Adobe Acrobat slow to open files.

[paul_6482]

I am having an issue since the latest windows update and Adobe updates where opening up multiple pdf's take an extremly long time. The problem appears to get worse if the file is large and the more pdf' you have open th slower it gets as well. If you close adobe acrobat down and reopen the first file opens quickly. I have 32 GB of RAM on a 13 generation i7 processor so processing power is not the issue. I have also tried disabling the security and enhanced security as well as disabling the show online storage when opening files. I have also disabled the modern Acrobat interface.

[M_L_P]

I use Adobe Reader and did wonder if this is deliberate, to make me get the upgrade? 

[diana_8423]

I am having the same issue after the latest Windows update. Has there been any resolution?  Seems to have been going on for a long time for some

[AnandSri]

Hello,

I hope you're doing well, and we apologize for the delayed response and the trouble.

Please ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed on the machine: 25.001.20432 Planned update, Mar 11, 2025. Check for any pending updates from the Menu > help > check for updates, install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and check. For more information, see this: https://adobe.ly/41zNXOQ.

If the issue persists when opening the PDF with the latest version, could you share a sample PDF that is slow to open? Additionally, please provide the logs from the affected machine and the current OS version details. This will help us investigate further.

For testing purposes, please disable the app's enhanced security and try opening the PDF file.

Follow these steps:

• Windows: Menu > Preferences > Security
• Mac: Acrobat > Preferences > Security
• Disable Protected Mode at Startup and Enhanced Security, then click OK.
• Restart both the app and your machine.

After testing, please re-enable the security settings and let us know the results.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[kwakuGH]

It worked! Thank you so much.

But please note that "Protected Mode at Startup" and "Enhanced Security" were found at:

Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced).

There is no need to disable "Enable Enhance Security".

[Smitherwood]

Finally!  (*** Just click the Adobe URL link above, locate the newest update from the list of updates, download the file after verifying your correct version of Acrobat /Reader for your operating system, 32-bit or 64-bit. After the file downloads, double-click the file, accept all prompts, and you're good to go!***)

[sergey_3774]

April 10, 2025. I struggled with a similar issue for several days, which drove me nuts.

Finally found a workaround that works. I open the Adope Reader and drag the file I want to open onto it, instead of double clicking the file.  The file opens fast in this case.

Another workaround is to drag the file on Google Chrome, it opens it even faster in Chrome's internal pdf viewer.

[lloyd_5023]

Has there been any update on this? I consistently get faster speeds opening large files in Chrome. But having to use an alternate method to work on your files is so inconvenient for many reasons, 

[h_8565]

FYI - running latest version: 2025.001.20474 and was experience same issue (painfully slow file opening in Adobe Acrobat Reader - free version). Opening PDF's from Explorer and ESPECIALLY from email was taking WAY longer than it should. Per 3/17/25 post from @AnandSri - here's what worked for me:

* Navigate to: Menu\Preferences\Security (Enhanced)

* Un-check "Enable Protection Mode at startup"

* Close & re-open Acrobat Reader ifyou'd like (it seemed to me that this setting takes effect immediately, so close/re-open may not be necessary - just manually closed & re-opened the app to be safe.)

* Try opening a PDF file from Explorer and/or Email - should be faster = problem solved (if not faster, close/reopen Reader per above & try again)

* I saw no need to un-check "Enable Enhanced Security" - as it made no difference, and will automatically reactivate this setting each time you start Acrobat Reader.

* If I re-activate the "Enable Protection Mode at startup" setting - problem immediately comes back, so just leaving this un-checked until Adobe fixes the underlying issue causing the slow speeds.  As long as the "Enable Enhanced Security" is active -  hopefully app is safe from cyber-ick.

[AnandSri]

Hello @h_8565!

Thank you for sharing the detailed steps which worked for you. 

Could you please collect the logs from the affected machine by resetting the security settings to their default values and reproducing the issue? To help us identify the root cause of the slowness in opening the PDFs, please follow these steps:

1. Download the log collector tool and run it.

2. Ensure that all log options are selected.

3. Reproduce the issue while the tool is running.

4. Stop the tool once you have reproduced the issue. It will generate logs along with a log ID.

5. Share the generated logs and the log ID with us for further investigation.

Thank you!

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[joseph_7757]

I am routinely opeining PDF's from my CAD software, which had NO problems until AI started taking over.  Now it seems it wantes to analyze every pixel befor letting me see the document.  It will ask if I want a synopsis of the doscument... you can't synosize a drawing!  Let it go Mr AI, and let me have my functionality back!

[h_8565 · Accepted solution]

I think I finally found a FIX for this problem. 

* (1) Go into: Menu\Preferences\Security (Enhanced) and un-cecking the following:

                Enable Protected Mode at startup

                Run in AppContainer

                Enable Enhanced Security

                Close settings window & PDF file would open IMMEDIATELY, but only one time.

********** NOTE: Step 1 alone DID NOT FIX because "Enable Enhanced Security" kept defaulting back to being checked, causing me to have to do this ALMOST every time I opened a PDF from my email and even from my local drive (See step "2" below). Otherwise, took 30+ seconds to open. Got VERY used to the shortcut (Ctrl+K, Alt+E, Enter!)... after finally having enough of this -

* (2) STEP 2: Since Step 1 above didn't seem to retain its settings due to "Enable Enhanced Security" re-enabling itself every time - I think I FINALLY found a fix that works. 

                Go into same menu: Menu\Preferences\Security (Enhanced)

                Click "View Windows Trusted Sites"

                Select "Internet" (should be defult), then drag the "Security Level for this zone" to "Medium" setting.       

                                    (mine defaulted to Medium-High)

                Click "Apply" and close the settings window.

This fixed problem for me - Enable Enhanced Security still reverts back to being selected, but on the Medium setting, all PDF's now open as soon as I double-click -  even when app is not already open.

[EVERTON.LUIZ]

MY HERO!! FIXED. 

[Stab2k]

Thank you. This seems to be working for me as well. 

I have had this problem whenever I open Bridge, somehow PDFs are slow to open in Acrobat. It's been like that for years, so this time around I thought it might have been complications from that.