Export (to PDF) doesn't check for or reports errors but fails silently (like if the file is open by another program)

[Jojo-Schmitz]

Issue type

Import/export issue

Description with steps to reproduce

1. Open a score
2. Export to PDF
3. Open that PDF in Acrobat Reader
4. Change something in the score
5. Export to PDF

Expected result: either the PDF gets upated (probably impossible) or an error shows claiming it to have failed (like in Mu3)

Actual result: the export fails silently, the old and open PDF remains as it is. See comment

Supporting files, videos and screenshots

Only relevant thing in the logs:

2025-05-16T13:20:41.408 | INFO | main_thread | ActionsDispatcher::doDispatch | try call action: file-export

So not even there an error

What is the latest version of MuseScore Studio where this issue is present?

Since 4.4.0, up to at least 4.6.0 from today

Regression

Yes, this used to work (actually fail) in MuseScore 3.x and now is broken. Not sure when it broke, but it certainly did work (well, rather fails) in 3.6.2.

Works (well, fails) in 4.3.2: so is even a Mu4 regression, it fails in 4.4.0, so might be related to the Qt version change?.

Operating system

Windows 11

Additional context

I've just tested with SVG and there ths issue doesn't happen. But that may depend on the program having the file open, here Adobe Acrobat for the PDF vs. Microsoft Edge or Incscape for the SVG

Checklist

• [x] This report follows the guidelines for reporting bugs and issues
• [x] I have verified that this issue has not been logged before, by searching the issue tracker for similar issues
• [x] I have attached all requested files and information to this report
• [x] I have attempted to identify the root problem as concisely as possible, and have used minimal reproducible examples where possible

[diedeno]

No problem on Linux 4.5.2. Only a warning about overwriting the file.

[Jojo-Schmitz]

What program used to open the PDF?

[diedeno]

Atril Document viewer. Or Evince. (OS: Ubuntu 24.04) . Both Ok. The overwritten file is reloaded automatically and displayed immediately in the viewer. Qt is 6.2.4 (don't know if Windows already uses a newer version)

[Jojo-Schmitz]

Nice. So it might be Acrobat's 'fault', the way it opens files exclisively? Anyway, MuseScore should deal with this properly, like it it did pre-4.4

[DmitryArefiev]

Checked on Win10. Was broken in 4.4.0 (works fine in 4.3.2)

4.3.2:

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2c453071-c6c8-4011-9b5b-35e1e2beff02

4.6:

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/857e400e-f603-4cd0-a3c8-a503159b3121

[Jojo-Schmitz]

That's exactly what I initially reported ;-)

[Redondoguy]

Nice. So it might be Acrobat's 'fault', the way it opens files exclisively? Anyway, MuseScore should deal with this properly, like it it did pre-4.4

I agree it is Acrobat's Reader fault as that is the only app I see causing this issue. I'm guessing Acrobat Reader was changed when MS 4.4 was released and caused the problem and now Musecsore and Finale both fail to overwrite the pdf, with no warning, if the file is open in Acrobat Reader. Perhaps MS can only warn the user to verify the overwrite. A check would be to download an old version of Acrobat Reader but easier said than done.

[Jojo-Schmitz]

@DmitryArefiev already confirmed that 4.3.2 did not have the issue and still doesn't, so it can't be Acorbat being the culprit

[Redondoguy]

I use MS 4.5 and if I have a pdf open in Chrome browser, MS 4.5 will overwrite the pdf, not so with Acrobat Reader, so it definitely has something to do with Arcrobat Reader 2025.

[Jojo-Schmitz]

Yes, it has to do with Acrobat, but not with a certain version of it. Instead the issue started with a certain version of MuseScore.

[Jojo-Schmitz]

Came up again in https://musescore.org/en/node/387626