Adobe Acrobat shuts down a few seconds after launching

[Steve Kellaway]

Hi, i have an account with Adobe Acrobat Standard. I can login online and use it that way but if i open Acrobat locally it shuts down after a few seconds. I have a feeling it's not letting me Sign In, as i can see the Sign In button at the top before it shuts down. I has been running this on my computer for some time before this started to happen. I did also have this problem previously (months ago) and an uninstall, clean and reinstall worked to fix it.

This time around, I uninstalled Acrobat, ran the cleaner https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/cleaner.html restarted my PC, downloaded the 64 bit version of Acrobat Standard here https://helpx.adobe.com/au/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html installed it and the identical problem still exists.

Can someone please help?

[S. S]

Hi @Christophe29804756cptc @Steve Kellaway,

Sorry for your experience!

We are here to help. While the workaround is working for most of you in this case, we would still like to investigate this to get to a fix ASAP.

To assist you better, the dev team needs your help in helping us understand the complete situation.

Please let me know if you would be willing to join a call with the dev team and me to help us investigate it.

If yes, I will send you an email using my official Email address so you can schedule a call as per your preferred timings.

-Souvik

[stu_5745]

I have encountered a similar issue using Windows 10.

When I attempt to open any PDF file from a local hard disk, my adminstrator account works, but my (non-administrator) user account crashes the application.

Version: Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 2024.002.20991 | 64-bit

Windows update is up to date.

This is consistent when using my (non-administrator) user account, and is not specific to any one file. The result is the same for all PDF files.

If I "Run as administrator" in the non-admin account, the result is:
DDE Server Window: Windows - Application Error
The instruction at 0x0000000059BC767E referenced memory at 0x0000000000000000.
The memory could not be read.
Click on OK to terminate the program
Click on CANCEL to debug the program
[OK] {Cancel]
[Cancel] attempts to go to the internet.
[OK] exits.

Either using File Explorer to double-click on a file, or double-clicking a file in the recent files list within Adobe Acrobat Reader has the same result.

The menu option "Plugins" is greyed out in both accounts, so no plugins have been enabled.

I've tried various suggestions that I found online, including repair the installation, without any success.

There are 4 types of recommendations in the log file:
Consider modifying policy using this policy rule: SECTION_ALLOW_ANY
Consider modifying policy using these policy rules: EVENTS_ALLOW_ANY
Consider modifying policy using this policy rule: MUTANT_ALLOW_ANY
Consider modifying policy using these policy rules: FILES_ALLOW_ANY or FILES_ALLOW_DIR_ANY

I haven't found any reference online that states how to modify these policy rules.

The log file is attached.

Any help is appreciated.

[S. S]

Hi @stu_5745,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for your experience with Acrobat!

I investigated the log file, and here are my observations:

The log file indicates multiple instances of STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED errors related to various system resources, such as sections and events, while running Adobe Acrobat in Protected Mode.

Also, these were a few observations:

• NtOpenSection Errors: Several attempts to open sections like \\KnownDlls\\uxtheme.dll and \\Sessions\\6\\Windows\\ThemeSection were denied.

• OpenEvent Error: The attempt to open an event named HookSwitchHookEnabledEvent was also denied.

• NtCreateMutant Error: There was a denial when attempting to create a mutant object.

Here is the solution based on the log suggestions. 

The report suggests changes to the below policies.

• SECTION_ALLOW_ANY: For NtOpenSection errors.
• EVENTS_ALLOW_ANY: For OpenEvent errors

Solution 1: Change Protected Mode Policy File

Acrobat's Protected Mode uses a PMAcrobatBroker.policy file usually located in the installation directory. This file defines the security rules.

Edit the Policy File:

1. Open the PMAcrobatBroker.policy file in a text editor with administrative privileges.
2. Add or modify the rules to include the necessary permissions,

SECTION_ALLOW_ANY = \\KnownDlls\\uxtheme.dll, \\KnownDlls\\combase.dll, \\Sessions\\6\\Windows\\ThemeSection, \\Windows\\Theme2469558552
EVENTS_ALLOW_ANY = HookSwitchHookEnabledEvent

3. Save the file and restart Adobe Acrobat for the changes to take effect 

Solution 2: Adjust System Security Policies

If Protected Mode policies are managed through your system's Group Policy or security settings, you may need to adjust these settings to allow access to the necessary resources.

1. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) or the Local Security Policy Editor.
2. Navigate to the relevant sections where application rules are defined.
3. Add or modify rules to allow access to the specific DLLs, events, or other resources that are being blocked.
4. Apply and save the changes.

Note: Please keep a backup of the policy files if you need to revert the changes.

Hope this helps.

-Souvik

[stu_5745]

Thank you for the quick response, Souvik.

WRT Solution 1:
There is no Policy File PMAcrobatBroker.policy in the installation directory, which is at "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat".

WRT Solution 2:
Windows 10 Home does not have Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) or Local Security Policy (secpol.msc).

Is there any other way to set or change the policies on Windows 10 Home?

[S. S]

@stu_5745 Was checking through Microsoft's solutions page and found this: How to Enable the GPEdit.msc on Windows 10 and 11 Home? 

-Souvik

[stu_5745]

Wow, that link does the job! Thanks for sharing. I "Upvoted" your post.
I was able to install the packages and run the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) on Windows 10 Home.

If you could spare a little more time for me on this subject, I still need a bit more guidance.

I ran gpedit.msc as administrator, and attempted to find the correct settings where application rules are defined.
I wanted to set permissions for security group "Users".
I tried AppLocker>Executable Rules and AppLocker>Script Rules, but these have nothing to do with permissions like "SECTION_ALLOW_ANY".

Which option should be used to set the permissions?

[S. S]

Hi @stu_5745,

Thanks for letting me know that the Group Policy now works for you. 

I would rather let the dev team work on this further. The team is working on a fix, and should be live soon.

To expedite the fix, the team would like to get on a call to understand the situation better. Please let me know if you are willing to get on a call with me and our dev team.

If yes, I'll share a link with you over private messages, so you can set up the call as per your preferred time.

Thanks,

Souvik

[stu_5745]

The Adobe team shared the latest version of Acrobat Reader with me, and the issue no longer occured.

On my computer, the Help menu item "About Adobe Acrobat Reader" now reads:

Continuous Release | Version 2024.002.21005 | 64-bit

The latest version is downloadable at: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

There's no harm in trying that instead of running in compatibility mode.

This goes to show that the developers at Adobe do care about their users - they should be supported, rather than giving them a hard time.

[jane-e]

This goes to show that the developers at Adobe do care about their users - they should be supported, rather than giving them a hard time.

By @stu_5745

I love that you added this last part, Stu. That's what I see as well  — they care very much about users!  ❤️

Jane

Forum volunteer

[marcela_2608]

Hi Steve,

Did you get any solution for the PDF problem?

[Suzanne Graves]

Tried everything including reinstalling to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat 2024.002.21005. Still crashing. Tried Windows 7 compatibility mode still crashing. I cleared all the credentials under credential manager for Adobe and it was still crashing. What works was clearing all the credentials that said adobe from credential manager plus then afterwards running Adobe in Windows 7 compatibility so i could finally get the sign in box to pop up. That did that trick. It was running slow so I disabled compatibility mode. Adobe still runs after disabling compatibility mode. This should have been fixed with this new release. Hopefully my experience with this helps others.

My solution:

1 . Update to latest version of Adobe Acrobat

2. Clear all references to Adobe under Credential Manager.

3. Open Adobe Acrobat using Windows 7 compatibility mode.

4. You can revert back to disabling compatibility once you have successfully signed in and closed Adobe.

I am hoping that it stays like this for a while and that Adobe solves this issue so people don't have to go through all these hoops to get it working. 

[S. S]

Hi @Suzanne Graves,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for your experience!

Would you mind updating the application to the latest version (2024.003.20112) and letting us know if you are still experiencing the issue? 

To do so, go to Menu-> Help-> Check for updates.

If you experience the same issues on the latest version, please help us gather the logs from your machine: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-diagnostics.html. Please make sure Procmon is selected. You can upload logs using this tool and share your Unique log ID with us. 

Look forward to hearing from you.

-Souvik

[S. S]

Hello Everyone, 

Our team would like to have a small call with you to try and test a fix. 

Please let me know if you are willing to get on a small session with me, and we can test the fix over call and share the feedback to the team.

Thanks,

Souvik

[Gleeful_difference1578]

Hi, I have the same issue and ran the Adobe diagnostics with the following log. Hopefully, someone from Adobe will be able to debug the diagnostics.

[2024.10.11] [09:53:35.111914100] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg][Diagnostics]: Acrobat session started
[2024.10.11] [09:53:35.112225200] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg][NativeRS][ENABLE_CHECK]: NativeRS Disabled for NON ACP User (Discovery incomplete)
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.102672400] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AcroCEFBrowserContextGuard::loadURL ["https:\/\/rna-v2-resource.acrobat.com\/?theme=DarkTheme","","",false]
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.102694100] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AcroCEFBrowserContextGuard::loadURL ["https:\/\/rna-v2-resource.acrobat.com\/?theme=DarkTheme&dropin=desktop-verbs","","",false]
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.102706400] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AcroCEFBrowserContextGuard::loadURL ["https:\/\/rna-v2-resource.acrobat.com\/?theme=DarkTheme","","",false]
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.212196800] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: Webresources registry value = Resource1
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.877377500] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AcroCEFBrowserContextGuard::loadURL ["https:\/\/rna-resource.acrobat.com\/","theme=DarkTheme","",false]
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.881968200] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AVCEFView::setBrowserProxy received for url https://rna-resource.acrobat.com/ with endPointAddress at=2:av=processType=p1:processId=16044:uniqueId=1::
[2024.10.11] [09:53:38.881974900] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AVCEFView::onBrowserCreated, url: https://rna-resource.acrobat.com/task_handler, appID:task_handler
[2024.10.11] [09:53:48.616860800] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: Closing CEF view, url: , appID:ContextBoardCEFView
[2024.10.11] [09:53:48.616873000] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AcroCEF - unloadURL:
[2024.10.11] [09:53:48.628449900] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: Closing CEF view, url: https://rna-resource.acrobat.com/task_handler, appID:task_handler
[2024.10.11] [09:53:48.628460200] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: AcroCEF - unloadURL: https://rna-resource.acrobat.com/task_handler
[2024.10.11] [09:53:48.647159700] [AcroLogger:info] [ProcessID:47060] [ThreadId:41916] [Version:24.3.20180] [msg]AcroCEF: Max renderer count 5

[Gleeful_difference1578]

I had the same issue when launching Adobe Acrobat Pro, it would close within 10s. To fix the issue I did the following:

1. Do not immediately uninstall/install Adobe Acrobat Pro

2. Run Adobe Acrobat Pro in Windows 7 compatibility mode and check for error messages that come up

3. My error message was error 205, and I was only able to obtain this message by running in Windows 7 compatibility mode.

4. Follow the steps to resolve the Windows credential licensing issue as per the thread: https://helpx.adobe.com/au/download-install/kb/fix-licensing-error-205.html 

5. Re-launch Adobe Acrobat Pro and sign in

[S. S]

Hi @Gleeful_difference1578,

Thanks for writing in! 

I have sent an email to the address registered on the community. 

Please have a look and let me know if we can proceed further with it.

-Souvik

[Shardus]

Same issue here... As soon as I have to install a new version of the app, it never works again... STOP CHANGING APPS THAT WORK FINE!

[kglad]

@Shardus 

disable updates.

[jane-e]

@Shardus 

Can you tell us if you have updated to 2024.003.20112, as this release should contain the fix. Also, see the message above from Employee @S. S asking to contact him for a small session.

Jane

[S. S]

@Shardus As Jane mentioned, please let me know if you would be available for a small session.

If yes, I will send an email to you at the address registered in the community with the link to schedule a call at your convenience.

-Souvik

[Shardus]

I just uninstalled the new version and installed an older one. Fixed it perfectly. Seems the old saying of, "if it isn't broken don't fix it," wins again... 
Thanks anyways.

[Shardus]

It was the newest version since I had reinstall all my old programs because of needing to reset my computer. I resolved the issue by finding a link to an older version of the program. Worked perfectly. 

[S. S]

@Shardus Thanks for letting me know that it worked.

Please feel free to write back in case you need further assistance.

-Souvik

[ashlee_9903]

I'm having the same issue.  Has there been a fix posted?

[S. S]

Hi @ashlee_9903,

We are working on it, and the fix is scheduled for the upcoming release.

We request your kind understanding and patience while we get the fix released.

-Souvik