Adobe Acrobat Reader is *incredibly* slow & keeps hanging

[MarcusH]

Hello folks,

Does anyone know why Adobe Acrobat Reader is so *incredibly* slow & keeps hanging please?

I keep getting the 'not responding' message; have to close it down & try again.

Documents load *really* slowly, if at all!

I have a fast PC with 16GB of memory, so that shouldn't be the problem...

Any ideas on speeding it up please?

Maybe Adobe you coudl do so?!

[Amal.]

Hi Marcush

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described the application is slow and loading the files takes long time.

Is this a behavior with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check. If the file is stored on a shared network/drive please download the file to your computer first and then try to open it and check.

What is the version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the latest version installed. Go to Help > Check for Updates and reboot the computer once.

You may also try to turn off the protected mode for testing (Win Only) Go to Edit > Preferences > Enhanced Security > Uncheck 'Enable protected mode at startup' Turn off the Protected mode and uncheck 'Enhanced Security' > Click OK and reboot the computer once.
Note: Please turn on the security after testing to avoid any security risk.

Also try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described in the help page - https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-default/td-p/4792... and see if that works.

If it still doesn't work, please try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights in Windows or enable the root account in Mac and try using the application there and check.

Regards

Amal

[Ferdinand25757327x51u]

How can such a simple functionality as Adobe Acrobat reader is, been made so complicated that it gives these kind of problems? I have the same issues, nothing helps, the reader is just so inefficient. The functionality hasn't changed in its essence over decades and it keeps getting worse with every version. Adobe: build a stable version without all the overhead that the industry is not interested in. Please.

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble.

Would you mind sharing the version of the Acrobat Reader DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 22.2.20191 installed. Go to help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

Also, please share a small video recording of the issue you are experiencing for a better understanding.

Regards

Amal

[Ferdinand25757327x51u]

Thanks for your response. I am using the version you indicated. I also made a small video, but unfortunately the Mac OS does not capture the spinning ball that shows that 95% of the time, I am waiting for it to stop spinning. This is provoked by just scrolling and clicking the text. It is a document of 112 pages, 8.1MB in size, so nothing too challenging. I did put comments and highlights in the text, but would not expect that to make AR so irresponsive.

[Rhy35098558fdb1]

I agree. As far as I'm concerned the "the version" becomes progressively irrelevant as Adobe keeps making changes that have not improved the functionality or look but instead results in the application performing worse. Annotating a tiny 75kb file is egregiously slow as if it were a very heavy, HUGE file. The program is responding as if Adobe eliminated their better/experienced programmers and replaced them with eager-to-make-changes and experiment, enthusiastic, BUT inexperienced and lower-paid newcomers sacrificing efficiency and functionality. 

[Matthew T28796998r2bb]

Where the F*** is this "Edit" tab?  

Worthless IT feedback.  

Unbelievably slow.

[Daniela30358273djfy]

Same issue with me.

A 30 pages document gets the software frozen and closes suddenly. started using Microsoft edge to read instead and it is WAY FASTER. Disappointed to use the PRO version and it's this SLOOOWWWWW

[christopherl86475538]

none of these solutions helped, Adobe staff has to ask to access my pc to see the issue. This company is going downhill fast and I am looking at piracy options now, I recommend everyone else do the same. 

[JR Boulay]

MOVED TO THE ACROBAT READER FORUM

[wraiththe]

Adobe Acrobat has been a plague to me for over a decade.  Probably more like a quarter century.  It always locks up and I have to wonder why?  Because it is doing things in the background that require constant connections over the net.  Looks like I finally fixed it.  I went into edit, preferences... and found every form of any setting that had to go to the net or get security settings and disabled them.  For the first time EVER... the app moved smoothly.   I do not like it when aps have to access other sites on the net to run correctly... and this is what plauges Adobe.

[Chan30536678ba9e]

Hi what were the settings that you turned off? can you share it with us?

[LeslieByrne]

Wraiththe thank you for that - I will give that a try - so freaking tired of Adobe's patheticness!

Are there alternates for pdfs yet?

[Mahesa31432702sf4w]

OH MY GOD, thank you so much! It really helps. For those who wondering, go to Preferences > Security, and turn off SafeLogic CryptoComply (whatever this is), and then Preferences > Security (Enhanced), turn off everything, and voila now this bs won't be laggy anymore.

[Carlos316532011o1d · Accepted solution]

This worked for me perfetly!!! Thank you.

"Go to Preferences > Security, and turn off SafeLogic CryptoComply, and then Preferences > Security (Enhanced), turn off everything"

[Buhler260098869w5a]

This worked, THANK YOU!!

[Johnny322684810jr2]

OMG! It's like a whole new world. Thank YOU!!

[johndtaylor2]

This worked perfectly for me. *Greatly* appreciated!

[Tread1]

I'm also having a horrible experience with PDFs lagging. I can't, however,  find "SafeLogic CryptoComply" to turn it off in the security settings. I was able to find the other Security (Enhanced) and turned it off. Is the SafeLogic CryptoComply setting nolonger available?

[schroef]

@Carlos316532011o1d 

Man those settings are a wrecker, what a difference that makes

[Lesa39049518blpn]

Hi, can you please tell me where I can find the preferences?

[Yehuda5FC0]

Please let me know if you find this. I can't either and I'm searching everywhere.

Adobe is a disaster.

[Madison29280446zqg2]

Helo, you can find preferences under the "Edit" tab when you have a document opened.

[jaburmester]

It is October 8th 2024 and in latest version of adobe reader there is no SafeLogic CryptoComply and issue still persists. 

[lnewtonbyu]

The only setting that you really need to turn off is the "Run in AppContainer" under Preferences>Security (Enhanced).  You can turn everything off in that section, but the Run in AppContiner did the magic for me.

For those who can't find preference. Click the "Hamburger Menu" in the upper-left corner and preferences is near the bottom of the menu.