Preventing HTML to PDF Rendering Crashes in .NET Framework

Updated:June 9, 2026

HTML to PDF rendering crashes or hangs unexpectedly in .NET Framework applications. The crashes occur during PDF generation with no consistent error message.

The "Prefer 32-bit" option is enabled by default in .NET Framework project configurations. A 32-bit process has a 2 GB memory ceiling, which is insufficient for the memory-intensive operations performed by IronPDF's Chrome renderer. When memory pressure reaches the limit, the process crashes.

Solution

Disable the "Prefer 32-bit" setting in Visual Studio project properties:

Open your project in Visual Studio.
Go to Project Properties then Build.
Uncheck Prefer 32-bit.
Rebuild the application.

This allows the application to run as a 64-bit process with access to the full available system memory, which eliminates the crash.

Curtis Chau

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Technical Writer

Curtis Chau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Carleton University) and specializes in front-end development with expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, and React. Passionate about crafting intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces, Curtis enjoys working with modern frameworks and creating well-structured, visually appealing manuals.

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