Windows cannot find ... AcroTray.exe

Report · May 02, 2025

Apologies for resurrecting this error, but I'd like some more up-to-date advice. This seems to be a recurring problem that has now found me. I've gone through a number of posts and tried various fixes, but this still persists.
I'm on Windows 11. When I click on a .PDF file, I get the following error message:

Every PDF I touch generates this error. If I'm scrolling through a folder of PDF files looking for something, I can have many, many error windows.

My guess is it is somehow related to the Explorer Preview Pane. If I switch Explorer View from "Preview Pane" to "Details Pane", I do not get the error. Or if I turn off the Preview Pane completely, there is no error.

Based on other posts, I have tried to run a repair on Acrobat.

I've also tried uninstalling and re-installing the software. The first attempts the install "failed". It then moved to a different browser and downloaded from the Adobe FTP as suggested in the help page.

If I go to the indicated folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat there is NOTHING in the folder.

This is not a "world hunger" issue, but it sure is getting annoying. Baffling how this suddenly pops up for no reason.
Maybe related? I do have an Adobe Photoshop subscription, which is regularly updated.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,

Ray

Report · May 02, 2025

Hi @ArrSea,

Thank you for reaching out and bringing this to our attention.

The “AcroTray.exe” process is a component of Adobe Acrobat that supports background operations such as converting files to PDF and managing context menu actions. If you see the message “Windows cannot find ‘AcroTray.exe’”, it typically indicates a misconfiguration or an incomplete installation. This may also happen if the application wasn't installed in the root directory.

Here are a few steps to help resolve this issue:

1. Repair Adobe Acrobat Installation:

Open the Control Panel > Programs and Features.
Select Adobe Acrobat from the list.
Click on Change > choose Repair and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Check for Updates:

Open Acrobat.
Go to Help > Check for Updates and ensure the application is up to date.

3. Clean Reinstallation (if issue persists): Try Cleaner tool: https://adobe.ly/3ER352X

Uninstall Acrobat via Control Panel > Programs and Features.
Restart your system.
Download and reinstall the latest version of Acrobat from https://adobe.ly/44qLCJb.

4. Startup Configuration (Optional):

If AcroTray is being searched for at startup but you don’t use the features it supports (like right-click > Convert to PDF), you may also disable it via Task Manager > Startup tab. However, this is not recommended if you use any background PDF services.

Please let us know if the issue continues after trying the above. We’d be happy to take a closer look.

~Tariq