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Question

Intermittent PDF Preview Error with Shared Files

  • June 29, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 89 views

Hello,

For the past few weeks, we have been experiencing an intermittent issue with some PDF files shared in Box.

When multiple users try to preview certain PDF files, Box sometimes displays an error instead of opening the document. The behavior is inconsistent:

  • Some PDF files are affected, while others open without any issues.
  • In some cases, a PDF can be previewed successfully the first time, but later attempts result in the error.
  • The issue appears to occur randomly and is not limited to a specific user or browser.

One thing we discovered is that when we open the same PDF files in Box using the browser's Incognito/Private mode, they always preview without any issues. This makes us wonder if the problem could be related to browser cache, cookies, session data, or a browser extension, but we are not sure.

I've attached a screenshot of the error message that appears when the preview fails.

Has anyone experienced something similar or know what could be causing this? Any suggestions or troubleshooting steps would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

 

1 reply

Rona Box
  • Community Manager
  • July 2, 2026

Hi ​@Design-ShopperBuilder

Welcome to Box Community, and we’re here to assist with your content preview error. 

 

Can we confirm if the affected PDF file is protected? If yes, this is an expected behavior. If not, it indicates that you have already collaborated with one of our team members, and please keep an eye out. Our member’s already working on your case and we will reach out to you as soon as possible. 

 

Thanks for posting, and we hope to get this sorted out soon!