Multiple Sessions

Report · Jan 24, 2013

Continue to get box from Acrobat Distiller that says "Another instance of Distiller is busy starting up. This instance cannot continue." I then click on button to make it go away and soon it comes up again, and again, and again. I have shut off my computer, re-booted and still happens. Please contact me to correct this.

Report · Jan 24, 2013

Moved to Creating, Editing & Exporting PDFs

Since this does not appear to involve Distiller Server.

I'd recommend uninstalling Acrobat completely. Probably it would be good to use the Acrobat Cleanup tool if you are running Windows, then re-install.

http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/acrobatcleaner.html

Report · Oct 10, 2014

I did your recommendation and let me say that issue persists in the new fresh installation. Other issue that I can see is that Acrobat is installed twice, as you can see in the Programs and Features panel, on the Control Panel. I'm using Windows 8.1 x64 with all Adobe CC 2014 products.

The problem is that uninstalling any Acrobat version (or row), Adobe Acrobat is uninstalled fully.

Other issue detected with multiples instances is related to the Adobe CEF Helper application. This application appears, three or four times in the Task Manager.

Really annoying this issue.

Regards

César Qüeb

Report · Oct 10, 2014

It's not installed twice. Don't worry about the two entries, it's normal with CC.

Report · Oct 10, 2014

Ahh. I can see now.. thank you! So.. 4 GB are being used for Acrobat.. uff! really a big space for this application.

Regards.

Report · Jan 25, 2013

It may be a repair of Acrobat will fix the problem. (HELP>REPAIR) You might also consider updates of Acrobat. Just how are you getting to Distiller in the first place? Are you printing to the Adobe PDF printer or doing something else?

Report · Jan 27, 2014

Just tried all suggestions (uninstall, cleaner and repair). Reinstalled through creative cloud and now have the exact same problem again.

I have since noticed adobe had added a create pdf tool to internet explorer and google chrome (add-ons / extensions), removing those seems to have fixed it.

Report · Jan 30, 2014

I am having the same issues. I have tried all of the above but still no luck.

Report · Jan 31, 2014

Since removing the 'Adobe Create PDF' extensions / add-ons from chome & explorer I have not had any problems. Those are the only web browsers I have installed, maybe check the extensions / add-ons for other browsers you have / use.

Report · Mar 15, 2014

I am having the same issues and it's killing my PC, just running horrendously slow at startup! Multiple instances of "Another instance of Distiller is busy starting up. This instance cannot continue." Completely unintalled Acrobat XI Pro and reinstalled. No Help. Notice 2 instances on Acrobat showing as installed in "Programs and Features" in Win 7 x64 Pro. After removing they both come back when I reinstall. This is frustrating the hell out of me!

Report · Mar 16, 2014

I finally worked out how to solve this.This may work for you too.

I stopped one of the startup services called acrotray.exe and the problem went away. Depending on which version of Windows you are using, edit the services that startup when Windows starts. Find acrotray.exe and stop it from starting. Restart you computer and test.

Hope this helps.

Hiren F

Report · Mar 16, 2014

If you stop AcroTray you will no longer be able to print to the Adobe PDF printer without using Print-to-file. AcroTray is a background application which automates the process of opening the PS file created by the printer and forwarding it to Distiller to complete the print. Thus you will be limited to only those applications which use PDF Maker.

Report · May 02, 2014

About to try acrotray kill. My laptop now takes 3-4 MINUTES longer to boot. Well you get inside win8, but nothing is clickable for 3-4 mnutes, then the screen is spammed with about 7 "adobe distiller is busy starting up'. you must click Ok on all of them.

I dont see what the point is of being able to print to a PDF if it cripples the machine making it unable to launch programs which can print.

"good news - we modified your car to have a new option. bad news - we burned it to the ground installing it, sorry."

Report · May 03, 2014

If you kill AcroTray, you will no longer be able to print to the Adobe PDF printer. I am not sure if it is used by PDF Maker anymore, but the print option requires it to automate the PDF creation.

Report · Aug 19, 2014

"If you kill AcroTray, you will no longer be able to print to the Adobe PDF printer. I am not sure if it is used by PDF Maker anymore, but the print option requires it to automate the PDF creation."

I'm not sure that's necessarily the case.I killed AcroTray.exe through the Win7 Taskmanager. Printing to the AdobePDF printer worked fine, and the program launched another instance of AcroTray.exe.

I removed AcroTray.exe from startup using MSconfig. After rebooting, I didn't get the "duplicate distiller" message, and printing to AdobePDF worked, just as it had when I killed the process myself.

I'm running Windows 7 and Acrobat X Pro. So other people's mileage may vary with other versions of Acrobat. But I'm glad to not get the pop-up when I log-in.

Report · Oct 28, 2014

I've got the same problem -- did the reinstall, fix, etc. and nothing seems to work. The problem abated for a bit and with the latest acrobat upgrade, it reappeared. Before Distiller was opening 5-7 times; after only 1-2. I suppose that's an improvement but I don't understand why no one from Adobe is addressing the problem.

Report · Jul 13, 2016

this problem just came up for me today and only happens when I am working in INDD. I never had this issue in the past but late yesterday made a change to the Extensis Font Suitcase plug-in to the following:

checked - enable font sense support

unchecked - pick the best match when original is missing

checked - activate fonts in embedded objects

checked - activate entire font family

the items in bold are the ones that I changed. I will revert them tomorrow and let you know if this fixed the "distiller busy" messages (which btw opens 30-50 instances when it does pop up)

Report · Apr 16, 2019

Has anyone found a plausible answer to this yet? It's now 2019 and this is still plaguing some of us.