Acrobat DC spinning wheel after opening on OSX

[student122255227]

Hi,

on a Mac with 10.11.6, since a while we have issues when opening Acrobat DC (latest version).

After starting up, the spinning rainbow wheels comes up about 15 seconds after launching and then only a force quit is the way to stop the application.

Removed already the app by deleting the app.

Removed caches and preferences

Removed app using Acrobat Reader removal tool

Update Mac to 10.12.x

Tried with another Admin user on the same Mac, it seems to work fine there.

What can cause the issue on this Mac?

Thanks in advanced.

Bart

[AnandSri]

Hello Brat,

We’re so sorry to hear about the spinning wheel in Acrobat Pro DC on your Mac machine. Please try resetting the Preferences once and reboot the machine and see if this brings any difference. To reset the Preferences, refer to the steps mentioned in the Adobe article How to reset Acrobat Preference settings to default.

As you already tried removing Acrobat using Acrobat cleaner tool, please create a test user profile with full admin rights and try with Acrobat and see whether the issue is reproducible.

If it's working in the test user profile, then it seems to be an issue with the current user profile, you might have to repair the user profile or have to create a new user profile.

What is the dot version of Adobe Acrobat installed? To identify refer to the article Identify the product and its version for Acrobat and Reader DC

Let us know how it goes and share your findings.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[ Moving from Acrobat Reader to Installing, Updating, & Subscribing to Acrobat ]

[traversmarketing]

I am experiencing the same issue. When I access acrobat pro from another user profile, I don't have the spinning wheel problem. But when I access it from my current user profile it loads, but when I try to open a document, the spinning wheel comes on and I can't open the document. I have to force quit to exit the program.

This only started about two days ago... My Mac OS is v 10.13.5 - not sure if there was an update on Adobe's side or Apple's side, but my problem started. I have uninstalled and reinstalled 2018 version. I also tried to install the 2017 version - no luck. So I think it is tied to my user profile. Any patches or fixes for this? I also tried the preferences suggestion, but that didn't work either.

tanya

[AnandSri]

Hello Tanya,

Sorry for the delayed response and inconvenience caused. Please use Acrobat cleaner tool to remove Acrobat from the machine once and reboot the computer Download Adobe Reader and Acrobat Cleaner Tool - Adobe Labs

Then install Acrobat back from Download Pro or Standard versions of Acrobat DC | Non-subscription

If you still experience the issue on the current user profile, then for testing purpose, please create a test user profile with full admin rights and check and if it's  working fine in the new user profile, then you might have to repair the user profile or the Operating system. For this, you may contact the Apple support team Mac - Official Apple Support

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[student122255227]

Hi

did already a complete uninstaller with the Acrobat Cleaner Tool, and did the reinstallation with the URL.

It's the same issue.

Thanks in advanced.

Bart

[amshockley]

I AM CONSTANTLY GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE AND IT STICKS WHILE TRYING TO APPLY TEXT TO A DOCUMENT. IT IS ADOBE PRO DC. I HATE IT WITH A PASSION. I PAID FOR IT BUT WONT WORK CORRECTLY FOR ME!

[AnandSri · Accepted solution]

Hello Amshockley,

Sorry for the delayed response and inconvenience caused. If you are still experiencing the issue with Acrobat, I will request you to contact the Adobe technical support team so that they can schedule a remote session and can assist you in a better manner Contact Customer Care

I have also shared the direct contact details of the technical team via private message, please check your email inbox.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[annieminton]

If only I had the time to track down a phone number for Adobe, which is cleverly concealed somewhere on the website and requires several minutes of searching to find, and then spend an hour I don't have allowing someone I don't know to to trawl through my computer. I really don't need the angst.

I live in a world of deadlines. It's easier to open Acrobat and then go away and make a cup of tea........

In case you're interested - starting Acrobat up after a computer restart means several minutes of the spinning pizza. I uninstalled it yesterday using the uninstaller program and then did a search for all files on the computer relating to Adobe Acrobat and Distiller. There were several still remaining. I deleted these, cleared the trash, restarted again, installed the latest version through Adobe Creative Cloud - and have now closed and opened Acrobat several times, all with the same necessary few minutes of waiting while it goes through whatever trawling it has to go through before it will work.

There is clearly something in it's opening process which takes it several minutes to think about. Knowing what that is would be helpful - and helpful to all those other people I see on your forum with the same issue.

Warm Regards,

~ Annie Minton

[kofther]

I am having the same issue.  Did the uninstall, install, delete preferences etc and still DC is unusable.  I created a test user on my MAC and it works fine there.  I've spent 2 hours on the phone with Adobe Support and they told me to call Apple and closed the ticket.  This makes my teeth hurt.

[annieminton]

I had some time to spare yesterday and found the Adobe tech support phone number after several minutes of hunting on their website. That process alone put me in a bad mood. I duly phoned and sat in a queue for a good 15 minutes, and by the time I'd answered the usual 20 security questions to confirm that I am in fact myself calling about a technical issue that no-one else would be likely to be sitting in front of my computer and calling about - even if they'd stolen it. Actually, especially if they'd stolen it. After I'd explained the issue a few times, the support guy wanted of course to spend half an hour or so trawling through my computer files using Team Viewer, and I no longer had any more time to spare. So I gave up and told him that when I had a few hours to spare (unlikely) I would try again. If I have to restart Acrobat for any reason - I go away and make a cup of tea while the spinning pizza does its thing. And I PAY to use this program.

[bybelew]

I laughed as I was making coffee while this spinning thing eat up my time.  Moves the needle up on the ole deadline pressure meter just a bit. 

We need to laugh.  Love the comments you made about the security questions and the stolen computer.  So if this computer gig doesn't work out you, you can write comedy. 

[mistym18831189]

There is no way to contact customer care!  I am so fed up, ready to cancel my whole account and find another route, I can't even use Adobe, so not really any point in having it.  Not to mention the last upgrade, included some nasty malware jacked up my Mac two days later even Apple cant completely get rid of it.  I wish I had never agreed to the last update

[annieminton]

I feel your pain! I'm on a newish iMac running High Sierra. What I eventually did was to uninstall Acrobat using the uninstall software provided. Following that, I searched for anything on the Mac which related to Adobe Acrobat and found a whole bunch of old files from previous versions. I trashed those. I restarted the Mac. Then I reinstalled Acrobat. I was disheartened to find that I initially got the spinning wheel of death when I tentatively opened my first pdf. I raised my eyes to the ceiling, sighed deeply once or twice, went and made a strong cup of coffee and came back to find the pdf open and everything behaving as it should. I closed that pdf and opened another one and hey presto, it actually opened at a reasonable speed and things have been humming along since. I think all those old files were slowing everything down and once they were gone from the system and the new Acrobat had gone through its process of adding what it needed, then all was hunky dory in the Acrobat world. For your malware situation, I highly recommend Avast Security. Perhaps install and run that first. You might need several cups of coffee and half a day of solid housework while you wait, but it will be worth it. Also, I recommend Clean My Mac to help keep a bunch of unnecessary stuff under control. Pay for these last two programs - they are very much worth it. Have fun!

[kofther]

I tried the exact same thing.  I uninstalled all of creative cloud and then hunted down any file that had anything to do with adobe in every library folder, application folder, etc.  I then reinstalled.  When I opened my first PDF I too got the spinning beach and thought it was still happening.  After 5 seconds the spinning beach ball went away.  I was so relieved.  The next day I wen to open a PDS and the spinning beachball was back and Acrobat Pro became unresponsive and had to be forced-quit.

This happens all the time.  Now I just open PDF documents using Apple's Preview app.  I guess my next step is to tip my mac and do a fresh install.

Adobe phone support took over my machine and 45 minutes later told me to create a new user account on my mac.

[annieminton]

What OS version are you running?

[kofther]

macOS Mojave 10.14.1

Interesting that my mac at home running the exact same version has no issues.  One tech asked me to use the Activity Monitor app to "Sample" the process but I never heard back.  If I knew where it was hanging maybe it might be a clue.

[annieminton]

So you are on a work Mac which maybe has all kinds of old Adobe files clogging up the system? And pre Mojave ones at that. I know its a long process, but I'd consider saving all your presets, styles, actions etc into a folder somewhere and then uninstalling all Adobe apps, finding and deleting all Adobe files that you can find (except of course all the presets etc that you want to keep), and then re-installing lovely fresh new programs. Bit of a nightmare, but probably would sort it all out. Some Mac house-keeping might be the way to go.

[kofther]

If you look a few posts up you can see that I uninstalled CC and scrubbed my machine raw and it still happened.

I appreciate you taking your time to answer annieminton​

[annieminton]

Sorry - didn't see that. Are you running Mojave at home? I haven't installed it yet. I like to wait a few months and see what other people experience.

[annieminton]

Note to self: thoroughly read people's posts!

[marcw32227847]

How do I CANCEL MY ACCOUNT. iT GOES ROUND AND ROUND WITH NO ANSwer on how to cancel.  They will try billing forever and act like they dont hear you.  PLEASE CANCEL MY ACCOUNT AND DON'T TRY TO TAKE MONEY OUT.  THIS WEBSITE IS RIDICULOUS.

[John T Smith]

To Cancel https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/cancel-membership.html

-or reply #1 in https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2023066 - includes Chat link

[maximomark]

Same problem for me on all my Macs since updating to High Sierra: „Spinning wheel of death" for about 12 seconds when opening Acrobat DC or Acrobat Reader. Other CC apps work fine. Contacted Adobe but they could not find a solution. Updates of the apps did not change anything. This is very annoying when paying a lot of money every month and working with fast MacBooks Pro.

[doloresb28681466]

I did same thing, contacted customer support, did a remote session.  Still happens, I've gone back to using Acrobat Pro when its acting up too much.  I've been bombarding Apple with reports.  Maybe that will help.  What's the point of having a fast computer if the apps don't work!

[iD3Z1GN]

Mate!... I don't have the time to call Adobe, wait an eternity and then blindly trust some stranger to roam around my computer so they can waste my whole day, proclaim that the issue is fixed when in fact it's not. Adobe have absolutely resolved themselves of their duty of care towards their customers by wilfully failing to quality control their software. It's easier for me to refer this matter to our legal department and have them serve proceedings.