Fix Mac Running Slow After Installing Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user's Mac starts slowly, and documents take a long time to open or fail to open entirely after installing Adobe Acrobat.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS High Sierra
- Scenario
- Booting up the Mac and attempting to open PDF or Office documents after a recent Adobe Acrobat installation.
- Observed behavior
- System boot times are severely extended, applications open sluggishly, and older files fail to open completely, whereas a similar Mac without Acrobat performs normally.
Ensure you have backed up any critical documents and check your Mac's available storage space, as dangerously low disk space can exacerbate system slowdowns.
Update Software and Manage Startup Items
Ensure Acrobat, Creative Cloud, and macOS are fully up-to-date, and prevent Acrobat from automatically launching at startup to save system resources.
Adobe applications often install background processes that launch automatically upon system startup. On older Macs, these helper applications can consume significant memory and processing power, leading to system-wide sluggishness.
Open Adobe Acrobat or the Creative Cloud desktop app, navigate to the 'Help' menu, and select 'Check for Updates' to install the latest patches optimized for your macOS version.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select 'App Store' or 'System Preferences', and install any available updates for macOS High Sierra.
Go to Apple menu > 'System Preferences' > 'Users & Groups'. Select your user account, click the 'Login Items' tab, select Adobe Acrobat or Creative Cloud, and click the minus (-) button to remove them from startup.
Check Memory Pressure and Consider Downgrading
Verify if Adobe processes are consuming too much RAM, and remove the heavy application if your hardware cannot support it.
Use WPS Office as a Lightweight PDF and Office Solution for Mac
If heavy software like Adobe Acrobat is slowing down your older Mac, WPS Office offers a fast, lightweight, and completely free alternative. It includes a built-in PDF reader and editor alongside Word, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives, requiring significantly fewer system resources.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the macOS version of WPS Office.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the downloaded installer and drag the WPS Office icon to your Applications folder.
- 3. Open PDFs Seamlessly: Right-click any PDF file, select 'Get Info', and set WPS Office as the default application to enjoy lightning-fast loading speeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat slow down my older Mac?
Modern versions of Adobe Acrobat and Creative Cloud are heavily optimized for newer hardware and 64-bit architecture. On older machines, continuous background processes like Adobe Update Service and Creative Cloud syncing can cause severe system lag.
Will completely uninstalling Acrobat restore my Mac's speed?
Yes, using the official Adobe uninstaller to completely remove Acrobat and the Creative Cloud desktop app usually stops the heavy background processes and immediately restores your Mac's normal startup and operational speed.
Can I just use Mac's built-in Preview for PDFs?
Yes, Apple's built-in Preview app is highly optimized for macOS and can handle basic PDF viewing and minor annotations without slowing down your computer. However, for more advanced editing features, lightweight third-party tools like WPS Office are a great choice.
How do I completely remove Adobe Acrobat from my Mac?
Do not simply drag the application icon to the Trash, as this leaves background helpers running. Go to your Applications folder, open the Adobe Acrobat folder, and double-click the official Acrobat Uninstaller to ensure all associated services are properly removed.
