Acrobat Reader slow opening PDF documents

[Mark_Richards]

Adobe Acrobat "DC" (detail below) takes a very long time to open each PDF file.  After double-click on a PDF almost 30 seconds elapses before it opens.  That's not right.   The old reader worked fine.  This "DC" version has trouble.

In addition, it provides an inferior way to save the document (a list of previously-used folders, or always "Documents" if I select "Choose a different folder".  Why not remember the *last* different folder I chose?  Annoying.

Can this be removed and replaced with the old reader?

Installed Acrobat: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 9.0\Acrobat\Acrobat.exe

    Version: 9.0.0.2008061200

    Creation Date: 2008/06/12

    Creation Time: 02:25:18

Installed Acrobat: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\AcroRd32.exe

    Version: 15.9.20077.160923

    Creation Date: 2015/10/23

    Creation Time: 16:27:02

Locale: English (United States)

OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7

OS Version: 6.1.7601  Service Pack 1

Total Physical Memory: 3537396 KB

Total Virtual Memory: 2097024 KB

[LeBlancLaw]

This is still the solution in October 2024!

[geoffrey_2358]

This fixed the same problem for me as well (crazy slow loading of PDFs).  Amazing that your answer is from over five years ago and that this is still a problem.  Anyone know what security risks I may now have (if any)?  Similar to others, I can't believe I actually pay for software that works so poorly.

Geoff

[CrazyAzzMofo]

Milan, thank you so much. This seems to have fixed my problem. Now pdf files open right away as they should.

[Lisa38662184lr0v]

Thanks! It's still happening in 2024 but I fixed it with your fix!

[timr55108171]

Thank you milanmendis.  I was about to move my company to Blue Beam. Adobe owes you!

[timr55108171]

Ok, mine has not gone back to slow loads.  Time to learn a new software package.  Interestingly, my home version is not subscription based and it works perfectly.  Hopefully Adobe fixes it and I'll be back.

[itchy_nose_9119]

big thanks for this point!  wow, just wow on what once was a rather efficiant application to something rather counter productive.  I mean its great to have features, but to then not clearly state the effect on performance leaving one to agonize with it, idk.

[JASON5EDE]

This worked for me as well! PDF's were taking too long to open and now its back the way it should be, instant!

[karlp0529]

Bingo!  So much for 'enhanced security'! 😞

[Ben_Murray1597]

thank you! that worked.

[William22247392xddr]

Still an issue 12/2024. But the solution still works. SMH.

[Eccentrique]

I don't know how to find Edit> Preferences> Security (enhanced).   😔

[A41G]

3 years later same situation!

[AnandSri]

Hello,

I hope you're doing well, and we apologize for the delayed response and the trouble.

Please ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed on the machine: 24.005.20421 Optional update, Feb 24, 2025. Check for any pending updates from the Menu > help > check for updates, install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and check. For more information, see this: https://adobe.ly/3QE979v.

If the issue persists with the latest version, could you please collect the logs from the affected machine and share them with us for further investigation?

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[micki_1724]

Perfection!! Thank you Milan!

[lizbeth_3818]

Can you walk me through where to EDIT?  I have been using Adobe for years.  I just moved to the Standard instead of the Pro and all of a sudden I can't open my pdf files.   

[Amal.]

Hi there, 

Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out. We are sorry for the trouble you are experiencing. 

What happens when you try to open the PDF files? Do you get any error message? If yes, please share the screenshot of the same for more clarity.

Also to know more about how to edit the PDF file please check the help page https://adobe.ly/4lsWJX7 and see if that works.

[krishkumar]

This resolved my issue (very slow opening of pdf docs) - thank you!

[nonamenonamenonamenoname1]

Why is thia answer makred as the correct answer. I have the same issue and this option in preferences was unchecked already. It doesn't do a tiny bit of difference so why is it marked as the correct answer. Adobe, you should stop doing this marking answer as the correct answer when you can see many people saying that did not work for them.

[Len Raphael]

many many tech calls, AA reinstalls, registry tweaks etc, even overclocked PC, switched to third part file explorer. The delays I get are only when opening from any file explorer, MS or 3rd party. Awful.

[LawUser]

This is NOT the fix - I agree! Option was not checked when I went into Security Enhanced either. I even disabled "Enable Enhanced Security" - which I know isn't a good thing - to see if that helped.  Nope. Nuance PDF is a competing product that doesn't have this bug. I'm gonna switch back, after paying the $140 annual cost of Adobe Pro. What a waste.

[JB44586]

Try "repair installatoin"

if that deosn't solve the issue, go to preferences , documents, and lower the "documents in recently used list to 5 or lower.

[LawUser]

This did not work. Reduced the # of documents in Recently Used to 5 and let it go for 3 weeks like this. No difference. Still SUPER SLOW opening .pdfs from Outlook email. Also, now the program is buggy - a new problem in the last month - and we get "Not Responding" and it greys out for a time while waiting to open .pdfs. We hardly use Adobe Pro now; changed our office defaults to NUANCE PDF (Kofax).

[Jeffrey265278522dq0]

Me too, canceled Pro subscription, using nuance.

[SSeverns]

Mine was also unchecked and was still working slow.  I figured out the fix, Add a Privileged Location. go to Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) > Add Folder Path button at the bottom.  Then add the folder you commonly open pdfs from, such as C:/Users/[user]/Documents, this will blast past the slow opening.  Be aware that this probably bypasses some security scan or something but they open blazing fast, see the warning below.  Hope this helps.