Automation of PDF String Search using Excel VBA - OLE error - vba

Question

I'm getting this error, "Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE action" when trying to automate a PDF string search and record findings in excel. For certain PDFs this error is not popping. I assume this is due to the less optimized PDFs taking a longer time to search string while indexing page by page.
To be more precise, I have a workbook containing two sheets. One contains a list of PDF file names and the other has a list of words that I want to search. From the file list the macro would open each PDF file and take each word from the list of words and perform a string search. If found it would record each finding in a new sheet in the same workbook with the file name and the found string.
Below is the code I'm struggling with. Any help is welcome.
Public Sub SearchWords()
'variables
Dim ps As Range
Dim fs As Range
Dim PList As Range
Dim FList As Range
Dim PLRow As Long
Dim FLRow As Long
Dim Tracker As Worksheet
Dim gapp As Object
Dim gAvDoc As Object
Dim gPDFPath As String
Dim sText As String 'String to search for
FLRow = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("List Files").Range("B1").End(xlDown).Row
PLRow = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Prohibited Words").Range("A1").End(xlDown).Row
Set PList = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Prohibited Words").Range("A2:A" & PLRow)
Set FList = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("List Files").Range("B2:B" & FLRow)
Set Tracker = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets("Tracker")
'For each PDF file list in Excel Range
For Each fs In FList
'Initialize Acrobat by creating App object
Set gapp = CreateObject("AcroExch.App")
'Set AVDoc object
Set gAvDoc = CreateObject("AcroExch.AVDoc")
'Set PDF file path to open in PDF
gPDFPath = fs.Cells.Value
' open the PDF
If gAvDoc.Open(gPDFPath, "") = True Then
'Bring the PDF to front
gAvDoc.BringToFront
'For each word list in the range
For Each ps In PList
'Assign String to search
sText = ps.Cells.Value
'This is where the error is appearing
If gAvDoc.FindText(sText, False, True, False) = True Then
'Record findings
Tracker.Range("A1").End(xlDown).Offset(1, 0) = fs.Cells.Offset(0, -1).Value
Tracker.Range("B1").End(xlDown).Offset(1, 0) = ps.Cells.Value
End If
Next
End If
'Message to display once the search is over for a particular PDF
MsgBox (fs.Cells.Offset(0, -1).Value & " assignment complete")
Next
gAvDoc.Close True
gapp.Exit
set gAVDoc = Nothing
set gapp = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

I have now found the answer to this problem.
I'm using Acrobat Pro and whenever I open a PDF file, it opens with limited features due to Protected View settings. If I disable this function or if I click Enable All Features and save changes to the PDF files, VBA macro runs smooth.
It's funny, I'm posting an answer to my own problem.