Fix Acrobat Pro DC Extremely Slow with Spinning Cursor on Mac
Question details
The user is experiencing severe performance issues with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on a Mac, characterized by a spinning rainbow cursor and hesitant scrolling.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Opening and scrolling through PDF documents in Acrobat Pro DC.
- Observed behavior
- The application becomes extremely slow, displaying a spinning rainbow cursor and lagging during scrolling, which is often caused by a 3Dconnexion plug-in conflict.
Ensure you have saved any open PDF documents and completely closed Adobe Acrobat Pro DC before attempting to locate and remove application plug-ins.
Remove or Disable the 3Dconnexion Plug-in
Deleting the conflicting 3Dconnexion API plug-in resolves the spinning cursor issue if you do not use a 3D mouse with Acrobat.
The performance lag and spinning rainbow cursor are frequently caused by a conflict with the 3Dconnexion plug-in (3DxAcr3d.api) installed for 3D mice. Removing this file stops the conflict and restores normal application speed.
Open Finder on your Mac and navigate to the Applications folder to find Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
Right-click (or Control-click) the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC application icon and select 'Show Package Contents' from the context menu.
Navigate to Contents > Plug-ins within the package, and look for the file named '3DxAcr3d.api'.
Drag the '3DxAcr3d.api' file to the Trash, empty the Trash, and then restart Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to verify if the performance has improved.
Review Adobe's System Error Troubleshooting Guide
If removing the plug-in does not resolve the issue, the problem might be related to broader macOS system errors or freezes.
Try WPS Office for a Fast and Lightweight PDF Experience
If Adobe Acrobat continues to freeze or run slowly on your Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It includes a powerful, lightweight PDF reader and editor that won't bog down your system, offering seamless compatibility with all your documents.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free version for macOS.
- 2. Open the PDF tool: Launch WPS Office and click on the 'PDF' tab on the main dashboard.
- 3. View and edit effortlessly: Drag and drop your PDF file into the workspace for fast, lag-free viewing and editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Mac show a spinning rainbow cursor when using Adobe Acrobat?
The spinning rainbow cursor indicates that the application is unresponsive or processing a heavy task. In Adobe Acrobat, this is often caused by conflicting third-party plug-ins, such as the 3Dconnexion API for 3D mice, which continuously attempts to load and bogs down the software.
Will deleting the 3DxAcr3d.api plug-in affect my PDF files?
No, deleting this plug-in will not affect your PDF files or the core functionality of Adobe Acrobat. It will only disable the hardware integration with 3Dconnexion mice within the Acrobat application.
What should I do if Acrobat is still slow after removing the plug-in?
If the issue persists, you should check for available software updates for both macOS and Adobe Acrobat. Additionally, you can consult Adobe's official troubleshooting guide for macOS system errors to clear temporary caches and reset software preferences.
