"The operation could not be completed as Adobe Acrobat doesn't have permission to access"

[BarryRowell]

This is a lie: I have given the program the permissions it requires and almost any time I try to open a PDF when the program is already running, I get this message. If I quit Acrobat and then open the file, it will usually open it (not every time but most of the time). I am attaching screenshots of my permissions on my Mac (MacBook Pro, 2023, Apple M2 Max, 64 gb RAM running Sequoia v15.5).

Never had this problem before and this is a new computer (to me—just bought less than a month ago).

[creative explorer]

@BarryRowell try this out on your computer, as you need to change the permission via preferences... To effectively resolve this persistent permission issue, begin by navigating to your Mac's System Settings (formerly System Preferences) > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access. Here, ensure that Adobe Acrobat is explicitly listed and its toggle switch is set to the "On" position. While you've granted access to specific folders like Desktop and Removable Volumes, "Full Disk Access" provides a broader, more robust level of system access that often bypasses the granular inconsistencies seen with interactive processes. If Acrobat is not listed, click the '+' button, find Adobe Acrobat in your Applications folder, and add it. Additionally, consider adding the specific problematic folder (/Volumes/2025-SSD/BR_2025/Vizion/PDFs/ or its parent BR_2025/Vizion/) directly to Acrobat's permissions within this same "Privacy & Security" section under Files and Folders, as this can sometimes grant more reliable access to particular locations. After making these changes, quit and relaunch Acrobat, and ideally restart your Mac, to ensure the new permissions are fully registered by the operating system.

If the problem persists, a clean reinstallation of Adobe Acrobat might be necessary to clear any corrupted application files or settings that are preventing proper permission recognition. Do youse Adobe Cleaner from Adobe themselves and not athird party website either. 

[BarryRowell]

Thank you—I've tried that. It's interesting that Adobe wasn't taking me to that menu: it was going directly to the menu that I showed in the screenshot, which showed that I had done what was requested. The Full Disk Access toggle was off, as it was on a couple of non-Adobe products that were causing me some consternation...  I suspect your solution is the correct one!

[BarryRowell]

Nope. Didn't work—same problem: I can open one PDF or 2 or 3 together but when I try to open another PDF after Acrobat is already open, it gives me the same message. That's the folder I posted about but I get the same message when the PDF is on the Desktop or in Downloads.

[BarryRowell]

Follow up: I don't use Adobe Cleaner or any other product but will try that and see if it does anything. And I guess a clean install but frankly don't have the time to stop for that right now...

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @BarryRowell,

Thanks for the screenshot — that helps clarify what’s going on.

The error message you’re seeing usually occurs when Adobe Acrobat doesn’t have permission to write or modify files at the specified location. In this case, it looks like the file is located on a mapped or network drive.

I can see that you have already worked from the front, and the expert @creative explorer, has also tried to focus on that.

Why does this happen:

Mapped drives or network locations can sometimes:

• Be read-only or have limited write permissions

• Get disconnected or expire due to session timeouts

• Be blocked by Acrobat’s security settings (especially in Protected Mode or in sandboxed environments), of course, for safety reasons. 

Here’s what you can try:

1. Copy the file locally first:

   Try copying the file to your Desktop or Documents folder and working on it from there. Once done, you can copy it back to the mapped drive.

2. Check drive permissions:

   Ensure you have write access to the mapped drive. Right-click the folder > Properties > Security (on Windows) and confirm your user account has “Modify” or “Full Control”.

3. Temporarily disable Protected Mode:

   • Open Acrobat > Acrobat Menu > Preferences > Security (Enhanced)

   • Uncheck “Enable Protected Mode at startup” (for testing only)

   • Restart Acrobat

   • If this resolves the issue, it suggests a conflict between Protected Mode and the network location

4. Re-map the drive with full access:

   Disconnect and remap the drive, making sure the credentials used have full access. If possible, try using the fully qualified UNC path (e.g., ServerNameSharedFolder) instead of a mapped letter.

If You’re in an IT-Managed Environment:

Let your IT admin know about this error — they might need to:

• Update Acrobat trust settings

• Grant file system permissions

• Or whitelist the network location for full access

Let us know how it goes — we’re happy to help troubleshoot further if needed.

~Tariq

[BarryRowell]

Hi Tariq: that was a great suggestion but it's not working—I just copied it to the desktop and got the same error message (screenshot #1). I checked Get Info on both the Desktop and on one of the drives (they are all having the same problem) and am attaching screenshots of those. Disabling Protected Mode does seem to have resolved the problem but I know that's not a "solution"—just a temporary fix. If it was just the external drives, I would understand but clearly there's something else going on. I have also attached screenshot of the Full Disk Access screen to see if there's something I'm missing there (can't imagine what).

Thanks!

[many islands]

I've been having the same kind of problem and have tried every solution suggested above — nothing has worked. It's been months of inconsistent behaviour, access issues, and endless permissions resets. I'm honestly ready to give up on Adobe Acrobat. This has gone on far too long without a proper fix.

[Mahmoud37056004flqo]

thank you , it works with me , 

• Uncheck “Enable Protected Mode at startup” (for testing only)