Acrobat opens on its own

[diannas66516361]

I have Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2017 Release Version 2017.009.20044 on a Windows 7 computer.  Every day or every other day I notice that Acrobat starts to open all by itself usually while I'm entering data into an Excel spreadsheet or something.  This does not happen on start up but what appears to me to be at random times throughout the day.  And twice it tried to open with a window that asked if it was OK for Adobe to make changes to my computer.  This was strange as I was doing nothing with PDFs, Adobe, Acrobat, or any other thing that is even remotely connected to Adobe in any way.  Is there any way I can stop this from happening?

[GoombaGurl]

I'm only continuing to keep this up to date so people can read my progress on trying to end this diabolical issue. I have been back and fourth with Adobe's "very best" in tech support which has resulted in several reboots and deleting of registry entries and caches to no avail. Here's what I have gathered so far.

- It is NOT a setting (we've uninstalled and reinstalled anad deleted settings... not working).
- It has something to do with an automatic update that is not properly enabling or a syncing issue with libraries or files from cloud... or something. Adobe keep's trying to "look for something" in acrobat and get's hung up.

I managed to close down another instance of Acrobat trying to open the window and one time I got a "crash" error. It complained about the "AdobeCollabSync.exe." From memory, I think I got this crash error also rebooting once during the shut down process.

I am now deleting all the Acrobat folders in the %appdata% (Local, LocalLow and Roaming). Specifically, the Acrobat folder in LocalLow seems to be where the whole "sync" files are referencing. All registry setrtings are deleted, Acrobat uninstalled, three %appdata% folders removed, computer rebooted and now reinstalling Acrobat. Let's see if this works. If it does, Adobe owns me a beer.

**On a side note, dear Adobe: Your last tech support guy on the phone was so awful. Not only did he NOT resolve the issue, but then he actually tried selling me an upgrade to a commercial license! I don't know how you train your guys but this is so pathetic it's almost funny. Please PLEASE re-evaluate your tech support staff and training.

[Michael366269564imx]

2025 and it's still a thing. Anything I open, Adobe Acrobat opens afterward. If I open photoshop Adobe Acrobat opens. If I open my internet browser, Adobe Acrobat opens. I think AA needs a 12 step program.

[lisal87227628]

Aug 2025 - Sept 2025 this bug started to occur. Doesn't matter what I'm doing on a PC, Adobe Acrobat decides to open on it's own. There's a previous post connecting it to adobe update, and it opens on checking or communicating. I believe this a possibility to be true. No fix right now, annoyed as I'm trying to work and -POP - comes Adobe Acrobat. 

[PravalJain · Accepted solution]

This was an issue in the August 2025 update and has been fixed in the latest version. Release notes - https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/continuous/dccontinuoussep2025sec.....

Please do a "Help -> Check for updates" to update to the latest version and let us know if you still see issues. 

[GoombaGurl]

Not the correct answer. Someone already replied below and said they still had the issue. As an Adobe employee, I suggest you read the responses when they give you a response you asked for. Fix also seems to require deleting the %appdata% folders. Update is still broken.

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @GoombaGurl  - could you confirm if the latest version of Acrobat is installed on the machine? 

[GoombaGurl]

Im away from my.machine for a while. But I dont see why it wouldn't be the latest version. I did a purge of all the %appdata% folders and settings and reinstalled the day after the latest patch came out. (I believe this was September 4th).

[Meenakshi Negi]

Hi GoombaGurl,

Thank you for the information.

Once you have access to the machine, please check and confirm the version number. If require more information we will let you know.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

[GoombaGurl]

With all due respect... I posted up the solution for other Adobe users to follow and correct the problem. I dont get paid by Adobe to debug and test your software. I will happily post it when its not an inconvenience to me and not using extra time of mine. I could solve the issue... you guys didn't. Don't you employ coders and testers? 

[GoombaGurl]

That's hillarious. Exactly what I had told tech support (since the late August patch I've had this problem). They INSISTED it wasn't a new bug and that not everyone reported it and it was my settings.

Classic Adobe... don't listen to your clients. Glad they acknowledged fault even if it's late. I have also not seen the problem in the past 12 hours or so (don't know if there was an update already done on my end, bu8t shouldn't be since I disabled it). Removing the Acrobat folders in %appdata% to repopulate seemed to have worked.

[Michael366269564imx]

Even Uninstalling Adobe Acrobat with creative cloud and then reinstalling it didn't install  the update. People have to find a niche tab in a menu that's inside AA in order to fix it. Well...

Thank you for going through all that hassel. My Adobe Acrobat is probably fixed, only time will tell. Other people who come across your efforts are sure to find resolution.

[GoombaGurl · Accepted solution]

Thank you 🙂 I hope so. It's almost 24 hours and no random open up. So seems to be working. I think the update may have corrupted a file in the %appdata%/folders and by deleting them and opening Acrobat, it forced the program to redownload or build the necessary files (this is usually the case) that are updated.