Adobe reader login screen keeps looping and opening automatically if you are logged in to CC

Report · Nov 11, 2021

We have adobe illustrator installed via creative cloud. We also use Adobe PDF reader to open PDF files.

If we open open any PDF file, it will launch a popup screen to try and login. This will be an endless loop, the login option will never appear it will try to load over and over again.
We don't initiate the login process, this will load on its own. For reader we have no need to be logged in anyhow. See attached picture of popup

It is possible to close the window, but that has to be done each time we open a PDF file. It is quite bothersome and causing our end users some frustration.

If we log out from creative cloud this works without any problems... I spent 1 hour on a case and after a while the support again said "issue is with free product I cant solve" and disconnected straight up from our session, I asked Adobe support to address this and investigate further since this seems to be a bug but no luck there he simply refused and disconnected..

Basic troubleshoting has been done. And in order to not waste any time, we are not interested in looking for changing registry or what not or modyfying windows.. Acceptable solutions would for example be.

Firewall settings that we need to update.
A previous version possibly - and where I can access this
A setting in adobe reader that can remove the automatic login popup.
Adobe to fix their bug?

Thanks in advance,

Report · Nov 11, 2021

Hi Adriano

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described you are getting the multiple blank popups.

This issue is already reported to our engineering team and they are working on it to find the fix. We will share the update as soon as we will hear anything from them.

Thanks for your time and Patience on this.

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Jan 03, 2022

Hello,

We are facing the same issue, any updates from your engineering team?

Report · Jan 03, 2022

Hi there

We are sorry to keep you waiting, our engineering team is still working on it and need some more time.

We will share the update as soon as we will hear anything from them.

Thanks for your time, patience and cooperation on this.

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Jan 03, 2022

Hi,

I did workaround

1. Sign off from Creative Cloud

2. Close CC

3. Run Acrobat Reader

4. Sign in Reader to Adobe account

5. Run CC

Done

Report · Jan 04, 2022

THANKS! This workaround is working for me!!!

Report · Jan 06, 2022

TL;DR:
I tried this method, but it broke the users licensing for Illustrator. Indicating that the users license had expired. When I sign them out of Reader and back into CC, Illustrator is again licensed and Reader is back to having this issue. This workaround is OK, just not an option for users who are utilizing both Illustrator and Reader at the same time. (Back to setting the default to Edge for PDFs in the time being)
----------------------------------------------------
To add more detail, I followed step 1-5.
-Opened CC, prompting to start trial of Illustrator (Instead of the subscribed license)
-Signed out of Reader
-Signed into CC (License comes back)

No attempts I took to have both CC licensed and Reader signed in separately worked(being that it is tied into the CC experience).
-Tried signing into Reader first, then CC..CC wouldn't authenticate because Reader passes the sign in on to CC.
-Tried signing into CC first, then Reader..the issue prevents the attempt to sign in.

-Open both at the same time and authenticate on both simultaneously, a "Something went wrong" window pops up and doesn’t sign into either.(fair, but not helpful to the current problem)

The correct answer on this thread is only a bandaid. This does not resolve the issue. If you want to use 2 Adobe products at the same time you are SOL for lack of a better term.

Report · Jan 06, 2022

Amal.

It may be worth drawing your attention to back to the thread below:(Ruud22261750covs originally correlated that this was the same issue, but at a larger scale)

Multiple pop-ups on file opening - Adobe Support Community - 12432380

Over 2.2K views on this issue with no correct answer for a resolution. The same workaround by DanPDC has been suggested, but as myself and JIRL5 point out, this breaks the licencing for Illustrator.(one or the other isn't a fix..)

Amal, if there is a better channel for me to go through to raise an issue through the propper channels please let me know.(I want to go through the propper channels) I have contacted support concerning this back in November, but got nowhere with them. The only method/path of support, (being that this issue is presenting it's self in a free product) was to contact support for Illustrator. After being bounced around and explaining the issue 3-5 times, support refused to investigate because "the issue is not with Illustrator".

Report · Jan 07, 2022

Thanks @Travis22281633fnn2 for following up. @Amal. I can confirm I have the same issue when signed in to Acrobat; illustrator will show me a message "Your Illustrator license has expired"...

Back to square one.

I really hope Adobe will fix this issue, but it looks like it is no priority for them to fix this since the issue is around since (at least) October 5th 2021...

Report · Jan 07, 2022

Hi there

We are sorry to hear that. The issue for multiple pop ups is already reported our engineering team and they are working on it to find the fix. We will share the update as soon as we will hear anything dorm them.

Thanks for your time and patience

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Jan 10, 2022

As you stated, this issue has not been addressed. Can the "Correct Answer" please be recalled, as this is missleading to anyone who urgently happens across this community post. This ongoing issue does not have a correct answer yet, yes?

Report · Sep 10, 2024

I am also experiencing this problem however the fix didn't work for me, and since it's almost 3 years later I guess they can't fix it.

Report · Jan 11, 2022

Hi there

Sorry to keep you waiting. The planned update for Adobe Acrobat/Reader DC version 21.11.20039 is now available. Please update the application from the help menu > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

You may also download the patch manually from the link https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/index.html and see if that works for you.

For more information about the new release please check the help page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/whats-new.html

Let us know if you experience any trouble and need more help

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Jan 11, 2022

Thank you @Amal., this did not resolve the issue.

We tried the above update in app and by manually patching. Neither method had an effect. Both times, the computer was restarted imediately after the update completed.

Note: The manual patch was only attempted after the looping issue reoccured on the following 2 times the program was started fresh.

After installing the patch manually, the computer was rebooted and the issue persisted. (Again, the application was opened a second time for benefit of the doubt.)

Revisiting the first correct answer(because apparently there can be 2 correct answers?) :

We closed the test window of AARDC.

We signed the user out of CC, closed CC.

Opened AARDC, signed in to AARDC.

Closed AARDC,

Opened CC...Still identifies Illustrator as unlicenced.

Close CC

Open AARDC sign out.

Open CC, sign in. Licensed.

Open AARDC, popups.

Edge or Foxit guys! If you need to sign a bunch of stuff.....sign out of CC...or use Foxit. Seems to be the only workaround...
Very tempted at this point to go the Foxit route, at least with that you can sign a document within 20 mins....

Report · Jan 12, 2022

Hi there

Thanks for trying out the new versionandsharing your observation.The issue is still in discussion with the engineering team and they are working on it to find the fix. We will share the update as soon as we ill hear anything form them.

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Jan 12, 2022

@Amal. Thank you for the info. If there is anything I can do to assist with this matter, I will assist however I can..forexample log exports, or remote sessions. I do have to work around the end user's schedule, but the faster this can be resolved the happier we will be.

Patiently awaiting your next update.

Report · Jan 24, 2022

Hi,

I came across the issue, and I may have found a piece of information that may be behind what Travis is experiencing.

In my Win10 64bit environment, I have Adobe CC (Illustrator only) provided from my organization, and Adobe Acrobat Reader (downloaded from Adobe website).

Versions

Windows 10 Pro 64bit 21H2

Illustrator: 26.0.2 (64bit) - Adobe CC for Teams subscription from my organization

CC:5.6.0.788.2

Adobe Reader DC: 21.011.20039.0 (32bit)

Symptom

I had the same issue as Travis, Adobe Acrobat Reader giving me blank window loop whenever it opened. I could recreate the licensing weirdness when I logged in from Adobe Reader.

Now when I was fiddling around the account settings, I saw "Automatic profile selection" setting toggle. I turned it off, and tried logging into Adobe CC.

(Hidden fields are my email and organization name, respectively)

I got this prompt, suggesting I have two profiles under my email, orange Business one for my organiztaion, and mysterious blue Personal one. I may have mistakenly made one before. I don't remember honestly.

I can confirm that being signed in with Business profile, Illustrator license works, but Acrobat Reader will have blank login window issue (in effect creating multiple sessions as you see in Adobe Account Security section). I think I had 30+ sessions from IE after Acrobat Reader loop.

When I am on Personal, Adobe CC thinks I do not have license to Illustrator and ask me to start the trial, but Adobe Reader works fine.

Solution

Based on that, I have found the (permanent-ish) solution.

1. Log out from all Adobe applications (Adobe CC and Acrobat Reader)

2. Turn off the Automatic Profile selection from Adobe Account on web.

3. (may want to reboot to make sure) Open up Adobe Reader.

4. Log in from the top-right (no blank issues here, this seems to automatically go to Personal profile).

5. Open up Adobe CC and log in.

6. Choose Business Profile (Orange one)

7. Now both works fine.

Both applications seems to work fine after reboot, so it should be permanent-ish.

>Amal and Adobe team

I am suspecting Adobe Reader not being able to comprehend these profile selection prompt, and failing to authenticate account session when the CC is logged into Business Profile already on that computer.

This profile migration seems to have happened recently, and maybe that's why?

I can confirm that at Step 4, when I opened up Adobe Account page on Chrome, it said I do not have any subscription. I still don't see the Adobe CC subscription from my org on my Adobe Account page after Step 7, but Illustrator is looking at the Business Profile, so CC and Illustrator does not complain to me.

Beats me why the auto selection is on by default, and I cannot even toggle between multiple profiles on Adobe Account page to tweak things around though.

Hope it will be of any help, Travis, and all others in trouble.

And I think there's something to fix with Adobe Reader and profiles, Adobe team.

Wataru

Report · Jan 25, 2022

@Wataru Yamazaki Thank you for that well broken down temporary solution, for those requiring both Reader and a CC license this seems useful for those that cannot use another PDF viewer in the meantime.

@Amal., Is there any type of ETR on this issue? I see in the past there have been optional updates around this time of year, is there any possiblility of this issue being rushed through because it is impacting plenty of customers workflows? Between both related discussions there are over 3K views, is that not enough of your CC customers to encourage engeneering to release something urgently?

Again, this issue should not be marked as solved, the marked solution is deceiving and support that follows this reccomendation without reading the below discussions will be caught off guard with the mentioned licencing issue for the paid CC products. Please revise this as the issue has not been solved yet.

Report · Jan 25, 2022

Hi @Travis22281633fnn2 ,

My IT guys told me there's an official announcement about this glitch on Japanese Adobe forum (from Adobe Staff I might add) with the cause and temp fix mapped out.

It says it happens when AARDC and non-Acrobat Adobe CC product (e.g. Illustrator-only or PS-only license) is installed on Windows environment, and when AARDC auto updates to 64bit versions.

Forum post (in JPN)

(I don't have time to translate it all, unfortunately, but Google translate should give you the accurate-enough gist of it)

Temporary fix seems to be to disable auto-update to 64bit version by editing registry key on Windows machine. Permanent fix is hopefully on the way.

My fix from last post may only work until the update triggers on my machine (which I cannot stop due to org policy on registry)

Hey @Amal. You might wanna at least publish this fix on this Adobe English forum from Adobe staff. This seems to be a known issue since last month.

Wataru

Report · Jan 26, 2022

Hi there

Hope you ar edoing well and sorry to hear that.

Would you mind sharing the version of the Adobe Acrobat DC you are using? Please make sure you are using the recent version 21.11.20039. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once and see if that helps.

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Jan 28, 2022

Hi @Amal. ,

Unsure who your last comment was directed at @Wataru Yamazaki did indicate they are using "Adobe Reader DC: 21.011.20039.0 (32bit)" as stated above their latest comment. (As I am also on please keep up)

As you said on the 12th, this issue was still in discussion with engeneering.. it's been 2 weeks waiting for an additional update, because the claimed update did nothing. (Is there a release date Engineering is aiming for?)

Like I have said before, this issue is not resolved and should not have a "correct answer".

As linked before, this issue is bigger than this community discussion would lead others to believe. Please reference to the following discussion:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-reader-discussions/multiple-pop-ups-on-file-opening/td-p/1243...

Please follow up with an expected ETR as soon as possible, or provide a correct answer that is more than just a lazy workaround. Wataru Yamazaki's linked workaround is much more appropriate for this issue as it stands.

@Wataru Yamazaki, Thank you for sharing that work around. That is much more help than Amal was able to provide.

Report · Jan 31, 2022

Hi there

We are sorry for the trouble. This issue is reported to our engineering team and they are still working on it to find the fix, we will share the update as oon as we will hear anything from them.

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Report · Feb 14, 2022

2 weeks later, and no follow-up. @Amal. , Why isn't this issue being expedited?

This has been an issue since before November, but even going back to just November, we are at 4 months waiting for movement on this.(which I haven't seen any action)

If I call into support, what is the correct path to take to get an actual ticket put in for this issue?

Calling in before I ended up getting endlessly passed around because the issue stems from our Illustrator license, but is effecting AARDC.(which AARDC is a free product so there is no path for support)

Report · Mar 30, 2022

Hi,

We would be needing logs to analyze this particular issue. For this, kindly perform either of the below steps

To capture the logs, please download Adobe log collector tool from here (https://helpx.adobe.com/in/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html) and run it. It will generate a ".zxp" file on your machine. Please share the .zxp file with us.

OR

From %temp% folder collect the below folder contents and share them with us:
1. acrobat_sbx
2. NGL

Report · Jul 22, 2022

Hi there

++ Adding to the dicussion

Please update the application to the recent version 22.1.20169 from the help menu > check for updates and reboot the computer once and see if that works for you.

Let us know if you experience any trouble and need more help.

Regards

Amal

Regards
Amal

Adobe reader login screen keeps looping and opening automatically if you are logged in to CC

1 Correct answer