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Festive_intelligence6b8c
Participant
Oct 13, 2026 3:35 PM UTC
Question

Adobe Acrobat Reader not opening

For the last month and a half we have had an issue with Adobe reader not opening. Users report that PDF files and Adobe reader aren’t opening.

 

I checked and multiple processes are running in task manager. I’ve ended those tasks and go to reopen Adobe but it does not launch. Two Adobe processes are running in task manager and at 0% or 0.1% CPU and 0MB or 0.1MB and do not change. There are no logs generated in Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application or System when Adobe is opened or when the processes are ended.

 

We’ve tried repairing and modifying Adobe but that doesn’t work. Uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe, only works for a day or so and then the issue comes back. Tried uninstalling with Revo uninstaller too but the issue still comes back. Same thing with restarting, works for a couple days then we’re back to Adobe not opening. We have users on the latest version - 26.002.21931

 

Any ideas on how to resolve?

    3 replies

    Festive_intelligence6b8cAuthor
    Participant
    Oct 30, 2026 9:59 PM UTC

    Hello,

    We started restarting the computer daily afterwards and it fixed the issue until today and now the Adobe issue came back where the app wont open no matter how we launch it. I reinstalled Adobe again but am not sure how long Adobe will work until another reinstall/restart is needed.

    1. Windows 10 22H2, installed Adobe manually from https://get.adobe.com/reader/ while unchecking the add ons.
    2. Adobe Acrobat(Acrobat.exe), another process launches called Acrobat Collaboration Synchronizer 26.2(AdobeCollabSync.exe) two instances as well
    3. This is particular for one user at the location, but we are seeing similar issues for other clients on Windows 11. Nothing particular happens before it stops working, Adobe just no longer opens and the only sign something is happening is processes trying to open in Task Manager but then nothing happens. This happens for any PDF files or when trying to open while running as admin, running directly from Acrobat.exe, using the desktop shortcut, or using the shortcut on the taskbar.
    4. I uploaded a video of what happens after attempting to open Adobe along with the properties of the hanging processes.

    I tried sending zip files of the processes but the files go over the 50MB upload limit. If you do need the zip files of the DMPs or more information please let me know.

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    Community Manager
    AnkitVermaCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    Oct 30, 2026 10:15 PM UTC

    Hi ​@Festive_intelligence6b8c,

    Thank you for the additional details, the video, and the Task Manager screenshots.

    I can see that Acrobat.exe and Acrobat Collaboration Synchronizer (AdobeCollabSync.exe) are remaining active in the background even though the Acrobat interface never appears. Since the issue returns after reinstalling Reader and is temporarily resolved by a restart, this does not appear to be a simple installation issue.

    As a next step, could you try resetting Acrobat Reader's preferences on an affected machine and then test again?

    1. Close all Adobe processes from Task Manager.

    2. Navigate to:

      C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat

    3. Rename the Reader preferences folder (for example, add .old to the folder name).

    4. Launch Reader again.

    Please note this resets Acrobat Reader preferences, so any custom application settings will need to be reconfigured.

    If the issue persists, could you also confirm whether Protected Mode at startup can be disabled long enough for testing?

    Acrobat Reader > Menu > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > uncheck Enable Protected Mode at startup, restart Reader, and test again.

    Please note this changes a security-related application setting and should only be used temporarily for troubleshooting purposes.

    You can find additional information about Reader troubleshooting and preference resets here:

    https://adobe.ly/4ieFl9V

    Since you've already captured dump files, we may also need to review those if the behavior continues after the tests above.

    Please let us know how it goes.

    Thanks,
    ^AV

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    Amal Jaiswal
    Community Manager
    Amal JaiswalCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    Oct 13, 2026 5:24 PM UTC

    Hi @Festive_intelligence6b8c

    I hope you are doing well, and thanks for the detailed report and for sharing everything you have already tried. I’m sorry for the trouble this is causing your users.

    To help us look into this, could you please share:

    1. Which Windows version are the affected devices running, and how is Adobe Reader installed on them (manually or through a deployment tool such as SCCM or Intune)?

    2. What are the names of the two Adobe processes you see in Task Manager? A screenshot of the Details tab would help.

    3. Is every user affected, or only some? Do you notice anything that happens just before it stops working, for example, a Windows update, a restart, signing in, or opening a particular PDF?

    4. Does the issue happen when you open Reader directly as well as when you double-click a PDF? A small video recording of the steps you are taking and the issue as it occurs would be very helpful.

    Note: Please make sure any screenshot does not show personal or sensitive information.

    Once we have these details, we can look into it further and share more troubleshooting steps

    Regards,
    Amal

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