Other PDF Issues

Fix Acrobat Pro 2017 Freezing During Installation on macOS Catalina

Phi Hung VoPhi Hung Vo Nov 2, 2026 869 views

Question details

The Acrobat Pro 2017 Classic installer freezes during the installation process on macOS 10.15 Catalina.

Fix Acrobat Pro 2017 Freezing During Installation on macOS Catalina
Product
Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017
Device & OS
macOS 10.15 Catalina
Scenario
Installing Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017, usually from a reseller link or an older installation package.
Observed behavior
The installation process hangs or freezes specifically at the 'Read Me' stage, preventing the user from completing the software installation.
Before you start

Ensure your Mac is updated to the latest version of macOS Catalina and that you have administrator privileges to grant necessary folder permissions during the installation process.

Solution 1Recommended

Download and Use the Latest Official Adobe Installer

Outdated reseller links often cause compatibility issues on macOS Catalina. Using the current installer package directly from Adobe resolves this freezing issue.

Older installation packages may not contain the necessary updates to run properly on macOS Catalina's modernized architecture.

Downloading the latest standalone installer directly from Adobe's official support page ensures full compatibility.

1
Visit the Official Download Page

Open your web browser and navigate to the official Adobe Acrobat 2017 downloads page.

2
Download the macOS Installer

Locate the Acrobat Pro 2017 Classic installer specifically marked for macOS and download the package.

3
Run the Updated Installer

Double-click the newly downloaded .dmg or .pkg file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

Download and Use the Latest Official Adobe Installer
Installer Compatibility: The updated package includes patches that specifically address the Read Me stage freeze.
Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit and Manage PDFs Easily with WPS Office

If you are struggling with installation freezes on macOS Catalina, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for handling PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations without the heavy system requirements or installation errors.

  1. 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free macOS version.
  2. 2. Install the Application: Run the lightweight installer, which effortlessly bypasses the compatibility freezes seen in other software.
  3. 3. Open Your PDFs: Launch WPS Office and instantly open, view, or edit your PDF files and Office documents.
Seamlessly open, edit, and annotate PDF documents without complex setups.Highly compatible with Microsoft Office formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and standard PDFs.Lightweight installer that works flawlessly on macOS without freezing.Rich set of free tools to manage your documents across multiple devices.
microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the Acrobat Pro 2017 installer freeze at the 'Read Me' stage on Mac?

This typically happens due to compatibility issues with outdated installer files from third-party resellers, or because macOS Catalina's strict privacy settings block the installer from accessing necessary system folders.

Are older versions of Adobe Acrobat compatible with macOS Catalina?

Only Acrobat 2017 and Acrobat DC are officially compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina. Older versions like Acrobat XI or 2015 are 32-bit applications and are not supported by Catalina's 64-bit architecture.

How do I fix folder permissions for installers on macOS Catalina?

Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy. Select 'Files and Folders' or 'Full Disk Access', unlock the settings with your Mac password, and check the box next to the installer to grant it access.