Fix Acrobat DC Crashing Internet Explorer and Encompass When Opening PDFs
Question details
Users experience application crashes in Internet Explorer 11 and Ellie Mae Encompass when attempting to open PDF forms on systems with Adobe Acrobat DC installed.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC, Internet Explorer 11, Ellie Mae Encompass
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Opening PDF forms within the Internet Explorer browser or Ellie Mae Encompass software.
- Observed behavior
- The host applications (IE11 and Encompass) crash or freeze entirely upon opening PDFs. This issue appears isolated to systems running Acrobat DC and does not happen with Reader DC.
Ensure you have administrative privileges on your Windows computer, as modifying browser add-ons and disabling security features in Acrobat requires admin rights.
Disable the Adobe PDF Reader Add-on in Internet Explorer
Turn off the Acrobat browser integration plugin to prevent it from crashing Internet Explorer and applications like Encompass that rely on IE components.
Ellie Mae Encompass often utilizes Internet Explorer's underlying web browser components to render PDF files. If the Acrobat DC plugin for IE is unstable or conflicting with the application, disabling the add-on forces the system to handle the PDF differently, bypassing the crash.
Launch Internet Explorer 11 from your Windows Start menu.
Click the Gear icon (Tools) in the upper-right corner of the browser window and select 'Manage add-ons' from the drop-down menu.
Under the 'Toolbars and Extensions' section, choose 'All add-ons' from the 'Show' drop-down menu on the left. Scroll down to find 'Adobe PDF Reader' (published by Adobe Systems Incorporated).
Select the 'Adobe PDF Reader' extension and click the 'Disable' button at the bottom right of the window.
Close Internet Explorer and Encompass completely, then reopen Encompass and try accessing the PDF forms again.
Disable Protected Mode in Acrobat DC
Temporarily turn off Acrobat's Protected Mode, as its security sandboxing can sometimes cause third-party software integrations like Encompass to crash.
Update All Software Components
Apply the latest patches for Windows, Acrobat DC, and Encompass to fix known integration bugs causing the crashes.
Avoid Browser Crashes with WPS PDF
Bypass Internet Explorer plugin conflicts entirely by using WPS Office to view and manage your PDFs. WPS PDF offers a highly stable, lightweight, and independent reading experience that won't cause your legacy browsers or external applications to crash.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite from the official website.
- 2. Change Default PDF App: Right-click on any PDF file on your computer, select 'Open with', and then choose 'Choose another app'.
- 3. Set WPS as Default: Select 'WPS Office' from the list of applications, check the box that says 'Always use this app to open .pdf files', and click OK.
- 4. Open PDFs Safely: Double-click your PDFs. They will now open securely and quickly in WPS PDF, avoiding the Acrobat DC and Internet Explorer environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat DC crash Internet Explorer 11 but Adobe Reader DC doesn't?
Acrobat DC is a comprehensive editing suite that loads heavier, more complex plugins into the browser. These advanced integrations can conflict with legacy browsers like Internet Explorer 11, whereas Reader DC is a simpler, lighter application primarily for viewing.
Why does Encompass crash when the issue is with Internet Explorer?
Ellie Mae Encompass, like many enterprise software platforms, relies on the underlying web rendering engine of Internet Explorer to display web content and PDFs within its own interface. A crash in the IE PDF plugin cascades, causing Encompass to crash as well.
Is it safe to disable Protected Mode in Adobe Acrobat?
Disabling Protected Mode removes an important security sandbox layer that protects your system from malicious code embedded in PDFs. It should only be used temporarily as a troubleshooting step. If it resolves the issue, it is highly recommended to seek an updated patch or change your PDF handler rather than leaving Protected Mode off permanently.
Can I force Encompass to open PDFs in a separate window?
Yes, by disabling the Adobe PDF Reader add-on in Internet Explorer, the system is no longer able to render the PDF inline within the Encompass window. Instead, it will typically prompt your computer to open the file in your default standalone PDF viewer.
