Acrobat Pro DC (2019) Crashes when opening a 2nd PDF file.

[david_8278]

Hi Adobe Community.

I have Acrobat Pro 2019 (Perpetual Licensed).

Every time I try to open a 2nd PDF file (attached to email) it crashes Acrobat every time.

Has anyone come across this and is there a fix?

I have uninstalled / rebooted / reinstalled. No improvement.

Is there any upgrade path to a newer version?

Strangely there is no "Help>Upgrade" option in the menu.

[Tariq Ahmad · Accepted solution]

Hi @david_8278, 

Thanks for reaching out. 
I am not aware of any version of Acrobat 2019: https://adobe.ly/4iRJlvC. Even if this is Acrobat 2020, it is out of support, and as I assume you are already aware, it is no longer being updated. 

Ideally, opening a second file shouldn't crash Acrobat unless the OS you are using was never tested with that version of Acrobat. And other factors. 
Are you opening files locally on the machine, or are they stored on the cloud or a network drive?

You can try disabling Protected Mode at startup. This suggestion is for testing only: 

To disable protected mode, navigate to the application's settings, typically found under "Options" or "Preferences," and locate the "Protected View" or "Security (Enhanced)" section. Uncheck any options that enable protected mode and apply the changes. 

⚠️ Important Disclaimer:

Protected Mode is a security feature that helps prevent malicious content in PDFs from affecting your system. We recommend disabling it only for testing purposes. Do not open files from unknown sources while it’s off. If this step resolves the issue, we can guide you toward a safer, permanent fix.

Lastly, you may try creating a new user profile on your machine and test this behavior again. 

For the upgrade path or for subscription details, please reach out to our sales team: https://adobe.ly/3MSnckI

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team