Multiple Versions of Distiller Running

[glaustin]

Hi Guys

I have a Surface Pro 4 (Win10) with Acrobat DC v21.0 running. I also have Acrobat Reader v2001.001.20145 in case I am signed out of CC on the road and want to read a pdf quickly (without going through the sign-in procedure). I have had this configuration for several years.

I have started to get sporadic warnings of multiple instances of Acrobat Distiller running over the last couple of months. Below is an image.

The Control Panel verifies only DC and Reader are running. Has anyone seen this before and can anyone advise how I can troubleshoot to stop this? Any help would be welcome.

Regards,

Graham

[Amal.]

Hi Graham,

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described you are getting the error 'Another instance of distiller is busy starting up. This instance can not continue'

Please look at the correct answer marked in a similar discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/another-instance-of-distiller-is-busy-starting-up/td-p/101255... and see if that works for you.

Hope it will help

Regards

Amal

[glaustin]

Many thanks, Amal. I will do that next time. But I think using Task Manager only stops additional instances that have started running, not solved additional instances from ever starting.

[Test Screen Name]

Distiller is a part of Acrobat (not included with Reader). I'm not sure what control panel you mean, can you give more details about how you are checking what is running please?

[glaustin]

I am talking about the Windows Control Panel.

[Test Screen Name]

Yes, which Windows control panel please? There are many... but I can't think of any that do this.

[glaustin]

There is only one Control Panel, but it has lots of sections😊. I'm talking about where it lists out the programmes. There is only DC and Reader listed. Additionally, Task Manager lists only one version of DC running.

[Test Screen Name]

The Programs control panel shows you only the programs you have got installed. It doesn't say anything about whether they are running. And where a Program includes other programs it doesn't show anything at all. Task manager shows what is actually running. Distiller will show up, if it is running, as "Acrodist".

The big question is, I guess, are you actually trying to use Distiller, or it just randomly starting? Distiller is almost entirely used when you print to the Adobe PDF printer - it runs behind the scenes to make that work.

[Red Ink Writes]

I am having the same issue. Task Manager shows only one instance of Acrobat; however, I get the same pop-up about multiple versions running when I restart my computer, and it makes the entire device run soooooo slowly upon reboot. On advice I received in this forum, I followed a bunch of steps to ensure that I only had one version installed, but that didn't make a difference - I still get this message. I keep wondering if it has something to do with Acrobat initially being installed via CD, before Adobe programs were cloud-hosted. It's like there are still remnants of the old installed Acrobat program still on my computer, although I performed a clean install of Window 11 when I upgraded from Windows 10. 

[S. S]

Hi @Red Ink Writes,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for the trouble, and the delayed response.

In case you are still looking for a solution, please run the Acrobat cleaner tool https://adobe.ly/4iCk1IE, reboot the computer once, and install the application using the direct link https://adobe.ly/3FiWxK9 and see if that works for you.

Regards,
Souvik.