Adobe Reader Lagging, Slow and Unusable macOS Ventura 13.2.1

[John28598732rs1o]

Adobe Reader is Lagging and Slow. To the point where it has become unusable on my 16" Macbook Pro 2019.

It becomes most unusable when scrolling through large PDFs with multiple pages. The application laggs far worse than stock macOS 'Preview' app which runs smoothly. Have I got a setting wrong? I am using default settings from a fresh install.

Adobe Reader: 2022.003.20314

Adobe Install Info:

Architecture: x86_64

Processor: Intel

Build: 22.3.20314.0

AGM: 7.0.2

CoolType: 8.1.1

JP2K: 4.0.0.52132

Please help. Any suggestions?

[AkanchhaS]

Hi @John28598732rs1o 

Sorry to hear about the trouble caused.

The Acrobat Reader version you are working on is the latest one for Mac. If its causing the lag issue while working on the large PDFs, then try a couple of steps suggested below and see if that helps:

1- Navigate to Adobe Acrobat>Preferences>Security (Enhanced)>disable and "Enhanced Security">OK>close and reopen Acrobat 

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

2- Or, 

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 Reader installer from here:

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

Thanks,

Akanchha 

[John28598732rs1o]

Hi Akanchha,

I have tried all three of your proposed solutions all to no avail.

In addition I have also tried to follow Amal's advice in this: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/slow-severe-lag-in-adobe-acrobat-dc-for-mac/m-p/1...

Also to no avial.

One new symptom I have witnesed is the text or image displayed in the PDF dissapears whilst scrolling, then reappears a moment later. This is in addition to the other symptoms, lag (<1 FPS) and overall lag and slowness when using the app.

Thanks,

John

[nealdeal]

I have pretty much the same issues, however i have Acrobat Pro and i have noticed this for the last 5 years going back in OSX system verisons.  I even have had 3 different phsyical mac machines 2015 mac book pro, 2017 mac pro and now 2021 mac book pro m1 max.  They all get laggy when scrolling some times freeze for a short period, and like you mentioned some things disapear while scrolling.  I have learned to just live with it, and use as little as possiable.  

Sorry for your miss fortune, I am only glad i am not the only one.

[Blondiehanim]

I have the same issue as well

[John28598732rs1o]

Hi. Thank you for sharing. I have just come to the conclusion that it's not fixable at the moment. I'm just using Apple's stock Preview app. It works. 

[AkanchhaS]

Hi @John28598732rs1o  thank you so much for trying the suggested steps.

The Acrobat Reader version you are currently working on is 2022.003.20314, right? There are two more patches rolled out after this https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html please install and update the application to latest version.

If it still doesn't work, then 

Please collect the Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html  share them by uploading them to cloud storage (any)

 Procmon Logs: [Windows only]

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

Thanks,

Akanchha 

[Shenyu Zheng]

Hi, I have faced the same issue. Acrobat is very laggy on my 16'' MacbookPro 2019, especially for PDFs with many annotations. I tried all the solutions mentioned in the thread and upgraded Acrobat to the newest version. None of them fix the problem.

I have collected and uploaded the logs. The log collector tool says the log is uploaded to Adobe LogCollector Portal and you can find the logs by the name "AdobeLogs_20230903_165430_218-mac-GS.zxp".

Please fix this issue. It makes Acrobat basically unusable. Even Apple's preview app works much much better than Acrobat on my MBP.

[David26224806zcjd]

Hello AkanchhaS,

It's been over a year and a half since you posted on this thread regarding a critical time-siphoning problem with Adobe Acrobat. Has Adobe simply dismissed this issue? My entire design department has suffered through impossibly laggy page scrolling, zooming and editing for years now, and it seems there is no intention, much less priority, to fix it. It is frankly enfuriating, as it gives the appearance that Adobe executives and engineers don't feel any accountability toward their clients that make up the design industry. (Too big and established to care)

[Angelineeeee]

Same hereeee!! I'm using Adobe Acrobat to edit my pdf files but whenever I scroll (when editing) it keeps freezing!!! Well I hope Adobe solves it ASAP

[sprinklr-integration-user]

Hi Angelineeeee,

Thank you for reaching out.

As the application keeps freezing, please try the troubleshooting steps suggested in the following help document: https://adobe.ly/3TLYUKI;
 

If the above suggestion does not work, try reinstalling the application using the following steps:
- Remove the application and run the cleaner tool (https://adobe.ly/3tHZ4Iy).
- Reboot the machine 
- Install Adobe Acrobat Pro from the following page: https://adobe.ly/3TQ4Z90.

Ensure that you are updated to the latest version of the application. For more information updates, refer to the following page: https://adobe.ly/3Sg0DXP.

Let us know if the issue still occurs.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

[Philipp34644701ci3a]

Adobe Acrobat Pro is becoming worse and worse it seems to me. I've been using it almost daily for serveral years and it's getting slower and slower. What am I paying 1'000 $ for every year if Adobe Creative Cloud doesn't work? Since December I've been unable to scroll or zoom, as it takes several minutes and it is simply impossible to work with it. Even with tiny plans of 1 MB it lags. Please find a solution, I need software that works efficiently. I work on Apple OS Monterey Version 12.6.2. Could that be part of the problem?

[Judyann23825091regz]

Just came here looking for this. Totally agree. Adobe acrobat pro is becoming unisable on my mac. It used to be so easy and simple to use. Now it is glitchy and slow. 

[Briyana350115969j3x]

Adobe Acrobat has become EXTREMELY slow and glitchy for all documents. It is so frustrating to view any documents on this software - this is the case for our entire office who uses this software daily. Hopefully Bluebeam comes out with a Mac friendly version eventually! 

[Michael35957215n8pl]

I have a 2016 Mac Book Pro and I have the same issue. Acrobat is unusable for anything but small, simple documents. Documents that display perfectly well on a windows machine or on OSX preview are laggy and have constant display errors on Acrobat. Attempting to edit or comment on PDFs often results in freezing and crashes.

I've had numerous support calls with Adobe, and each time we go through the process of updating, purging, reinstalling and submitting error logs, and each time its the same. They can't fix the problem, it is a bug, and I'll have to wait for the next update. Then the next update comes and it's no different.

There is an intrinsic issue with Acrobat on Mac. Adobe need to admit it, make it clear to everyone, and stop wasting peoples time with arduous instructions through support.

I work with PDFs a lot. I currently have to remote into a separate windows work station. It's ridiculous. Please sort it out.

[Chris22972602fe4q]

I also came here to upvote-and then Adobe forced me to login to that I could be a part of the conversation. Other than acrobat constantly crashing, that kinda pisses me off, too. Why do I have to log in to comment? Can't you just fix whatever ths issue is? 

[Ellie28254977yi2v]

Completely unuseable. What are we paying for here? There is no fix. The security steps do nothing.

CAN ANYONE HELP?

[nbrennan2103]

I've got M1 Promax and it sucks on it too. I started using Macs in 2018 and Acrobat has been glitchy at best to down right unusable at any time since. Spending all the money on AI, forgot where you came from. 

[Casey29246019eiit]

Same issues here, new Macbook... latest and greatest version of Acrobat and it's more glithcy and slow than any other versions i've used and has progressively gotten worse and worse over the past couple of years.  Similar to other users, i've tried all the recommended fixes and issue still persists. rediculous and unsustainable - issues like this is how competitors angle in with a better product and take the market share, i'm pulling for them as Adobe doesn't seem concerned at all about resolving this problem. 

[matthew_8936]

Hi,

I'm having the same issue as the user's below. This is on a brand new iMac 2023. I was excited to get this program and finally graduate from using 'Preview' to create fairly basic wifi design drawing.  I'm currently working on a single page pdf with almost no advanced feature (just drawing colored circles around wifi access points) and there is a one second lag for every action that I perfom: move a circtly, draw a circle, resize a circle.  We paid money for this program.  It's really annoying. 

[FilSweMac · Accepted solution]

Same problem for me since 2023. Our IT technician says it may be linked to MacBooks containing "Apple M1 [Pro]" chips.  The only working solution I found is to disable "new Acrobat":

For macOS:

• [View] >> [Disable new Acrobat]

[Alexander237881064u5a]

Thankyou for providing the solution. This fixed the problem for me!

[S. S]

Hi @Alexander237881064u5a,

Hope you are doing well. 

Thanks for writing what worked for you.

Marking this as a correct answer for future users to use as a reference.

Regards,
Souvik.

[niklas_8816]

Next reasonable step for Adobe would be fixing the terrible performance issues on the New Acrobat, as this fix also provided a siginificant perfomance bump when working with larger (10 pages) files?

[KT1305]

Mine doesn't show [Disable new Acrobat] under View or under any other tab either.