Acrobat Pro DC Constantly Freezing

[SubservedZero]

Hi all! I have been having an issue with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for the past month or so. It is constantly freezing and barely useable. As soon as I open the program by itself, it works for around 5 seconds and then freezes for a minute, then works again for a few seconds to a minute, and then freezes again. Same with opening any of my PDFs. It's just constantly freezing for minutes at a time making it very difficult to use the app. 

It is running version 2020.013.20014 (most up to date according to my creative cloud app), I have done a clean install already as some of the help documents have suggested, but it's still hanging up. Quite sure my apps are not set to auto-update, and I've had Acrobat functioning for years properly on my pc and all of a sudden just constant freezing (doesn't actually crash technically) within the past month or two. Anyone run into similar issues or have a potential solution? Thank you!

[William227072114ccg · Accepted solution]

Amal - OMG - I just tried your suggestion on the 1st thread I mentionned in my previous message and it has solved the issue!!  You posted it 18 months ago:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/acrobat-dc-keeps-freezing/m-p/11974485#M308539

I also followed another post on there about not running Acrobat as an Admin.  Here's what I did:

1. Open Acrobat
2. Edit - Preferences
3. (Left-hand Preferences menu) Security (Enhanced)
4. Uncheck top checkbox: Enable Protected Mode at Startup (Preview)
5. Make sure Protected View radio buttons are set to Off
6. Uncheck Enable Enhanced Security
7. Click OK
8. Close Acrobat, Restart PC
9. Go to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat
10. Right-click Acrobat.exe, then Properties
11. On the Compatibility tab, make sure Run this program as an administrator is unchecked
12. Open Acrobat
13. Edit - Preferences
14. (Left-hand Preferences menu) Security (Enhanced)
15. Check Enable Enhanced Security (ie. reverse of Step 6, above)
16. Click OK
17. Close Acrobat, Restart PC

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described the application is freezing frequently

Is this a behavior with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try to open a different PDF file and check. Also, if the PDF file is stored on a shared/network computer, please try to download and save it to your computer first and then try to open it and check.

Please try to repiar the installation (Windows Only) and reboot the computer once. Go to Help > Repair Installation. Also, the version 20.13.20064 is not the latest version. Please try to update the application manually using the patch here : https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html

If it still doesn't work, please try to turn off the protected mode for testing (Windows Only) Go to Edit > Preferences > Enhanced Security > Uncheck 'Enable Protected mode at start up' , Turn Off the Protected mode  and uncheck 'Enhanced Security' > Click OK and reboot the computer.

Note: Please turn on the security after testing to avoid security risks.

If it still doesn't work, please try to reset the Acrobat preferences to default as described in the help page: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-default/td-p/4792...

You may also try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights in Windows or enable the root account in Mac and try using the application there and check.

Also you may try the steps suggested in the help pages listed below and see if that helps

- For Windows https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/troubleshoot-system-errors-freezes-windows.html

- For Mac https://helpx.adobe.com/in/x-productkb/global/troubleshoot-system-errors-freezes-mac.html

Regards

Amal

[SubservedZero]

Hi there!

Thank you so much for your response, I appreciate it! (apologies for the delayed answered)

So I did try the repair solution and also manually installing the latest patch, with unfortunately no help. I did however notice though now that with no documents open and just on the home screen, every time the program repeatedly hangs up, it loads a new image thumbnail for one of the PDFs in the "Recent" list. Since there were about 50 or so documents in that list, it would explain the freezes every minute if it's trying to pull one thumbnail each at time. A lot of the documents are being accessed through a dropbox account, even the files I'm accessing are still stored locally, I guess acrobat is still trying to pull the latest version of the file causing it to hang up. Is there a way to disable the recent files list? or better yet a way to disable the thumbnail previews for each recent file?

Thank you for any help! 🙂 

[Amal.]

Hi there,

To disable the recent file list please check the steps shared in the correct answer here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-reader/disable-recent-files/m-p/8077347 

Hope it will help.

Regards

Amal

[Mike2271197738b8]

Amal,

I do not know who you are or even if you are with adobe but, I am having the same problem as the person you provided the above advice.  frankly, I am somewhat discussded with the product as it now seems to suck but, I do not know another work arouond,

I have used the product for years with no problems.  I am a privat user who needs to read and send PDFs, not a high tech user that has hours to sit and play with to learn the now multipul programs with the creative cloud.  in the past, Acrobat reader worked so well, I want it back.

Yesterday I uninstalled Adobe DC and erinstalled it; it seemed to work fine but, I feared closing the creative cloud so I let it sit in the task bar all day.  I was able to view PDFs all day.  This morning however, the Adobe DC is again freezing or, should I say frozen and it loads and then stops working.  Oh, did I mention that I use an enlargment sdcreenreader?m?  I use Zoomtext, another program I have been using for many years.  I need some assistance in repairing this this program please.

Mike 

[jpause]

Same problem. I have been wrestling with this issue for months and have had no luck with any of the suggestions no matter what. Please help Adobe. The app is reallyt unuseable the way it constantly freezes. I cant get any work done.

[dc22502319]

same exact problem. have tried all steps to no avail

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that.

Would you mind sharing the version of the Acrobat/Reader DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 21.11.20039 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

Also, please go through the help pages listed below and see if that helps:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-crashes-on-windows-os.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/troubleshoot-system-errors-freezes-mac.html

Regards

Amal

[dc22502319]

[image: image.png]

[Amal.]

Hi there

We are unable to see the image you have attached.

Regards

Amal

[dc22502319]

i have version 2021.011.20039
windows 7

[Dhaarna227150295b5p]

    [website link removed by moderator]  

[dc22502319]

i didnt' get a response

[MSVRVisual]

Same problem here. It's dreadful. I keep it always up to date, it's not the pdf file as I use different files. 

[Amal.]

Hi there

We are sorry to hear that.

Please go through the help pages listed below and see if that works for you.

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/troubleshoot-system-errors-freezes-mac.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/troubleshoot-system-errors-freezes-windows.html

Regards

Amal

[William227072114ccg]

I have had the same problem for a month and it's killing my workflow.  Sending victims to a generic Adobe bug fix page for all apps is not ok.  This bug has been around (on and off) for several years and Adobe should be right on it - not fobbing us off to a page that could take hours to work through and do who-knows-what to our OS and other apps.

Please please please please please can you give us some value for money and provide a solid fix for this?  Please. You're hurting my business.

[Amal.]

Hi William,

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that.

Would you mind sharing the version of the Acrobat DC and the OS you are using? To check the version of the application go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 22.1.20142 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

What is the workflow/steps you are doing that lead to application freezing? A small video recording of the same would be very helpful.

Also, please collect the Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html , Procmon logs (Win Only) https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/acromonitor.html and share them via document cloud link https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/home/ so that we can isolate the issue for the fix.

Regards

Amal

[William227072114ccg]

Thanks for your quick response Amal.

I'm on Windows 10 Pro.  Version 21H2, OS build 19044.1766, Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4180.0

My Acrobat DC Pro is 22.1.20142 (64 bit), which I installed fresh a week ago (but it didn't fix the problem).  I did just check for updates and install the 22.1.20169 release, but the problem is still there - it still hangs even when I open Acrobat from the desktop shortcut (i.e. I'm not even opening a PDF).

Detail: whenever I double-click a PDF and it opens in Acrobat, about 5 seconds after opening, it becomes unresponsive for 8-12 seconds.  Sometimes when the responsiveness comes back, it then behaves, but more often (like 90% of the time) it then randomly freezes for 8-12 seconds as I scroll down a document, or zoom in, or click a top-menu text, or do anything with the top menu. Sometimes when I've had a PDF open for a long time it stops randomly hanging.  It doesn't seem to matter whether the PDF is text-heavy, lineart-only, or what was used to Produce the PDF.

I've noticed that the update I just did seems to have solved the randomness of the hanging - it now only hangs a couple of times on startup or on opening a document, and then behaves after that... for now!

I've downloaded the Log Collector and uploaded the logs via the Log Collector App and the page at https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/home/

[William227072114ccg]

Hi Amal,

it's been over a month since I gave you my os, versions, etc.  Any news?  Despite an update today, Acrobat is still freezing every time I open or close a PDF.  Sometimes it's now closing wjen I switch tab, even if the PDF has been open for ages.

This is doing my nut in. Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please can Adobe take this problem seriously and find a fix?

[William227072114ccg]

When I typed "closing" when I switch tab, I should have typed "freezing".

[Amal.]

Hi William,

We are sorry to keep you waiting.

We were not able to get the logs that you have shared earlier as we didn't find any link to the log files.

As you have updated to the recent version 22.2.20191 and still facing this issue, we would request you to collect the Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html , Procmon logs (Win Only) https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/acromonitor.html , upload them to any cloud storage and create a link and share that link with us so that we can access the log files, for the fix.

Regards

Amal

[William227072114ccg]

Hi Amal,

I haven't had tiome to collect new logs for you, but I did previously and uploaded them to my account as per your instructions.

I have noticed that the first instance of freezing always occurs while the "account" icon at top-right loads up.  It starts as a grey icon, the freeze kicks in, and only unfreezes when the blue account icons appears (see attached screengrab).  Further very long freezes happen when I close a PDF (but leaving Acrobat open) and sometimes when I open a new PDF (when Acrobat is already open).

[Amal.]

Hi there

Thank you for sharing the information. However, we would need the logs file to further investigate the issue. I would request you to please upload the logs to any cloud storage and generate the link and share that link with us, so that we can get access to the logs file.

~Amal

[Dio Vayne]

I've been having this problem for while too now and it definitely has to do something with the 'account icon'. Acrobat freezes until the icon turns active (blue).

Now try clicking on the account icon. It takes about 7 seconds before the menu under it opens. Somehow there's a huge lag in connecting to your account. 

[Dio Vayne]

FIX

No thanks to the Adobe experts, but thanks to users who spend time trying to fix Adobe's mess, I found the solution. Deleting the settings in the registry made my Acrobat Reader respond normally again.

I changed
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC
to
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC1

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-defau...