Adobe Acrobat DC does not start anymore in Windows 11

[Ingo25016520u1ca]

Since yesterday Acrobat DC (not Reader) does not start or opens any PDF file. At best the program opens for a second and then closes. Re-Install did not help.

I am workin on W11 Pro, Version 21H2, 64-bit-OS.

All hints on creating dump reports failed until now.

What can I do?

Thx in advance

[Amal. · Accepted solution]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described Acrobat Pro DC does not start or open any PDF file and reinstalling the application didn't help

either.

Please run the Acrobat cleaner tool https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/cleaner.html reboot the computer and reinstall the applcationu sing the link  https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html and check.

You may also try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights in Windows and try using / installing the application there and check.

Regards

Amal

[Robert C260006198ql2]

I have a similar problem. About every two weeks Acrobat Reader DC won't open on my Windows 11 machine. Task Manager shows Acrobat in the background processes, but the App won't open. I have tried repairing it and running as administrator but neither fix the issue. My only solution is to reinstall the App every two weeks when this happens. This process is getting old and Foxit Reader is looking more appealing if I can't find a solution.

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

Hello,
I have done all steps as Amal has described (already several times), but the result is the same. The Acrobat dc opens first time, but when I try to open the file Acrobat dc disappear from screen (Win11, 21H2, 64-bit OS) or give pop up "internal error"

I have done the installation also via Cloud but no difference. This start to be frustrating because I need this software for my work daily bases. Any recommendation what to do next ?

[Amal.]

Hi @Tommi26088077u9w7 

Hope you are doing well. The issue for 'Internal error occurred' is already reported to our engineering team and they are working on it.

The fix will be available in the future update.

Regards

Amal

[John26581944adkv]

Hi Amal,

This does not work.

Had Adobe found a fix yet?

Thank you

[JPHiggs]

I have the same issue (Windows 11, Adobe Cloud Desktop subscription) and I tried your solution. It did not work. I completely uninstalled Acrobat, tried the cleaner utility, restarted, fresh install of Acrobat again.... it still will not start. I've been dealing with this issue for some time and have tried seemingly everything. Adobe just doesn't make quality software anymore and there's no hope on fixing it any time soon.

[JPHiggs]

I found my own solution for anyone looking: right click and run Adobe Acrobat as Administrator. This doesn't enable double clicking on a document, but at least you can open Acrobat and then from the File menu, open your document from there.

[Gerrit Haase]

Same here.

Never worked on Windows 11.

Even though Windows 11 is available for quite some time now, they were not able to fix it, yet.

And to top all this, there is no warning at the download page, instead they state, that it is compatible with Windows 11.

Lies, damned lies, and Adobe.

[db79]

I am having the same issue and this is especially frustrating because I just got a price increase notice. HEY ADOBE, YOUR SOFTWARE DOESN'T WORK on a brand new HP. Come on.

[Amal.]

Hi @db79  @Gerrit Haase 

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that. Have you tried the suggestions provided in the correct answer shared above?

What happens when you try to open the application in Win 11? Do you get any error messages? If yes, please share the screenshot of the same for a better understanding.

Regards

Amal

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

I have done all the tricks given from your side and also some additional but……

I don’t have ACROBAT DC anymore installed in my computer

I can use it only via web pages

there are two main problems

#1, if I open the file directly with double clicking or vial web link, it open the file and then freezes and the shutdowns

#2 if I open first the Acrobat DC and then try to open the file via Acrobat menu – immediately I click the File system gives pop-up window warning “internal error” and there is nothing else than OK button. After clicking the OK system halts. It’s only halting the Adobe, other softwares and programs and applications are working. I can only shut it down from task manager

#3 3d-pdfs are not opening at all

[Amal.]

Hi @Tommi26088077u9w7 

We are sorry to hear that. Would you mind sharing a small video recording of the steps you are doing to open the PDF and get the issue, for a better understanding?

Regards

Amal

[db79]

video attached

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

I'm sorry I could not repeat my problem, because now the Acrobat DC is not opening at all

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

Ibtried also another way... sorry about the finnish language

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

What type of video you need next?

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

and thank you for this

 

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

Now I have uninstalled, acro cleaned, restarted the computer and reinstalled the dc... doesn't look very different

[Tommi26088077u9w7]

from event log I found this one 

fail module: ucrtbase.dll

[John26581944adkv]

I am having exactly the same issue as described in db79's video below.

I have spent hours trying to sort it out and it is preventing me from caryying out my work.

Why do Adobe descibe DC as being compatible with Windows 11 when it clearly is not? I expect Adobe to be better than this.

It is now starting to cost my business money so Adobe, come on and get it sorted.

Posts shortly to go on social media to alert everyone to this so they dont waste their money...

[bens44248323]

I was able to fix this after about an hour and a half of beating my head against the wall. It seems to be something to do with the user on the computer itself, so hopefully, you're using something like OneDrive to back up all of your data because you need to delete the user and create a brand new one.

I cannot stress enough backup your data First!

If you're not on a domain, I suggest making a new user on your computer. If you are, just log in to the local user temporarily. Then go into the Control Panel> System> which will take you to "Settings" about> click on Advanced System Settings> then under User Profiles click Settings. Here locate your user profile and delete it. 

Now login to the new user, and Adobe acrobat should load properly. Hopefully, they will come up with an update to fix this properly. This is a real pain in the backside way to make this work. I have a lot of customers that are using the software, and this is bad.

[Amal.]

Hi All,

We are sorry for the delay in response.

Would you mind collecting the Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html and procmon logs (Win Only) https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/acromonitor.html and share them with us via document cloud link https://helpx.adobe.com/document-cloud/help/sharing-pdfs.html  for further investigation?

Regards

Amal

[Gerrit Haase]

Hello,

Wow... after months you ask: "Would you mind collecting the Adobe CC logs
..."
Really?

Yes, I prefer to not to do so, if you don't mind. Alone reading this thread
seems to suggest that it doesn't work for any Win11-User, so why don't you just
get a Windows 11 system and try yourself?

For your convenience, I have not installed the latest feature update which
was called 22H2, and also I think 21H2 is not relevant yet. I got problems
right at the beginning, actually Acrobat Reader was one of the first tools
I wanted to install right at the beginning, when I purchased the new
laptop, which was right after the initial release of Win11.

[P.I removed by moderator]

[John26581944adkv]

Please contact me directly.

Thank you