Acrobat Signature field freezes when trying to sign a document.

[Legacy Fire]

Everytime I try to use my Acrobat Pro and sign a document in the signature/date stamp field the screen greys out and it freezes up.

To get out of the greyed screen I must hard shutdown the application.

I am running version Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2021.007.20099.

I have not had any major updates or changes to my laptop and it used to work perfectly until about a week or two ago.

I have tried to completely uninstall the program using Control Panel --> Programs --> Uninstall and then reinstalling the application through Adobe Creative Cloud.

I have then proceeded to completely update the application and have check for further updates / none available at this time.

Does anyone have a similar issue and knows the steps on how to fix this? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Legacy Fire · Accepted solution]

Resolution Found. Steps:Launch Reader > Edit > Preferences > Signatures .Under Creation & Appearance > click More > uncheck use modern user interface for signing. Relaunch Reader and check for functionality.

[Legacy Fire · Accepted solution]

Resolution Found. Steps:Launch Reader > Edit > Preferences > Signatures .Under Creation & Appearance > click More > uncheck use modern user interface for signing. Relaunch Reader and check for functionality.

[Sebastián23544447hefx]

Did not work

[Stephane239073136oxi]

No unchecking the use of modern signature doesn't fix the issue at all.

We are in 2022 and this is still an issue. The complete disregard of Adobe is a wake up call for everyone to move to another software to sing PDF files or stop using this 90's format once for all.
The issue occured on a Mac based system. The os is up to date, the adobe subscription to creative cloud payed, Acrobat DC is always up to date. It has been uninstalled/ reinstalled multiple times (each time it does the same issue) and it does fix for 2 or 3 documents to sing then we have to uninstall again...

The answers form the support team is not helping at all. They say to update the software and the os but when they remotely see themselfs that we actualy are on the current os realase and the current creative cloud Acrobat DC latest release, they just can't believe it. Yeah, like you didn't already saw that millions of times.

Stop messing with us please Adobe.

[Dooman24732924n6jr]

I did this and it worked for me. First goto "Prepare Form" delete all the form boxes that shows up in your document that you don't need or like me don't know why they were there in the first place. In my document I had over 100 of these form boxes. After you have deleted them then goto "Certificates" and try Digital Signature again. Hope it works for you. 

[jonim61444461]

Good way to say it! 

[DarrenStalker]

This worked for me

[jonim61444461]

I cannot locate Launch Reader. Why do users even have to do a fix for this!?  I have been an Adobe member for many years. I dont like most of the recenmt changes. In addition to this annoying problem, the signor Title is way down below and difficult to locate. When isnt it near name and date like it used to be?  Also I noticed editing words in the document is really finicky now.  It used to be straight forward and now it jumps all over or takes several attempts to get the word edited or replaced. Why keep changing this all the time?

[Mandeep5E3E]

Locating Launch Reader means double-clicking your Adobe reader to get into it to follow the next steps.

[asingularbee1]

I had the same issue and this fixed it for me, thank you

[jonim61444461]

Yes, I am having the same exact problem and I have to do a hard shut down to get it to clear. There is no other way to get that page to go away. This started happening in the last several weeks. At some point Adobe must have done a revision. Its really annoying.  

[ROHAN31498055a7z7]

Kindly reset all the settings of signature in validation.

[joebirm]

Hello

2/26/24-

Just started haveing trouble signing in to my account in Reader- tried the solutions found here but to no avail?

When I sign in the app freezes.

Is there a bug with adobe & Win 11?

[Tøm362307016rlt]

UP !!!
Hi
Same problem here.
I can't add a signature. I made it work by creating a signature aspect, inserting my signature image, and use it, but I can't use the add signature or add initials button : the soft freezes instantly.

Any advice or help available please ?

[josiahl85286225]

I am having the same issue. Nothing in this thread worked to fix.

[Derrell38965255l788]

Same here.  Just started this problem last week.  unfixable so far...including reboot.

[Meenakshi Negi]

Hi josiahl85286225 and Derrell38965255l788,

Thank you for reaching out and reporting this.

Please try updating the application to the latest version. In Acrobat, go to Help > Check for updates. Check if that resolves the issue. You may also refer to the information on the latest update on the following help page: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/release-note/release-notes-acrobat-reader.html. 

If the issue still occurs, please collect the logs using the steps suggested here: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/collect-logs-crash-freeze.html. Share the log ID. 

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

[t_4165]

I'm experiencing the same gray screen lock out every time I try and add a signature.  I've run the update as recommended.  Same lock-out result.  Prior to the last update, Acrobate allowed signatures without any issue - including recognition of those images I had saved previously as signatures to choose from.  Now - nothing.  Very frustrating.  Suggestions?

[master_days5350]

None of the steps that I have seen for this issue work.... Is there a real fix for this or are we all just made to suffer?

[JORDAN22850017a0mv]

thank you for providing support that is a repetitive answer and that doesn't work.  I'm canceling my subscription, there's other providers out there that care.

[waled_4]

I am in 2025, and the problem is still the same. the screen is freeze in gray. It is upadted Mac and updated Acrobate adobe. 

[Stephane239073136oxi]

I know, this is ridiculous. Still freezing at my client's computer. They just gave up and changed their solution for something else. Still using the free version for basic government related forms but relaying on other software for the signatures.
Stephane Rene

Technicien soutien technique SR / SR Technical support technician



WEB | Blogue | Courriel

Soutien technique T. 514.312.9966 · support@present.ca

[MonkNo1 · Accepted solution]

Yeah, I had the same problem yesterday. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling, but it didn’t work. Then I installed it using the standalone version, and it worked perfectly for me

[S. S]

Hi @MonkNo1,

Hope you are doing well.

Thanks for letting us know what worked for you.

Marking this as a correct answer for future users to use as a reference.

Regards,
Souvik.

[sufiya_3994]

You just have to use the online version and not the MAC application, I used it in google chrome and it worked perfectly fine but the app does not work on my laptop.