Acrobat DC when opened causes the Adobe AcroCEF file to multiply in Windows Task Manager

[Lisa 2021]

Acrobat DC when opened causes the Adobe AcroCEF file to multiply in Windows Task Manager and the CPU goes to 100%. I have a screen capture of Task Manager to show you what I'm referring to. I have to close Acrobat to make the file stop multiplying itself. Also cannot save the Binder file after trying to combine pdf files into one file. I logged out of Creative Cloud and back in again and I also uninstalled and reinstalled the program but the problem still occurs.

[Sunil_Soni]

Hey Lisa206, Please provide more information about your system configuration and OS.

Is it happening just after Acrobat Launch ? if Yes, how do you launch acrobat with or without document ?

Or this issue is occurring in some specific workflow/scenario, if Yes, please provide exact steps.

[Lisa 2021]

Hi, thanks for responding. I have windows 8.1, I had it installed on an external hard drive with all my other creative cloud applications. So today I tried uninstalling again and reinstalled into the c drive.

Adobe should add a reset button that lets you know what the default folder is in the preferences section of the creative cloud manager because I had to find the correct folder in the c drive which I think is program files x86 and then the Adobe folder in that folder. So that's where I reinstalled it. It still caused the same problem. I updated Wndows with a few updates that were needed, that didn't help either. Then I reinstalled Acrobat 8 from Creative Suite 3 which I still had a copy of. Fortunately I keep all the registration numbers of previous versions.

The problem occurs as soon as you launch Acrobat DC and it cannot save combined files. Something is very wrong with this program. It used to work fine the day before yesterday, but for whatever reason this does not work any longer.

[Sunil_Soni]

Hi Lisa, thanks for providing more information.

Based on your reply, it seems there are two issues :

1. There are multiple instances of "Adobe AcroCEF.exe" in task manager.
   • Do you still see this issue ?
     • If yes, how many documents you have opened and how you opened them ?
       • All documents together(e.g. selected all documents and opened using Acrobat)
       • or opened one by one
     • Open single PDF document with Acrobat DC and observe number of "Adobe AcroCEF.exe" in task manager
     • Try opening couple(e.g. 3 - 4) of documents and observe number of "Adobe AcroCEF.exe" in task manager
2. You are unable to download/save combined files.
   • Please provide concrete steps you followed for combining files
   • Please provide number of files and their size, that you are trying to combine
   • Are there any other Adobe product running at the same time.
     

[Lisa 2021]

Just opening Acrobat DC causes the problem, I don't even have to open one or more pdfs. I waited and watched what it did in the Task Manager and it would reproduce many instances of AcroCEF until the CPU was at 100%. The fan in the computer would increase in speed/noise substantially (as if it were overheating) then the number of AcroCEF files would decrease and then in a few seconds start increasing in number again until I closed the program, then the fan would go back to normal.

Regarding saving combined files to a binder file. It can be as few as two small pdfs that I am trying to combine. But I think that is related to the first problem. Since the program does not work properly just by launching it, other features such as saving files are being affected.

If Adobe is reading this, I wonder if there is a way for them to collect the information in these topics and organize the problems into specific categories and display the results in a graph with percentages over a period of time. For example if in the last week there were a 300% increase in people reporting this type of problem and we could see these graphs posted on this site then we'd know that our problem is not an isolated case and we would know that there is something going on that will most likely be resolved since it is happening to so many people in a specific time frame.

[Sunil_Soni]

Hi Lisa206, Please check your inbox and respond with required information.

[eg0nomic]

Was this issue resolved? I am also having many computers with this problem. AcroCEF.exe is opening hundreds of times if I even open Acrobat DC professional or standard.

[chris scotts]

I also have this problem

[chris scotts · Accepted solution]

Right click your shortcut icon, go to Compatibility and 'Run this program in compatibility mode for:  Windows XP (Service Pack 3)'.   I also have 'Run this program as an administrator' checked... but that didn't do anything by itself.

This solution has so far cured my problem.

[Lisa 2021]

Thank you, I just saw your reply now, since that time I had upgraded and the upgrade solved the problem.

[helpermom]

I have a Toshibba laptop with 6GB of RAM and an I7 processor running WIndows 7 Professional.  My recent class had Dell computers (all the same) with 6 GB of ram running Windows 7 standard.  I kept getting this issue and will have to kill the processes.  2 of the students encountered the issues while the other 10 did not.  It does seem to be the hardware or O/S, but rather it appears that if you have multiple PDF files open at one time that when the issue occurs.   I do hope that Adobe finds a fix for this issue.

[Asher25113145dt5x]

Make sure the "Adobe Acrobat Update Service" is not disabled. That fixed it for me.