Fix: Acrobat Displays 'Please Wait While the Document Is Being Prepared'
Question details
Users encounter an incomplete 'Please wait while the document is being prepared' dialog when attempting to open specific PDF files, causing a delay.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening large PDF files or booklet PDFs in the Adobe Acrobat application.
- Observed behavior
- The application displays a loading dialog stating 'Please wait while the document is being prepared for' and delays opening the document, whereas regular PDFs open normally.
Check if you actively use screen readers, dictation software, or other assistive technologies on your computer, as this will determine which settings you should adjust to prevent this message.
Disable Assistive Technology Support
Best for users who do not rely on screen readers or accessibility tools.
This dialog is triggered when Acrobat detects assistive technology or certain background tracking tools running on your system. Disabling the feature outright stops the preparation process entirely.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, click on the Edit menu at the top, and select Preferences (or press Ctrl+K on Windows / Cmd+K on Mac).
In the left-hand category pane of the Preferences window, select Accessibility.
Locate the 'Other Accessibility Options' section, uncheck the box labeled 'Enable Assistive Technology Support', and click OK to save your changes.
Limit Screen Reader to Visible Pages
Use this method if you need to keep assistive technology enabled but want to stop the preparation dialog from delaying large documents.
Open PDFs Instantly with WPS Office
Tired of slow loading times and background preparation dialogs? WPS Office offers a free, lightweight PDF reader and editor that opens large documents and booklets instantly without unnecessary background processing delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat say the document is being prepared for reading?
This message appears when Acrobat detects assistive technology running on your system. It is attempting to process and tag the document's text and layout so it can be accurately read aloud by screen reading software.
Why does this message only appear on large or booklet PDFs?
Acrobat tries to process the entire document for screen readers by default. For short PDFs, this happens instantly and silently. However, for large files or complex booklets with many layout elements, the processing time increases significantly, triggering the 'please wait' dialog.
Will disabling assistive technology affect my PDF's content?
No. Disabling this feature in Acrobat's preferences only stops the software from preparing the text for your local screen reading software. It does not alter the actual content, design layout, or embedded accessibility tags of the PDF file itself.
I don't use a screen reader, so why is Acrobat detecting one?
Sometimes other background applications, such as dictation software, operating system accessibility tools, or even certain keyboard tracking and automation utilities, utilize the same Windows Accessibility APIs as screen readers, causing Acrobat to enable this feature automatically.
