Help needed solving link from word into PDFs never work using Nitro

[herojig]

I am trying to upgrade my PDF publishing station (windows 10, MS word 2016,  all the latest builds) and I've had this setup for years using Tracker Software Products and their PDF-XChange 2012 printer driver / add-in for ribbon convert button. Great, works a bit slowly and a bit unreliably but always produces a good PDF. All TOC / references / etc. linking is fine in the resulting PDF. 

So I  installed the Nitro Pro trial, hoping it all would work. No, won't produce links in the resulting PDF. But neither will Acrobat DC Pro using PDFMaker in the Print Menu. So, trying to figure out why.