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!

[randallh55227706]

Wow. What a discouraging string of posts to read. This is an ongoing problem with a number of users over at least the past year and a half, including myself, and "Amal" is pretty much zero help, and honestly not even willing to care enough to seemingly read the DETAILED descriptions of the problem many frustrated users have described. AMAL: why do you put us all though HOURS of trying to fix the damn thing when it is OBVIOUSLY a common thread of a problem?!?!  It'd be nice if someone at Adobe actually cared enough to provide a fix and update the program.  My Acrobat pro works fine on my  Laptop (ASUS - win 10 Home v21H2 OS-19044.2006 Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4180.0) and hangs on my main PC (Dell - Win 10 Pro) exactly as described by everyone else. Thank you Dio Vayne for at least trying to help. I'll try your fix. 

[Amal.]

Hi @randallh55227706 

We are sorry for the trouble. However, we would still require the Logs as described earlier in the thread. I 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, and isolate the issue for the fix.

Waiting for the logs..

Regards

Amal

[Dio Vayne]

UPDATE

Unfortunately this was only a temporary fix. It's back to (not responding) every time I open a PDF or click on my personal icon.

[William227072114ccg]

Hi Dio.  Are you having problems with this on a Dell?  I am 😞   It seems a lot of people with this problem are using Dells.

*** Amal ****  I've just done another set of Log Collections - hopefully you can access these:

CC Logs: https://we.tl/t-Igv30X8XM1

ProcMon/AcroMon Logs: https://we.tl/t-9yUvum6UtO

I feel a little bit bitter and twisted about having to help Adobe fix their own very old, widely reported bug.  Can I have some money off my CC subscription 😉

But seriously - Adobe - please pretend to care about your customers and fix this.  I'm losing the will to live.

Thanks

[Amal.]

Hi @William227072114ccg 

Thanks for sharing the logs, we have shared them with the engineering to review.

We will share the update as soon as we get any information from them.

Regards

Amal

[William227072114ccg]

Thanks Amal.  I'm on a Dell Precision 5550.  Windows 10 Pro, version 21H2, OS Build 19044.2006,Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4180.0

My Acrobat Pro DC is version 2022.002.20212.0   64 bit

[Amal.]

Hi @William227072114ccg 

Thanks for sharing the details, our engineering team is looking into it and would also require the Acrobat Crash/freeze logs as described here https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/collect-logs-crash-freeze.html

Waiting for your reply.

Regards

Amal

[William227072114ccg]

Hello Amal,

I have never had the Acrobat Error dialogue window or the Windows Crash Report window when trying to use Acrobat while it freezes (ie. every time I open a PDF).  What I do get when it hangs and I try to click a top menu item is "(Not responding)" in the window's title bar.  It stays like that until the freeze ends (usually 10-15 seconds).  I also have zero desire to follow the ridiculously complex instructions on the URL you've supplied, and zero desire to mess around with my Windows Registry.  So I won't be supplying these logs, sorry. 

TBTH I'm pretty angry that you're even asking.  I pay money every month for a product that's defective.  It's your responsibility to fix it.  As I've said before, this is an old problem, widely reported.  Unless you're prepared to pay for my time, I'm done wasting it on your debug process.  I'm also done with Adobe.  Before Creative Cloud all your DVD-based software was robust and bug free.  The endless tinkering and "value adding" updates in CC have just resulted in bloated bug-ridden software, and people like me (who once loved Adobe) hating your brand.  Sorry for the rant.  I know it's not your fault.  It's the fault of the "clever people" who couldn't just leave Acrobat alone and turned it into the stinking obese sloth it is today.  Rant over.  Apologies.

[William227072114ccg]

Amal - I've just seen your suggestions on a different thread (about this exact same issue) here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/acrobat-dc-keeps-freezing/td-p/11024636

I'm going to try those.  If that doesn't work I'll send you 520 Mb of Dump Files - which I saw requested on another thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/adobe-acrobat-pro-dc-freezes-for-several-seconds-... 

Pfffffffffffffffffff

[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

[randallh55227706]

Hi William227072114ccg

Re: your last three posts. THANK YOU. I agree with your rant. THEN your last post IS THE FIX for me. I also notice my PC (I am also Dell) is now starting much faster. I always wondered why it took so long to start (I have all programs on  an SSD and all storage on other disk drives), and now I believe it is that "Protected Mode" setting that was the cause. After following those steps, Acrobat Pro runs fine. This machine is Win10 Pro, and I have had the issue for months, but on my ASUS laptop, which is Win10 Home, I have never had the issue.

Too bad it takes all this frustration and effort, and having some ADOBE tech keep asking for all this bullsh*t when there is a fix, and there SHOULD BE A FIX AT THE PROGRAMMING LEVEL. 

I share your love of adobe products, they are amazing, and your frustration at this kind of ONGOING PROBLEM that is so common amongst many users on many systems. Thanks for sharing your fix in this community - (Yes, even though Amal apparently shared it some months ago, this is my first time seeing it). 

Respect.

[TrevizoR]

I am stuck on Step 9, can't find the Acrobat.exe file anywhere. What can I do?

[William227072114ccg]

If you have an Acrobat DC shortcut on your desktop, try right-clicking it and choosing Open File Location from the popup menu.

If you don't have the desktop Shortcut, right-click on the Acrobat DC shortcut in your Start Menu, choose More > and then Open File Location.  An Explorer window will open with another Acrobat DC Shortcut highlighted.  Right-click that Shortcut and choose Open File Location.

[Destination Unknown]

I'm not running Pro, just Adobe Acrobat Reader free version 2023.001.20093 , and I found this thread because I recently began encountering the same "freeze" whenever opening Acrobat Reader or a PDF file (since I have Adobe Acrobat Reader set as the default app for pdf files).

In my case, all I had to do were the first 5 steps:

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

Then shut down / restart Acrobat Reader. Problem is gone. I also restarted PC and made sure that Acrobat.exe was not set to run as administrator (it wasn't, so no change necessary there) and tested again just in case.

Thank you for re-posting the steps from the previous thread and making it easy to find!

[Os344615047b2g]

This solved our user's issue of Adobe freezing when clicking the Email icon to send a PDF from Outlook. Every time she would click the email icon, Adobe would freeze, and you would have to end task to do anything else with Adobe.

[Kim5E7A]

I've been experiencing the same issue for about a week.  I tried uninstall/reinstall, change program through control panel, acrobat cleaner tool, installing optional MS updates I don't need.  I am not IT, and was nervous figuring out how to change the registry, but did it anyway, AND IT WORKED.  Thank you for saving me another week of lost time.

[Matt5C4E]

Thank you!! I've been fighting this issue for months now and have gone through all of Adobe's troubleshooting guides. This is the only thing that has fixed the problem. 

[HR-A]

Dear Adobe!
The RegEdit Option is the only Solution that Works!!!
Fix YOUR Issue properly please, so unknown users dont have to mess with the RegEditor!

[Brenda26521190bu27]

I have been using Adobe Pro for years - for the last several months it is constantly freezing.  Having to Shut down using task manager so many times I've lost track. I've tried several things - it will fix it for about a week and then I'm back to freezing up again.  This really needs to be fixed!  Trying to not throw my computer today as I've rebooted it 3 times and I've only been at the office 1.5 hours today.  So much for coming in early to a jump start on a big project.

[MeenakshiNegi]

Hi Brenda26521190bu27,

Thank you for reaching out, and sorry about the trouble caused.

As the application freezes, try the troubleshooting steps suggested in the following help document for a crash: https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/troubleshoot-system-errors-freezes-windows.html. 

If the above suggestion does not work, try reinstalling the application using the following steps:
-Remove the application and run the cleaner tool (https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/cleaner.html).
-Reboot the machine
-Install Adobe Acrobat from the following page: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html.

If the issue still occurs, share the Acrobat and OS versions.

Try creating a new user account on your machine, and install Acrobat there. Check if you are experiencing the same behavior when using the application.

Let us know ow how it goes.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

[Dave268992283uoj]

William227072114ccg - thank you for posting this.  Started experiencing this today and your instructions fixed it.  

[Greg36631635xtb8 · Accepted solution]

My problems were solved when I uninstalled grammerly! on my windows PC!