Fix Outlook 2019 Crashing After Installing Acrobat Pro 2020
Question details
Users experience Microsoft Outlook 2019 crashing or displaying an Adobe plug-in warning immediately after Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 is installed on the system.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook 2019, Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Launching Microsoft Outlook or attempting to send a PDF as an email attachment via Adobe Acrobat.
- Observed behavior
- Outlook 2019 repeatedly crashes, freezes on startup, or triggers an Adobe plug-in compatibility warning.
Ensure you have your Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 license key available and administrative privileges on your computer, as you may need to reinstall software or modify system settings.
Update Office and Repair the Acrobat Installation
Software conflicts between Outlook and Acrobat can frequently be resolved by ensuring both applications are updated and running Acrobat's built-in repair utility.
Outdated software versions often cause COM add-in compatibility issues. Updating Microsoft Office and repairing Acrobat ensures all integration files are correctly configured.
Open Microsoft Word or Excel, navigate to File > Account, click on 'Update Options', and select 'Update Now' to install the latest Office patches.
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 from your desktop or Start menu.
Click on the 'Help' menu at the top of the application window and select 'Repair Installation'.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the repair process, then restart your computer and open Outlook to test the integration.
Perform a Clean Reinstallation of Acrobat Pro 2020
If the repair tool fails, performing a clean uninstallation using Adobe's official cleaner tool removes corrupted residual files that crash the Outlook plugin.
Disable the Acrobat Outlook Integration
If you do not strictly need the automated PDF-to-email feature, temporarily disabling the Acrobat add-in inside Outlook will immediately stop the crashing.
Switch to WPS Office for a Stable, Built-In PDF Experience
Tired of dealing with unstable third-party plugins and constant software crashes? Switch to WPS Office. It provides robust word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and a built-in PDF toolkit in one lightweight application, eliminating the need for complex, crash-prone integrations.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and click the download button to get the free installer.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the setup file and follow the straightforward prompts to install WPS Office on your computer.
- 3. Enjoy Crash-Free Work: Open your documents, spreadsheets, and PDFs natively within WPS Office without relying on fragile external plugins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does installing Acrobat Pro 2020 cause Outlook to crash?
This generally happens because the 'Adobe Document Cloud for Microsoft Outlook' COM add-in conflicts with the specific build of Microsoft Office you are running, or the plugin files were corrupted during the Acrobat installation process.
Can I still email PDF files if I disable the Acrobat Outlook add-in?
Yes. Disabling the add-in only removes the automated 'Send as Email' button within Acrobat. You can still manually open Outlook, compose an email, and click 'Attach File' to send your PDFs without any crashing issues.
Will updating Microsoft Office alone fix the Acrobat integration issue?
Updating Office can restore compatibility with the Acrobat add-in in many cases. However, if the root cause is corrupted Adobe files or registry keys, you will also need to repair or cleanly reinstall Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020.
