Blank PDF then hang on exit

[RTAdmin]

HI All,

We have approx 1200 PC's that we look after. Version 18.009.20044 is rolling out and we are receiving calls from everywhere with the same issue

Open a PDF and it is blank. Close Adobe and then Adobe will no longer open PDF's.

At this stage Adobe will be running as a background process not a foreground one. It it will just create another background task for every PDF the user clicks on. But Adobe DC itself will no longer open

CTL-ALT-DEL and close the copies of Adobe running as a background task and then you can open the Adobe app again. But if you open the same PDF the same thing will happen.

We cannot find any similarity between the docs causing this issue

The only similarity is Adobe version 18.009.20044. This is happening on Windows 10 1703, 1706 and 1709, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, Server 2012 R2 and Windows 7 Sp1.

We roll back to the previous version and the next time the user opens Adobe it updates again

If we turn off Auto updating for adobe 1200 PC's besides taking three years it means they are open for every future hack of Adobe

So can someone please let us know when this issue is going to get fixed

Regards

Matthew

[AnandSri]

Hello Matthew,

We apologize for the inconvinience caused, as per the description above, you are getting a blank/white PDF when you launch the Adobe Reader version 18.009.20044, Is that correct?

Please try the below-mentioned step and check if it brings any changes:

• Open Reader and Navigate to Edit>Preferences>General and uncheck
  • Show online storage when opening files.
  • Show online storage when saving files.
  • Close Reader, restart the machine and check.

If the issue persists, please repair the installation files of Reader from Help>Repair installation.

Is it happening  with all the PDF files, or with one PDF file? Is it possible to share a sample PDF file with us which you are trying to open and getting blank PDF so that we can review at our end?

I have shared the steps to share the PDF file via private message, please check your email inbox.

Hope this helps, and let us know how it goes.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[pryhu]

Hello,

I have the same issue regariding open only SEPA Bank Transfer confirmation in PDF. Previous versions of Reader DC were opening this files correctly. Please Help. When I start open PDF file it comes blank and cannot open Reader DC Again. Only stop aplication in Task Manager helps, but still open blank page.

[AnandSri]

Hello Pryhu,

Please try the steps mentioned in above reply, and let us know how it goes.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[pryhu]

Still have problems.

Both unchecked, restart and repair didn't help.

What is more in other PDF readers programs like FF or Edge Plugin the PDF shows normally...

[pryhu]

Can I send somehow by secure direct way a file to check or several files including such issue??

[AnandSri]

I have sent you a private message, please check your email inbox.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

[pryhu]

I have send an email for email address given in private message.

I will wait for conclusions.

[AnandSri]

Thank you for the email. Let me review and try to replicate the issue at our end, and will get back to you with the solution.

Anand Sri.

[RTAdmin]

Hi Anand,

I have done as requested and it is still broken. This issue as discussed is happening on Hundreds of PC's not just one.

I have emailed you a PDF that causes this issue on all pc's that we have found with the problem to date

I have tried re installing etc and All preferences and that does not fix it

Down grading to ver 17.0092.0044 makes it all work ( That was just the version we tested it with ) 17.01220098 worked fine as well.

Lets see what you find

[gianthead74]

Yeah, downgrading, using chrome or any other PDF viewer works, we even found that Fox IT PDF viewer works

PCID7900, I would be keen to hear what the producer is in your PDF's?

[RTAdmin]

HI Mate

a few places actually

Some from Photo Copiers. Sharp and Xerox mainly

Some From Xero ( Online accounting ) Some from other Applicaitons that auto generate emails.

So no one source

The one that I have been testing with ( just an invoice from a client ) was produced with (Aspose.Pdf for .NET 6.6)

[gianthead74]

Well that is very interesting., I have had reports from customers that other PDF's won't open but I have disproved them all so far. Most of the time it's because they open one of ours first which hangs the process then they open a different one and it's already hung so it doesn't open either

I just called a mate, he just sent me a Xero invoice, it's in Apose.PDF.net 6.6 and it's opening fine here. Are you able to send me your one that doesn't open. How do we move this conversation to email?

I also have lots of sites using Sharp and Xerox MFC's and have not heard anything is wrong with them. If it effected xero one would expect a huge amount of chatter on the internet and their forums and I can't find any.

[RTAdmin]

HI Mate

As the issue is most likely an Adobe issue

Is there any benefit in us talking directly?

Thanks for the offer though

As for where the emails are coming from I am taking that from what our clients are telling me and Obviously that may not be 100% correct.

But as to the fact that we have hundreds of users with the same issues ( Across many different business's). I am sure it is more than a single point type problem.

I have started getting the users to re associated Adobe with Firefox/chrome / IE and the issue stops

But obviously the PDF's now open in the Browser not the full version.

We have downgraded to previous versions and the issue stops immediately. And upgrade back to the this version causes the issues immediately.

And yes when the issue happens Adobe is locked up and no Adobe docs will work till this is manually closed

Then some may work some do not

And as for giving you copies etc

As this is client data ( and mostly invoices / Contracts ) I am not at liberty to hand them around freely

I hope you understand.

When we find and answer I will post it

[Base2_Support]

We are having an identical issue on a number of Workstations. Adobe build is 18.009.20044.

We have tried a repair within the software, complete reinstall, registry check for "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\acrobat\shell\open\ddeexec\application" and also manually closing the processes, but it is still happening again next time you are trying to open Adobe.

​Did anyone find a solution?

[gianthead74]

Hi

We have this problem as well, I have traced it down to a early version of Quick PDF Library 7.21

The PDF opens blank and then hangs the process

If you take the PDF you can't open and using a text editor open it up, search for the word Producer.

Here is what I get in the PDF's I have issues with

/Producer (Quick PDF Library 7.21 \(www.quickpdflibrary.com\))

/Creator (Quick PDF Library 7.21 \(www.quickpdflibrary.com\))

This link leads to these guys, Fox It

Quick PDF Library | Powerful PDF SDK

I have downloaded their own Foxit PhantomPDF application and it will not open the PDF's either. So the problem I'm having is that an old version of their library would at least appear to be buggy. Mind you , it's a very old version and should have probably been upgraded.

I will be very interested to hear if the other issues here are for the same PDF producer

We have since patched the issue with the latest version of the library.

I've contacted Foxit as I'm now trying to work out if I can recover old PDF's

[glenr72049057]

We got one of these "bad" PDFs today as an invoice today.

Appears to be produced by "Quick PDF Library 7.21"

We also found that the solution posted by Alvin Fletcher, killing the hung orphan processes,  worked for us for restoring adobe for use on other non-bad files.

[gianthead74]

Yep, thats the one we use, once we upgraded to the current version, the problem when away.

[glenr72049057]

I will suggest that to the sender, but as we don't control what software they use we will have to wait for Adobe to issue a patch.

[Base2_Support]

I have had a chat with Adobe representative just now and been advised that someone will get back to me within a day, from senior team, about this issue. Senior engineers were aware and working on the fix. I have logged a case last week as it affected both Pro users and free Reader. Hopefully, there will be an update shortly.

[alvinf53062577]

Hi,

I work for an IT company, we have been receiving multiple calls a day for this since the recent update.

I have noticed the following:

• Only specific PDF documents cause the issue.
• I can view these problem files in other systems eg IE, Chrome, Adobe Reader XI.
• When you open the PDF and it stays blank but can show when I hide the sidebar tool. After closing it the process still remains and any other PDF you try to open will create a new process, but will not display.
• Closing all these processes with task manager or login out and back in will allow you to open other PDF files again, but the issue will restart if you open the problematic PDF files.

Hope this helps provide some more details.

[DalgettyImages]

We also have this problem - A range of our small business clients are reporting this in - PDF's generated from the Accounting service XERO are particularly affected for us. Reader Version 18.009.20044.55097

[AshuMittal]

Hi all,

Thanks for reporting the issue. We have been able to reproduce this issue internally and are looking towards a resolution soon.

We will keep you posted of the progress.

Regards,

-ashu

[gregr67740280]

I have same issue with invoices being created through Xero. I contacted Xero support and received this response;

We're currently aware of a compatibility issue with Adobe Reader (version 2018.009.20044). Opening up a Xero generated PDF with this version of Adobe Reader will freeze the program and display a blank document.

Our Product Team is taking a look into this issue with urgency and we'll let you know once we have an update for you.

When Adobe opens a blank white PDF you will be able to click into this white space. The PDF should then load after waiting a moment.

Otherwise you can open the PDFs within your browser (we suggest Chrome or Firefox) instead of opening via Adobe Reader. If you're unsure how to open the PDF document directly within your browser on a Windows PC, you can right click on the downloaded PDF file within your Downloads folder and choose Open With > Chrome (or Firefox). Alternatively you can drag and drop the PDF file from your Downloads folder into your browser window or use a different PDF viewer to open the PDF files.

If you continue to have problems opening the PDF file within your browser or using an alternative PDF viewer, we suggest speaking with your IT support team who can assist further. Please note that if Adobe Reader is "frozen", then you can force close Adobe Reader (on a Windows PC you can 'End Task' via Task Manager) and then use a different PDF viewer.

[Base2_Support]

Did you get any further updates from Xero? Perhaps they have a bit close connection with Adobe, rather than paying customers.

I spent half a day on the phone with Adobe and couldn't get more than just "Reinstall Adobe and it should work" suggestion. The ticket i have logged with them hasn't been updated either.