Get "Compile Error in Hidden Module" Fixed in Excel or Word

Compile error in hidden module is an error message that might pop up for some MS Word and Excel users.

The error message is generally triggered when Office users open Word or Excel. Consequently, neither application isn’t launching.

How to fix compile error in hidden module?

Does the Compile error in hidden module error message pop up when you open Excel or Word? If so, these are a few resolutions that might fix it.

1. Update Adobe Acrobat

The Compile error in hidden module error can be due to two Adobe Acrobat template files in MS Office folders. As such, updating Adobe Acrobat is one potential resolution for the issue.

It’s also of utmost importance to run software that comes from a trusted source, which is why we strongly recommend you only install Acrobat from its official website.

As a powerful editing suite that is closely connected to Microsoft Office file formats, Acrobat delivers an all-digital document experience.

In fact, there is no need to start over if you happen to run into an error, you can quickly export PDFs into other Microsoft 365 such as Word, Excel, or Powerpoint.

1.1. What does Adobe Acrobat provide?

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

• Simplified workflows across any platform from desktop, to mobile and web
• Convert a PDF to Microsoft 365 formats
• Enhanced collaboration tools to share, review, and sign documents across devices
• Edit data in scanned tables and convert forms to fillable forms
• Powerful editing toolkit (merge, convert, delete, rotate, crop and more)

To manually check for Adobe updates, click Help on Acrobat’s window.

Select Check for Updates to open the updater window. Then you can press a Download and Install button if there are updates for it.

⇒ Get Adobe Acrobat

2. Move Pdfmaker Files to Another Folder to fix the compile error

Pdfmaker.xla and Pdfmaker.dot are the two Adobe Acrobat files linked with the Compile error in hidden module issue. As such, moving those files out of their MS Office folders might also fix the error.

This is how you can move those files to an alternative folder in Windows 10.

1. Press the Type here to search button to open Cortana’s search box.
2. Enter Pdfmaker.xla in the search box to search for that file.
3. To search for Pdfmaker.dot, enter that file title in the search box.
4. Then right-click the files and select Open file location to open their folders in File Explorer.
5. If you can’t find those files with the search tool, open the MS Office Startup and Xlstart folders in File Explorer. The Startup folder includes Pdfmaker.dot, and the Xlstart directory includes Pdfmaker.xla.
6. To move the Pdfmaker files to the desktop, right-click them in File Explorer and select the Cut option.
7. Right-click another folder (or Windows desktop) to move them to and select Paste.

3. Update the Norton Antivirus Software to fix the Compile error in hidden module

Norton Antivirus is also linked with the Compile error in hidden module error. If Norton AV is on your desktop or laptop, updating that software might fix the issue.

You can check for updates by pressing the Update Me Now button on this webpage. Alternatively, right-click the Norton Antivirus system tray icon and select Norton LiveUpdate.

4. Uninstall Norton Software to fix the hidden module error

1. If updating Norton Antivirus doesn’t fix the hidden module error, consider uninstalling your Norton software. To do that, press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut.
2. Enter ‘appwiz.cpl’ in Run, and click the OK button.
3. Select the listed Norton Antivirus software, and press its Uninstall button.
4. Then click Yes to remove the software.

6. Re-register OCX files

1. 1. Press the Windows key + X hotkey to open the WinX menu.

2. 2. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list.

3. 3. For a 32-bit Windows platform, input the following commands in the Prompt and then hit Enter, one by one: regsvr32 -u c:windowssystem32mscomctl.ocx
regsvr32 c:windowssystem32mscomctl.ocx

4. 4. On 64-bit Windows platforms, input these commands one by one and press Enter after each one: regsvr32 -u c:windowssyswow64mscomctl.ocx
regsvr32 c:windowssyswow64mscomctl.ocx

5. 5. The compile error in hidden module is now solved.

The Compile error in hidden module error can also be the side effect of Windows updates. As such, registering a mscomctl.ocx file using cmd might also fix the issue. 

One of these resolutions for the Compile error in hidden module error might kick-start Word or Excel so that you can launch them again.

Some of the more general tips in our post for fixing MS Office applications that don’t open might also come in handy for fixing the hidden module issue.

Let us know which one worked for you in the comments section below.