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Participant
February 8, 2016
Answered

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC won't open

  • February 8, 2016
  • 14 replies
  • 135466 views

A few weeks ago, I installed the latest Adobe Reader.  In doing so, the new Adobe Acrobat Reader DC became my default PDF viewer and worked for about a week.  For that week, I was able to view any PDFs in my files and loved using the system.  Then a few days ago, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC stopped working.  Now it won't open any PDFs new and old.  I have closed the app and reopened it.  I've restarted my computer.  The majority of my documents are PDFs so I rely on this app and am very frustrated that it stopped working.  I've clicked the help menu to see if I need an update, but it says everything is up to date.  Any advice?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer CTD Help
    Cabola Selecting Windows 8 compatibility worked for me too.

    I have a very simple solution that worked.  My laptop is running Windows 10.  I right clicked on the Adobe shortcut Icon on my desktop then slected "Troubleshoot compatability" and the windows compatability checker scanned the program and reset the compatability mode to Windows 8.  It will make you test it before you can close the checker but my pdfs are now opening and Adobe Reader is now functioning as it should.

    14 replies

    mctanaka
    Participating Frequently
    January 30, 2018

    I also have the exact same problem: Adobe DC simply won't open. I waited for a few months and then downloaded the latest version of Adobe DC, but it still does not work. I have tried both repairing and reinstalling, but nothing works.

    I've been using browsers or Word to open PDF files, since Adobe won't do. Guess I'll have to try using an older version of Adobe Reader.

    Participant
    February 12, 2018

    Try restoring Adobe Acrobats Preference file:

    Located here - C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\[YOUR VERSION] (What ever version you have the Preference folder should be located in it).

    Move the Preference folder to somewhere like C:\Temp

    Now open Acrobat it will create a new Preference folder or it should if it doesn't work e.g  If the Preference folder isn't in your version folder look in the other folders where the version folder is to see if the preference folder is in one of the other folders just in case, if it is copy it to the correct location. Paste it into your DC folder, now try Acrobat again. (Of course when I say paste it into your DC folder in this case the user is working with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

    Participant
    February 12, 2018

    You get to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\[YOUR VERSION] by going through Windows Explorer.

    fredb51752542
    Participant
    March 6, 2017

    I just bought a new macbook pro and I'm having the exact same issue. Everything was working great til yesterday and then all of a sudden acrobat stopped working. I've read all the help forum documents and done everything recommended other than a reinstall. I have a creative cloud account and old versions of acrobat will open my pdfs but not the latest DC version. I just get a flicker on my screen when I double click.

    Known Participant
    April 14, 2017

    Exact same problem. It's infuriating.

    February 8, 2016

    Hi ,

    What OS do you work on?

    Also let us know if you are able to launch Reader?

    How do you open PDF' ,withing Reader or simply by double clicking on the PDF?

    If on windows,try to repair Reader if possible.

    If that fails ,try to uninstall Reader and reinstall it referring the following link.

    https://get.adobe.com/reader/enterprise/

    For Windows you could download the Cleaner tool to uninstall Reader.

    Download Adobe Reader and Acrobat Cleaner Tool - Adobe Labs

    Regards

    Sukrit Dhingra

    Participant
    February 8, 2016

    I'm running OS Yosemite.  When I open a PDF, I usually just double click on the PDF and it will open.  It wasn't until I updated to Adobe Acrobat Reader DC that I started having problems.  It worked for the few days and I really liked how it opened multiple PDFs in one window, but then it just stopped working.  I guess I will try uninstalling and reinstalling

    February 8, 2016

    Hi ,

    Please try doing that and see if that fixes or persists .

    Regards

    Sukrit Dhingra

    Community Manager
    February 8, 2016

    Hi jackieb72774193,

    Please use this thread fro resetting the preferences for Acrobat :  https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1595848

    If issue still persist please uninstall & reinstall the Acrobat Program.

    If iit doesn't work,then create a new user account with the Admin rights, login to the new user account & check the behavior of the application (uninstall & reinstall if needed here as well) .

    Regards,

    Yatharth

    Participant
    September 19, 2017

    Adobe staff, none of this worked.  Do NOT assume this problem is fixed, it is not.  Installation of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (up to date version) on Windows 10 worked for about a week, then stopped.  I wish Adobe would stop rolling out software before it is ready.  Now I have to find a previous version or use something else entirely.