Adobe Reader slow to launch on Windows 11

[RGW3]

We are preaparing to install Adobe Reader on Windows 11 for 500+ workstations.

In testing, we notice that the Adobe Reader application is taking much longer to launch on Windows 11 than it did on Windows 10. Disabling Enhanced Security features has reduced the launch time from 16 seconds down to 7 seconds, but this is still nowhere near the launch times currently seen on Windows 10, which are near-instantaneous, regardless of security settings.

Holding down the SHIFT key during launch does not seem to make a difference.

Any ideas?

Installed version: 22.3.20322.0

[S. S]

Hi @RGW3,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for your experience with launching Acrobat Reader.

Have you tried checking with installing Acrobat Pro DC and running it on reduced mode as Acrobat Reader?

You can change additional settings like the welcome screen and initializing any plug-ins at startup by using the lockdown settings: Lockable Settings (adobe.com)

Hope this helps.

-Souvik

[RGW3]

Hi Souvik,

Thank you for sharing the settings file, unfortunately after several experiments I have not found a setting that addresses our speed issue. I have also not been able to get Adobe Pro DC to run in reduced mode.

I do notice that the Reader enterprise installer (setup.exe from AcroRdrDC2200120117 over SCCM) is installing the 32-bit version of Reader on our 64-bit machines. I would like to fix this if possible, but I don't know if it will fix the launch speed.

Thanks!

-R.

[S. S]

Hi @RGW3,

Sorry to hear that you still experience the issues. 

For Reader's enterprise installer, I suggest you download the MUI version, which comes as a 64-bit installer on your device.

-Souvik

[RGW3]

After digging a bit further, our startup delay appears to be a known W11 issue:
[4337296] Minor performance degradation when the application is first launched.[Windows 11 only]

The word 'minor' here is slightly worrying.  Our startup delay is 6 seconds only when Enhanced Security is turned off; it is a full 16 seconds with this feature on. We would very much like to have Enhanced security turned on. 

Other troubleshooting measures (just to close this out):

• I was able to install the MUI edition, but performance was no better.
• Consumer edition running on Windows Home did NOT have the issue, but this is not an option for us.
• None of the settings I tried helped
• Issue appears unrelated to our antivirus software

(Thank you Souvik for your suggestions.)

[M Kinsman]

This i also a problem for me and I don't like that the so called helpful replies are so full of tech. jargon. I am waiting a full 15 seconds for Adobe Reader to launch (and I pay for a word conversion which is also slow). Also if I don't go and click 'open'  it doesn't launch at all. I am not a tech head and had no problem on Windows 10 or 7 so its up to the experts to fix this with a patch. Not just suggesting incomprehensible workarounds for  ordinary elderly people to try for themselves.

[Jonathan_Flowers]

Are you still having this issue.  We are testing Acrobat 2020, latest version, on Windows 11 Pro 23H2 and have all sorts of freezing locking.  Even just opening it and trying to go into Preferences it will lock up. 

We got some relief by turing off the Explorer Thumnails, but it is still too buggy to roll out to our users.

[S. S]

Hi @Jonathan_Flowers,

Sorry for your experience!

Would you mind resetting the application's preferences and checking if it helps?

You can find the steps to do so here: How to reset Acrobat Preference settings to defaul... - Adobe Community - 4792082

If this does not work, please help us gather the logs from your machine: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-diagnostics.html. Please make sure Procmon is selected. You can upload logs using this tool and share your Unique log ID with us. 

Thanks,

Souvik