Latest update of Adobe Acrobat Pro is an absolute disaster

[Bianca29482777pvwb]

Hi, 

I am trying to write a complaint email but of course, no contact details in this regard, so here I am:

what on earth is going on with this new update of Adobe Acrobat Pro that normally it's supposed to be more user friendly - news flash, it's not - and appart from this, there is this new awful feature that blocks the app whenever I try to handle documents, the app blocks, I can't close, I can't do anything, it just freezes. The only thing that gets me out of there is task manager, and then starting over again.

I did this 3 times, making me losing around 10 minutes for an edit that normally, before this horrible update, it was taking me few seconds... Come on guys WAKE UP!

[Donald32516386092f]

View > Disable new Acrobat

[FriendlyChap]

Yes

File -> disable new Acrobat ...

and you will have a smile on your face

[Elizabeth331328376gy0]

OH THANK GOODNESS. Thanks so much, I have been pulling my hair out and nearly reduced to tears trying to mark up a pdf. What a horrendous interface.

[dario cdco]

And here we are again Adobe. You make changes, just for the sake of making changes, but without a though or wink to your core professional customers. My acrobat updated without me even realising and before I know it, I have this brand spanking new interface with a smaller font I can no longer read (as I'm a little sight imapired) all while I'm trying to read a contract. What the hell? And yeah, I know what your response will be... Don't get me wrong here. I like change - especially when things are made easier, but right now and even if I do get used to this interface, the slownes and double handing of processes will drive me away... WHY? Just WHY?

And, don't get me started on how you are constantly trying to push us into relying on your crappy cloud service. PLEASE, CEASE!

[FriendlyChap]

The thing about the new desktop Acrobat Pro is that you can disable it. After hours of suffering I discovered it can be disabled! It then goes back to the previous user-friendly easy-to-use version. What a relief! I agree that the  new Acrobat Pro is absolutely horrible. 

[FriendlyChap]

Go to File-> disable new acrobat

the normal acrobat has it's problems as well. but they made the update so horrible and so lousy and terrible that it makes the previous acrobat seem like amazing perfection in comparison

[SKlunk]

To all of you who are saying "read the post" and "it can be disabled" --  good for you!  But if you read my posts (as well as a others) you will see that IT DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE!

That is what led me to start posting in this thread.  I (and again some others) found the "disable new interface" within the first 15 minutes of using this HORRIBLE updated UI, but when some of us click on that then restart Adobe we get the old interface, but it then goes into an endless "internal error" loop EVERY TIME YOU CLICK ON SOMETHING!

Yes there are a lot of CAPS in this post, but we can't seem to get Adobe to fix the problem.  We are not disagreeing about the new UI being terrible (Adobe needs to change that as well), but we can't get back to the old UI.  This is what needs to be fixed by Adobe!!

[norvellb25521215]

To ADOBE.  The new revision of Acrobat does not work.  I have been working on the same form for 3 hours only yo have it crash and loose all revisions I made since the last save. On top of that it keeps moving to different check boxes and text boxes all by itself. I am loosing valuable design time by having to redo my work several times. and not slowing down to a cral just to make sure I am hitting the correct properties. only to have it crash again and loose the work I just did, even though I hit save after almost every change I have done.  GIVE ME BACK MY PROGRAM.  I DONT UPDATE THESE THINGS for a REASON.  This is it.  I cannot find anything in this program now. it is very VERY VERY Frustrating. - Can you tell I am just a little upset!!  I am trying to be respectable and not raise my voice but my day is almost over and the form I started on right after lunch is only 2 pages done.  I normally could do 5-6 in an afternoon.  I cannot find anything and things are not working properly. Please do not change things without telling us! 

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

@norvellb25521215, you can revert to the "classic" interface.

In this screen cap (from a previous post), Windows is on the left, Mac on the right:

Windows on the Left. Mac on the Right.

Windows: Look for the hamburger menu in the upper left corner (3 horizontal lines where the File menu used to be). Then scroll to Disable New Acrobat.

Mac: View menu, and scroll to Disable New Acrobat.

You can voice your opinion directly to Adobe's engineers about this upgrade at https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/47082691-ditch-t...

[Barbara27463745j3i3]

Thank you, this worked.
Barb

[Amal.]

Hi there,

Hope you are doing well.

We acknowledge that the new Acrobat represents a notable change; however, we hope that as you get familiar with the new interface, you can be more productive and get more out of Acrobat.

We are actively working on all the suggestions, and we will address them with the highest priority.

As you get more comfortable with the new interface, please contact us with specific questions on tools, features, or functionalities. We’re happy to provide helpful resources and answers to your questions.

If your critical workflows are impacted, you can switch to the old UI from the “Menu” on the top left corner of Windows and View Menu on MacOS

We will follow up with a detailed community-featured post, guiding you to familiarise yourself with the new interface and regular updates on upcoming changes.

~Amal

[SKlunk]

Amal,

This is exactly the NON-customer service we are talking about.  Adobe is NOT "actively" working on anything.  The OP started this thread 5 MONTHS ago and all we hear from Adobe is "once you get used to the new interface".  There are 2 things happening that Adobe is completely ignoring:

1.  The MAJORITY of users HATE the new interface.

2.  For many users they can NOT go back to the old interface through the hamburger menu (it causes many "internal error" failures with every mouse click).

If the Adobe employees would actually read this thread, and actually cared about their users, they would be doing something, but they are not.  As I said before -- I work for a company that owns TENS OF THOUSANDS of Acrobat Pro licenses, and from what I hear from outr I.T. group we are considering canceling and moving to a competitor.  Not a threat, just showing proof that Adobe is ignoring it's users! 

[AnandSri]

Hi @SKlunk 

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out.

Please see my comments inline with your pointers: 

1. The MAJORITY of users HATE the new interface.

• We are actively working on every feedback received on the new Acrobat and are being evaluated.

2.  For many users they can NOT go back to the old interface through the hamburger menu (it causes many "internal error" failures with every mouse click).

• I have sent an email to you; please check your email inbox, If you are personally experiencing this issue, we would like to work with you to get the issue investigated and resolved as soon as possible. 

I also want to know more about your company's licensing agreement for Acrobat so we can investigate the issue and improve the experience of the "Internal error"

Kindly check the email for more information.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[defaultcwso1bvc75pj]

I'd be happy to learn the new interface, but it crashes EVERY TIME IT IS OPENED! What is it you are NOT listening to in these customer support emails. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Does it crash when you deactivate the new interface? If so, then it could be a corrupt install during the update.

[pomarrosapr]

This answer is a serious insult to us users. There is no way this is a matter of learning curve and getting used to it. The company seriously messed the software and you better accept it sooner than later. The new update is so terrible and horrible and nightmarish that, for the first time ever, I felt the need to express myself on a topic like this. To me, the top thing that makes Adobe unparalleled is the user-friendliness of all its products. That effectiveness, that ease, that perfection... It all disappeared with this update. How come this was approved??? They made EVERYTHING harder. EVERYTHING that was super easy now is significantly more difficult. How come the advantage of just selecting the text and start typing the replacement, was eliminated, and now I have to go and select the comment icon, and then select "replace text", and then select the text to be replaced, and then open the comments panel, and then start typing the text to be replaced ???? HOW someone thought that was better????? That someone doesn't belong in Adobe! This is just one tiny thing of MANY that just killed the perfection that Adobe Pro WAS for us editors. It's HORRIBLE and I just wish you accept it soon and not too late, and change things back.

[kathy53]

It seems the software should have been tested more thoroughly before implementing and disrupting millions of company operations.  The functionality is awful.  When I try to translate some documents, unless they are VERY clean and clear, it messes them up completely making them illegible. That never use to happen. I have had nothing but problems. I use to look forward to working in Adobe Acrobat now I dread it. Something always doesn't work correctly.  I am going to be looking at other sofware options.

[Laura330901320skn]

We just want this to stop crashng!!!! Almost a year and the problems haven't been solved. 3 hours wasted trying to edit 1 page file!!! C'mon!

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that

What is the workflow/steps you are doing when the application crashes? A small video recording of the same would be very helpful.

Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check. If the file is stored on a shared network/drive please download it to your computer locally and then try again.

What is the version of the OS and the Acrobat DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 24.02.20857 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

Also try to repair the installation from the help menu (Win Only) and see if that works.

Please try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described here https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-defau... and check.

~Amal

[Lori321587416rax]

I am complete agreement. The new update is terrible. I've had to start over editing documents 4 different times only to lose document material (that I wasn't editing). The new update runs extremely slow. 

[Jonathan32161640p9mg]

THIS UPDATE IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE.  ADOBE SHOULD BE ASHAMED.  I'D RECOMMEND SWITCHING TO BLUEBEAM.  IF YOU HAVE TO LEARN SOMETHIGN NEW YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.

[denlaw1217]

Disaster is putting it mildly. I have a deadline TODAY. All I need to do is add Bates Numbers to mulitple documents without combining them. Super simple process until this new version. No help available. After today, if there is another way to add Bates numbers to pdfs I buying it and cancelling this useless subscription. Meantime, I may have to go find my old Bates-stamping machine and some ink. I'll also check and see if I can find some redacting tape and a typewriter. This is ridiculous.

[denlaw1217]

OK, I just spent a half hour on a chat with support. You can currently disable the new version and still use the old one. Go to Adobe at the top left and click on View and then Disable New Version. Hopefully, they will keep that option for awhile. Looks like I can stop looking for my Bates-stamping machine. 😃

[denlaw1217]

UPDATE--Hey folks, I have been so frustrated with Adobe's justification on here of this "improvement," I did something I have never done. I printed out our responses and FedEx'd them to their product executive and copied my letter to the CEO. I am hopeful that I do not get a Roger B. Smith response. See attached.

[Alex35021611o5rq]

Nice work