Starting Acrobat DC in Windows 11 creates new processes but does not start

I am having the same issue, on 2 different machines with 2 different accounts.  Acrobat opens OK the first few times, Once I close the pdf files and try to open another PDF (From windows - double click), Acrobat does not open, however in the Task manager there are multiple instances.

Here is the current fix, but frustrating.

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/acrobat/desktop/troubleshoot/performance-issues/acrobat-run-error.html

This does not work since the troubles occur only when starting Acrobat by opening a PDF. If the diagnostic tool could be made to keep running after (not properly?) closing Acrobat to catch the moment when Acrobat is opened anew, it should contain the required info. All this must be related to what happens when starting/closing Acrobat.

Sorry but I don’t have the time “to make videos”. Does Acrobat record logs if it does not start?

Hi,

I updated Acrobat and also repaired Acrobat via the installer. No change.

As a background, I’m using Acrobat for many years and up to 16 h/day and 7 days a week. If something has changed, I will likely notice it. My typical workflow is as follows:

Opening a .pdf document from a Win folder > removing pages / redacting content / using Photoshop to align pages and/or remove borders etc. > saving the file > closing Acrobat.

Opening/closing Acrobat has traditionally been extremely fast (e.g. in contrast to Photoshop), so when there is a delay or nothing happens after clicking a .pdf file in Windows, something is wrong.

The issues started happening during the past 2 or 3 Acrobat updates (not the latest update) and/or the latest Windows update.

Hi there 

Hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. We are sorry for the trouble you are experiencing.

What you're describing is a classic ghost process/process lock issue: Acrobat's previous session didn't fully clean up on exit, so when you launch again, the new instance finds those stale processes already occupying the space and just silently hangs rather than opening a window.

We need some more information for better clarity:

Does this happen every time you launch the application or only sometimes?

Are you on a managed/enterprise deployment or a personal machine?

As described, you have started noticing this since the last two updates, Acrobat DC (now: 2026.001.21662) on Win 11. Please update the application to the latest version 26.001.21677. Planned update, Jun 17, 2026. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once. You may also try to download the patch manually https://adobe.ly/4xPEty9 and see if that helps.

Also, try to repair the installation from the help menu and reboot the application once.  

Additionally, you may also try to disable fast startup in Windows 11, which can cause processes from a previous session to persist across reboots without a full closure. Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do, click Change settings that are currently unavailable, and uncheck Turn on fast startup. Do a full shutdown and restart, then try launching Acrobat.

Let us know how it goes.

~Amal