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When trying to add digital signature screen goes black

New Here ,
Sep 21, 2018 Sep 21, 2018

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Hi,

I am using Adobe Reader DC and I would like to digitally sign a document. I have installed my certificate, I think it was successfull. But when I try to digitally sign it, the screen goes black, nothing happens and I have to press Esc to return to the document.

I can see that under the black screen, there is the box where the singature should appear, but it is not working.

Thank you

Stepanka

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Security digital signatures and esignatures

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Adobe Employee , Sep 24, 2018 Sep 24, 2018

Hi Stepanka,

As per the issue description mentioned above, you are facing issue when trying to sign a pdf using digital signature, is that correct?

Please try following troubleshooting steps:

Launch Reader > Edit > Preferences > Signatures .

Under Creation & Appearance > click More > uncheck use modern user interface for signing....

Relaunch Reader and check.

Also, try signing another pdf file using certificates and try again.

Also, let us know dot version of Reader and the operating system installe

...

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Adobe Employee ,
Sep 24, 2018 Sep 24, 2018

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Hi Stepanka,

As per the issue description mentioned above, you are facing issue when trying to sign a pdf using digital signature, is that correct?

Please try following troubleshooting steps:

Launch Reader > Edit > Preferences > Signatures .

Under Creation & Appearance > click More > uncheck use modern user interface for signing....

Relaunch Reader and check.

Also, try signing another pdf file using certificates and try again.

Also, let us know dot version of Reader and the operating system installed on the machine? You may refer to the steps given in this link on how to check the version in Acrobat: Identify the product and its version for Acrobat and Reader DC

Let us know if you need any help.

Shivam

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New Here ,
Sep 24, 2018 Sep 24, 2018

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Great, thank you for your help, it worked!

Stepanka

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 02, 2020 Apr 02, 2020

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Hi Shivam,

I just got the same issue and your suggested fix worked well.  Thank you 🙂
But thought I would give you my version details.
Acrobat DC 2019.012.20034

Mac OS 10.15.4.

Hope this helps.

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New Here ,
Nov 09, 2020 Nov 09, 2020

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Hi there,

 

I have the updated version of Adobe and my screen still goes black when i try to add a signature after taking the steps above.

 

I need to sign and fill using a drawn signature.

 

 

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New Here ,
Nov 17, 2021 Nov 17, 2021

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This is happening to me as well. The fix works if there is already a signature field, but if I just try and add my signature - the screen looks like the image above and there's nothing I can do but Esc out of it.

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New Here ,
Dec 14, 2021 Dec 14, 2021

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What I tried: 

uncheck use modern user interface for signing (no success)

- start Adobe DC "Run as Administrator" once and try to use Signature module (success). Afterwards the "black screen" was gone when running DC without Run as Administrator used.

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New Here ,
Dec 14, 2021 Dec 14, 2021

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"Run as Administrator" worked for me. Thanks!!

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 05, 2022 Jan 05, 2022

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Thx for this great help!! It was useful for me

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New Here ,
Jan 10, 2022 Jan 10, 2022

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Thank you!  Unchecking modern user interface worked for me on a Dell PC running Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.  I have been battling with this for months!

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New Here ,
Apr 28, 2022 Apr 28, 2022

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Hi

i have the same issue and tried your suggestion but it did not work for me. i uninstalled and re installed it again but no luke

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New Here ,
Aug 25, 2022 Aug 25, 2022

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This does not work at all.

With 15.007.20033.2203 everything worked flawless. You could fill in signature or initals, and delete them.

If you upgrade to the newest Acrobat Reader DC 2022 having these set up before, the before used signature & initals are _present_ but not deletable / editable (with the - sign)...

 

If you install a clean Adobe Reader DC 2022, it wont let you use "Fill and Sign" - the UI simply doesnt work.

Yes "Certificates" is the only UI that works after applying that trick of "modern interface" option but neither does Fill and Sign react other than that infamous black screen with the white dot in the middle. You only can leave that black screen with the ESC key, so it is a obvious bug in the UI not showing up correctly.

PLEASE, could you fix that? Or give as a workaround ?

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 17, 2023 Jul 17, 2023

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LATEST

i had the same issue and this fix worked for me as well. MANY THANKS!

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New Here ,
Nov 07, 2019 Nov 07, 2019

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Same symptoms using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2019 

  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Build: 19.12.20034.328841
  • AGM: 4.30.85
  • CoolType: 5.14.5
  • JP2K: 1.2.2.43391

The solution above (unchecking use modern user interface for signing, followed by a quit and relaunch of the application) didn't resolve the problem.

 

Any other suggestions?

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New Here ,
Apr 06, 2020 Apr 06, 2020

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This helped very much! I had the same issue and it worked amazingly. Thank you a lot for solving this trick 🙂

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New Here ,
Apr 15, 2020 Apr 15, 2020

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This method does not work for me and the screen is still grayed out, like another responder stated.  Can you please suggest other things to fix this?

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New Here ,
Apr 20, 2020 Apr 20, 2020

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 I tried the method described above. At first it did not work for me but then I unistalled/reinstalled/logged out/logged back in and it seemed to fix it...good luck.

 

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New Here ,
May 13, 2020 May 13, 2020

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I tried this and restarting the MacAir, but it's still showing a black screen and I don't know why. This worked on my other computer before, so I'm at a loss. I even tried importing a signature file. Not sure what to do next.

 

Thank you! Amy

Continuous Release Version 2020.006.20034

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 20.6.20034.366983

AGM: 4.30.98

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.45402

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New Here ,
Jul 24, 2020 Jul 24, 2020

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Didn't work for me either. Repeatedly tried. On iMac Pro. 

 

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 20.9.20074.389258

AGM: 4.30.101

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.46033

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New Here ,
Sep 22, 2020 Sep 22, 2020

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Hi,

I'm having the same problem except when the screen greys out I can't escape or do anything. The suggested troubleshoot did not work. Any other ideas?

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New Here ,
Aug 21, 2020 Aug 21, 2020

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This works, but only if you then uninstall and reinstall adobe - Thanks! my old signatures even came back 🙂 seemed like a weird glitch 

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New Here ,
Aug 22, 2020 Aug 22, 2020

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Ok, but then is the correct instruction just to re-install? 😃 And was that uninstalling just Acrobat? Or the whole suite? thx

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New Here ,
Aug 24, 2020 Aug 24, 2020

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This worked for me! It took me forever to find this answer! Thank you!

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New Here ,
Aug 25, 2020 Aug 25, 2020

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Still happening for at Version 2019.021

 

The overlay appears over the interface and there appears to be one small pixel in the centre. I have tried the solution of unchecking "Modern user interface...." and restarted the software, but the same issue is still happening. 

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New Here ,
Aug 25, 2020 Aug 25, 2020

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Hello,

 

This worked once I reinstalled Acrobat Reader DC. Thank you!

 

Amy

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