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.

[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

[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"

[l1zzyl00]

for the love of all that is holy, THANK YOU!!!!! idk if an update changed those settings but my acrobat started acting like my computer sucks (and it doesn't) and it was making me lose my mind. Thank you for bringing back my sanity because all the other stuff that people said to do, it wasn't right. 

[Pieter Schaeffer]

Verzonden vanuit Mail<> voor Windows

[Monica28899346wsgj]

2023. Same issue, but with a 12 page document. TWELVE PAGES. It's taking an absurd amount of time to type FIVE WORDS. I am extremely frustrated. 

[AkanchhaS]

Hi @Monica28899346wsgj 

Is that a 12-page document only causing trouble, or are you experiencing this issue with multiple files? 

Please confirm the following details:

1- Exact version of Acrobat Open Acrobat>Help>About Acrobat

2- Change the following security settings and see if that helps, 

Navigate to Acrobat>Edit>Preferences>Security (Enhanced)>disable "Protected View" and "Enhanced Security">OK>close and reopen Acrobat Reader.

Note: these changes are only for testing purposes. Once tested, please change it back to the previous setting.

Thanks,

Akanchha 

[Nick29114177yr0j]

I am having the same problem. It seemed to improve when I did your option 2 above. Please advise about way forward.

[Nick29114177yr0j]

In fact, it is still hanging and incredibly slow. I am on the verge of cancelling my Adobe PDF Pro subscription and buying a different app, can't be worse than this - literally unusable.

[AkanchhaS]

Hi @Nick29114177yr0j 

Is this Acrobat Pro or freeware Reader? Please share the exact version you are currently running.

Open app>help>about Acrobat 

Run this cleaner tool to remove the existing installer and application’s file traces:

https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/cleaner.html

Download the Acrobat installer from here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html

Download the Acrobat Reader installer from here:

https://get.adobe.com/reader/enterprise/

Thanks,

Akanchha

[Nick29114177yr0j]

It is Acrobat Pro - Version 2023.001.20093

 

[Nick29114177yr0j]

Cleaner tool and reinstall seems to have resolved the issue, thank you

[LeslieByrne]

I could not agree more this is the most pathetic software on the planet. I am going to delete all the programs in my computer and hope for Adobe Reader being ok by itself. Otherwise this is the most disruptive useless program in history.

[Badri32505746spfc]

Agree with you. Desktop version is slow and unconvinient.

But android version of acrobat reader is really good.

[Amal.]

Hi there

Would you mind sharing the version of the Acrobat Reader and the OS you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 23.06.20360 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the system.

You may also try to repair the installation from the help menu (Win Only) and see if that makes any difference.

~Amal