPad, iPhone, or computer) and see if you're able to annotate it successfully.

If you suspect the issue might be related to OneDrive, you can also try uploading the PDF to a personal OneDrive account, then attempt to annotate it there to see if the problem persists.

From these tests, I’ll be able to determine whether the issue is caused by OneDrive or by the PDF file itself. So please try them out and let me know the results.

Looking forward to your reply! 
Sara 0 Reputation points

2025-09-10T20:52:14.52+00:00

I cannot test right now, I’ll be able to test in a few days, but got this when trying to save the PDF form in a folder in OneDrive.
Jeanie H 7,850 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-12T02:18:46.4566667+00:00

Hi @Sara,
Sorry for the late reply. I was off recently and couldn’t get back to you sooner.

When you have a chance to test again, could you please reply and let me know? The error message you’re seeing sounds quite similar to one from Adobe.

Could you try going to Help > Check for Updates in Adobe to make sure it’s up to date?

Also, please try opening the PDF file with a different viewer to see if the issue is with the file itself. For example, Foxit Reader is a free alternative, and you can sign in using your Microsoft account.

Thanks so much!
Looking forward to your response!
Jeanie H 7,850 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-14T23:29:10.2133333+00:00

Hi @Sara,

We haven’t heard back from you yet, and we want to make sure everything is working smoothly on your end. If you’re still experiencing any difficulties or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out - we’re here to help.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Jeanie H 7,850 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-15T23:52:16.69+00:00

Hi @Sara,
I hope this message reached you.

This is my second time reaching out to check if you've received my message. I really want to make sure your experience is as smooth as possible. If your issue persists or if you encounter any new difficulties, please share more details about the current steps you are taking. I am always happy to assist you whenever you need.

While waiting for your response, I will also be monitoring other customer questions on the forum to assist them. If you have any further questions or updates, please tag (@Jeanie) in the reply so I can assist you more promptly and thoroughly.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sara 0 Reputation points

2025-09-21T19:52:16.78+00:00

@Jeanie H Hello, also, while annotating, it crashes and the annotations are lost (not saved yet). Checking the PDFs that have problem, I see they are broken and have 1KB size.
Sara 0 Reputation points

2025-09-21T23:56:16.0566667+00:00

@Jeanie H Oh just discovered modifying the same pdf on two different devices made duplicates, one with two people icon and the other without, and they are broken
Jeanie H 7,850 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-09-22T06:45:05.5333333+00:00

Hi @Sara,
Could you please kindly help me copy the file in OneDrive to create a new file, do not share that new file with anyone, and then edit it, do you still experience the same error? This will help us determine if the problem is related to file sharing or simultaneous editing from multiple devices.

Answer 2

My company and staff have been experiencing the exact same issues now that Sara stated. We have 6 iPads and used OneDrive to collect data using offline feature and this app has been crashing. Often times, we click save while being offline, then go back into the file and half the annotations are missing. So much work has been lost. From 2023 to early 2025, we didnt have any issues, but now I am convinced it is the app as our newest iPad purchase has the same issue.

Is there going to be a fix for this?

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OneDrive iPad PDF form annotations not saving when pressing Save button and PDF getting corrupted and duplicated

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