If Acrobat crashes or freezes due to corrupted files, missing components, or misconfigurations, repairing the installation can restore normal operation.
Watch how to repair Acrobat
Open Acrobat and select Menu > Help> Repair installation.
In the confirmation dialog box that opens, select Yes.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Restart your computer after the repair is complete.
If the app crashes due to damaged files, removing them and reinstalling the app can restore normal behaviour.
Uninstall Adobe Acrobat and the Creative Cloud desktop app using the Adobe Cleaner Tool.
Delete all Adobe folders from:
C:\Program Files\
C:\Program Files\Common Files\
C:\Program Files (x86)\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\
C:\ProgramData\
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Locallow\
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\
Restart your computer.
Download the Acrobat 64-bit Installer and open it from your notifications or the Downloads folder.
Double-click the downloaded file and select Run.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install Acrobat.
Acrobat may crash if third‑party plug-ins are outdated, incompatible, or malfunctioning. Common offenders include ComposerPlayerControl.dll, Seclore Desktop Client, IntoWords, Pitstop Pro, and ImageRight plug-ins.
Check the Known and fixed issues in Acrobat page for guidance on specific plug-ins.
To fix the issue:
Go to the installation folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Acrobat Reader DC\Reader\plug_ins
Locate and remove any problematic plug-ins.
Restart Acrobat.
Protected View settings may interfere with Acrobat's startup. To turn off protected view:
Open Acrobat.
Go to Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced).
Uncheck Enable Protected View.
Restart Acrobat.
Some antivirus programs can block Acrobat from launching.
- Make sure your antivirus software is up to date.
- If the issue continues, temporarily turn off your antivirus and try launching Acrobat.
- If Acrobat opens, add it as an exception in your antivirus settings.
- Important: Re-enable your antivirus after installation to keep your system secure.
Missing or incorrect runtime files on ARM64-based Windows devices can cause crashes. To fix:
Download the latest Visual C++ Redistributable package for your system.
Install the package and restart your computer.
This issue occurs when the action requires administrator-level permissions that are not assigned to your account.
Right-click the Adobe Acrobat icon and select Run as administrator.
Approve any system prompts or enter your admin credentials if asked.
Acrobat may crash at launch if your license or subscription has expired or is invalid, indicated by sign-in errors, such as:
- “Unable to reach Adobe servers.”
- “Can’t verify subscription status.”
- “Something went wrong.”
If you get such errors, check the Adobe account plans and verify that your license is valid and your subscription is active. Refer to the Activation issues guide for troubleshooting steps.
If a conflicting user profile causes crashes, log in with a different profile to verify, then reset or recreate the affected profile.
Log in with a different Windows user account on the same computer.
Launch Acrobat and see if it works.
Still crashing? Collect diagnostics & contact Support
Gather Windows crash logs and share them with Adobe Customer Care or post details in the Adobe Acrobat Community for guided help.
Report Acrobat crashes to Adobe
If Acrobat or Acrobat Reader crashes and a crash report dialog appears, select Send report to share the details with Adobe.
