How to Fix Microsoft Outlook Running Slow Due to Adobe Acrobat Add-in
Question details
The user is experiencing severe performance issues in Microsoft Outlook after upgrading to Acrobat Pro 2017.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Composing, replying, forwarding, and filing emails in Outlook after an Adobe upgrade.
- Observed behavior
- Outlook runs very slowly, coinciding with the appearance of the Adobe Send and Track add-in in the ribbon.
Before making changes to your add-ins, save any draft emails and completely close and reopen Microsoft Outlook to ensure a fresh session.
Disable the Adobe Document Cloud Add-in in Outlook
Temporarily disable the Adobe add-in to identify if it is the root cause of the performance slowdown.
Third-party add-ins, while useful, can sometimes conflict with Microsoft Outlook's core processes, causing significant lag when performing basic actions like composing or replying to emails. Disabling the Adobe add-in is the quickest way to isolate the issue.
In Microsoft Outlook, click on the 'File' tab in the top-left corner of the ribbon, then select 'Options' from the bottom of the left-hand menu to open the Outlook Options dialog box.
Click on 'Add-ins' in the left sidebar. At the bottom of the window, ensure the 'Manage' dropdown menu is set to 'COM Add-ins', and click the 'Go...' button.
In the COM Add-ins list, locate and uncheck the box next to 'Adobe Document Cloud for Microsoft Outlook' (or 'Adobe Send and Track'). Click 'OK' to apply the changes.
Try composing, replying to, or forwarding an email to see if the performance issue is resolved. If Outlook speeds up, the Adobe add-in was the cause.
Try WPS Office for a Fast, Lightweight Productivity Experience
If Microsoft Office applications continue to suffer from performance issues, slow loading times, or heavy resource usage, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, fast, and feature-rich alternative for all your document needs with built-in PDF tools, meaning you won't need clunky third-party add-ins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do COM add-ins make Outlook slow?
COM add-ins like Adobe Acrobat integrate deeply into Outlook to add extra features, such as sending large files or creating PDFs directly from the ribbon. However, they consume additional system memory and processing power, which can drastically slow down standard tasks like typing or sending emails.
Will disabling the Adobe add-in delete my PDF files?
No, disabling the Adobe Document Cloud add-in only removes the Adobe-specific buttons and features from the Outlook ribbon. Your existing PDF files, emails, and the Adobe Acrobat application itself will remain completely unaffected.
How do I permanently remove the Adobe add-in from Outlook?
To permanently remove it rather than just disabling it, go to File > Options > Add-ins, select Go next to COM Add-ins, highlight the Adobe add-in from the list, and click the 'Remove' button. You can also completely uninstall the integration via the Windows Control Panel if you no longer use Acrobat.
