Acrobat Reader X crash when printing

[brian.hart]

I just stayed up half the night to updated 40 computers from Reader 9.4 to

X (10.0.1) in a Windows 2003 SBS domain. All of them now crash when attempting to print to network

printers (i.e. those installed on a server and shared to the workstations), so I just had to remove X and revert back to 9.4 to get them to print. The problem occurs whether I use the direct download method (via adobe.com) or my distributable copy.

Does anyone know what is happening here?

[WindowsViaBooks]

Temp Fix

I think the driver that some of these fancy printers in combination of the Windows systems (for me Win7) are not compatible.

My story, I have a multifunction OfficeJet.  I had days of trouble installing it, actually finding the correct driver that would allow the printer to offer all it's functions.  I have a network with all wireless communications. Before I found the correct driver..from HP actually, Adobe worked.  After I updated the driver Adobe didn't work...crashed like others have been experiencing.   What I've done, and you could do for your 40 or so Adobe users.  I added another printer, either on the network or individual PCs,  but this time I choose the most generic  driver for that printer that was available.  For sure don't choose the driver the PC finds but pick off the product/driver list you are offered.   When Windows offered I choose NOT to make it the default printer.  After it was installed I went to the new installed Printer Properties and renamed it "Adobe Printer"...   Back to Default Printer...if the user doesn't use the fancy stuff..faxing,scanning, you could change/make the default printer to the Adobe Printer (you might choose a different name)...for everyone else  Show the User that when they want to print a document from Adobe, the first document they will need to use the menu item  "FILE"  down to "PRINT" and change the printer to the Adobe Printer they should see in the list. As long as they keep the Adobe Window open  it will remain and they can just choose the printer icon.   If you did make the Adobe printer the default printer then they can just click on the Printer Icon.

I know it's not the perfect solution, I suspect this isn't an Adobe problem but a Print Drive problem.  At least this will give you time to start questioning whoever/what ever company made your printer for a driver that resolves this problem.

[brian.hart]

Nope. I manage multiple corporate networks, all of which have the same problem, and none have printers requiring multifunction drivers. These are industrial-strength copier/scanner/printers, but th eonly thing installed on the workstations is a PCL5 or PCL6 printer driver; the scanner components all use SMB and/or e-mail push technology to push scans out via e-mail or to shared folders on the Small Business Server domain controller / file server.

It happens regardless of which of our five or six printers is used--it is 100% related to the new Reader security options in relation to shared network resources. If I install the printers locally (i.e. add the IP port, then install the driver to print there instead of using a server-based share), there is no problem with the Adobe Reader printer. It  is simply not practical to plan deployment of printer drivers to a hundred computers individually because one program's fancy security settings choke on it.

[WiRealtors]

I would like to add to this thread also, maybe Adobe can get us a fix with it:
The problem does indeed seem to be with the "Enabled Protected Mode at startup", as unchecking this box makes the problem corrected immediately.   However, I am not thrilled about leaving an unprotected software in this state.  My device is a windows 7 64 bit, and I am printing to an HP Laserjet 4250.  I only mention it because another user on this thread has the exact same printer.  The part that I do find strange though, is that we are using the "HP universal" print drivers, so the printer on the other end of the driver should not hold relevance (except that it's a newer HP).  I will run in the degraded state for now, but not happy that Adobe hasn't fixed this yet (my current version is 10.1.2).

[kpapalia]

What about this patch:  http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/928/cpsid_92870.html.    It seems to have worked for me today.

[brian.hart]

Thank you for the link. I will try the fix.

Side note: I also see that this link includes instructions on how to disable the auto-duplex printing setting; however, this is next to useless in a multi-user managed system, as it requires every user to make the change on every computer they use.I had hoped that I would find some way to disable this by default for all users of the computer, but it is a per-user setting--again something in which Adobe has decided how things work and provided only a per-user configuration tool. These things are a little frustrating for adminstrators of mid-size networks: small networks are easy to manage one computer at a time; large networks are easy to manage using Group Policies, but midsize networks are not easy either way.

[kpapalia]

We are trying to get everyone to duplex where possible to save on paper costs. That option being ‘on” by default helps us in this endeavor. I plan to leave it in the “on” position and will wait for someone to complain. If there are a lot of complaints, I might send a preemptive note to everyone explaining the option and how to turn it off. But right now, I plan to leave the option on. I don’t anticipate there being a lot of complaints because we have a pretty good “green” mentality building here lately.

[Guest]

Actually, I don't have the problem myself, but a lot of our customers report it. We are providing a virtual printer to save paper and ink. and actually in some computers, it seems to contribute to this crash. The problem is we don't have any other way to know what is going on.
We have contacted Adobe support team, and we didn't get any reply.

I can't install the patch myself.

Our product is http://www.greencloudprinter.com and for now, it is causing really a lot of issues then we can't solve. it is hard to contact a guy which just download a product, to explain the safe mode is a solution. the patch is there. so it means Adobe is aware of the problem.

Of course, installing FoxIt Reader and it works like a charm. I hope we will not have to wait 3 months for the quarterly update to fix the problem with our GreenCloud Printer software. anyone from Adobe Support can contact us to help to see what is the incompatibility ?

Fabrice Meuwissen
CEO ObviousIdea

[Guest]

I can't provide a solution but I can describe another Adobe X printing issue. When I loaded Reader X on a PC with Windows 7 and a Lexmark printer purchased in 2011, I could not print any PDF files. I had to remove and reload Reader 9.4 and now it works great. I just can't get rid of the "push file" from Adobe asking me to download Reader X. Firefox will not allow it to be downloaded but I am trying to figure out how to remove the "push" film from my PC, it shows up every time I restart my computer. Any ideas how to remove the file before it is installed automatically?

[darynv]

ManishPali actually put me on the right path, I had this error now too (even tried creating a text only pdf as my pdf's had a jpeg embedded) and I resolved by changing the "Enable Protected Mode at Startup", then under Security(enhanced) I unchecked "Enable Enhanced Security" as well and this resolved my issue, hope it helps people going forward.

[Guest]

Thanks very much for taking the time to research and reply to my pdf printing problem with Adobe X. I will reload X and give your suggestion a try, tonight.

[Guest]

workaround isn't a solution, what about all the people who faced the problem but think it is the printer driver the cause ?
why nobody from Adobe can't reply, or then .. release the new version ?

for sure, the easiest way is to suggest another pdf reader for now.

[Guest]

You are right a work around is not the solution! At first I thought it was the printer driver but the printer was relatively new. I will take your advice and stick with Adobe Reader 9.4 and wait for someone at Adobe headquarters on King Street in San Francisco to wake up and fix the problem with their reader X software.

[Mark45439]

Just so you know, Adobe - this issue has just recently reared it's ugly head on my own pc: when trying to print (hit print button or otherwise attempt to print) Adobe X (fully updated as of today's date) immediately crashes. Doesn't matter which printer is set as default, local or network. When I take off the protected mode thing, it's fine.

This is a machine running XP SP3, also fully updated.

I haven't tried it on the other machine, running Windows 7, but I know it was working last week, so I'll letcha know!

[Jamonitmack]

I had this problem and tried everything you people suggest, but none of it helped.

I renamed the user's local profile to username_OLD and had her log back in. This fixed the problem.

Corrupt profile.

[namefunnel]

Same problem with Adobe X crashing on multiple machines in multiple locations, all trying to print on a network printer.  Disabling protected mode seems to be the solution.  This bug is more than a year old, why isn't it fixed???

[fishbreath]

I had this problem of Reader X hanging up when printing to Brother MFC-9840-CDW via PC-Fax v.2 (which is a fax program).  Reader X did not hang up when printing to the Brother MFC-9840-CDW as a printer or when printing to a HP LaserJet 220dtn.

The AdobeReaderPatch10.1.2_cpsid_92870.exe did not help but disenabling Protected Mode at startup resolved the hanging up of Reader X when printing to Brother MFC-9840-CDW via PC-Fax v.2.

[Guest]

I find it very, very upsetting that Adobe Tech Support has ignored this problem for over one year.

I have experienced this very same problem on dozens of PCs that where upgraded to Reader X.

To quote a previous writer "This bug is more than a year old, why isn't it fixed???"  Over one year has gone by.

This demonstrates that Adobe does not really care about users of Adobe Reader X.

Adobe Reader is not suitable anymore for corporate use.  Far too much support required to maintain end user problems.

Can someone suggest another product from another vendor that we can use in place of Reader X?

Thank you.

[Guest]

the worst part, is to offer help to fix it , by providing details, but nobody cares, so should we change to another reader ? what alternative do you suggest ?

[seamanjeffdg]

It's pretty sickening.. they're angling to get tens of thousands of dollars from corporations that need a reliable PDF reader and now the current version is crashy.  They know it is, and they're choosing not to fix it except for paying customers.

[Mark45439]

"Can someone suggest another product from another vendor that we can use in place of Reader X?"

"so should we change to another reader ? what alternative do you suggest?"

Yes, as a matter of fact this is exactly what I did - for it's what should always be done when there is a superior or equal alternative (without defect) to an inferior or defective product, I switched. It took about two days of getting used to, and now I know I will never return to Adobe again.  The one I switched to, available free or paid (which gives further capabilities), is actually much more awesome than Adobe's product, at least for my uses.

This product allows me to mark up pdf files, along with many other functions that the free version of Adobe does not permit.

It is called pdf-xchange-viewer. It is free (or paid) for both personal and commercial use.

Here is its homepage: http://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer.

I think it blows Adobe out of the water, but at the very least it is an equal, an equal from which at least the user is able to print their documents without issue.

(Also, and this is just a bonus, I use another program called "PDF Split and Merge" to merge various PDFs, which is also free and also a great product offering services that Adobe's free version does not.)

Good luck and happy trails saying goodbye to Adobe.

Lol, this only sounds like an ad, but I promise, it is not!!

[Guest]

Yea, had the same issues, but with almost 260 Citrix servers.  Created package using the customization wizard where I turned off the enhanced security "Protected Mode at Startup", EULA, and all the other stuff you don't want your users messing with and deployed to our test farm and it functioned like a dream.  Last week I applied the recent security updates 10.11 and 10.12 and everything look fine, however, I will have to admit that I didn't kill a tree testing the printing fuctionality.  Well, I'm into day two of updating my production farm with this new version of Reader and it's security updates along with latest updates for Flash and Shockwave.  I'm about 85% done when the phone starts ringing off the hook, it's our Help Desk which  is getting calls from users stating they can't print.  I test and sure enough as soon as I hit the print button, Reader crashes.  I checked my test farm and same thing is happening there where I was able to print prior to the security updates.  So I spend the next two hours un-installing 10x  and re-install the 8.2.6 version we have been using without issue for as long as I can remember till I can get a handle on things.  Run through my install again with the custom mst file, it works, install the security patch and it is now broken.  Seems the security updates over-write your custom settings.  I now have a post install script that sets the application and security settings to the state that I want them. 

We didn't upgrade to 9x on our Citrix farm due to all the horror stories I read about  on the Citrix and Adobe forums.  When is Adobe going to address the original issue with 10x, why does your application crash when you try to print with the default security settings.  Please fix-it!

[CainQ]

There are a couple of workarounds posted here http://forums.adobe.com/message/4142897#4142897.

In short, you can turn on "Sharing" in the printer properties, and give it a "Share Name"...should print OK after that. It worked for me.

Cain

[Guest]

Adobe has a hotfix for the 10.1.2 patch which works. Tested on our DEV and UAT farm with a script that does a silent install of the hotfix and re-sets the registry value to Enable Protected Mode. So far so good.

News at 11!

Jack Motley

CSX Technology

904 633-5749

RNX 633-5749

"Failure lies not in falling down. Failure lies in not getting up."

[Guest]

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Olivier Gagnon

Spécialiste Applications Bureautiques

GIT

Tél. : 514 393-8000 x 2937

SNC-Lavalin inc.

[ModrallITDepartment]

Ran into the same issue you were experiecing, have you checked the Default Printer?  Once I defaulted the user's printer to one of the office printers, Adobe X stopped freezing.  Switched it back to their home printer, which was not connected, the freezing returned. For giggles, I defaulted to a couple of the non-Adobe PDF Printers, freezing returned.