Fix Acrobat Reader Freezes or Closes When Printing PDF Files
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where the PDF reader stops responding or forcefully closes immediately after clicking the Print button.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Attempting to print a PDF document, particularly when a physical network printer is configured as the system's default printer.
- Observed behavior
- The application freezes or unexpectedly closes when initiating the print command. This often occurs after a recent Windows update and is specifically triggered by physical printer defaults.
Ensure that your Windows operating system and all physical printer drivers are fully up to date, as outdated drivers can conflict with the print spooler.
Change the Default Windows Printer to a Virtual Printer
Setting a virtual printer as the default Windows printer prevents Acrobat from crashing upon opening the print dialog, allowing you to manually select your physical printer.
Recent Windows updates can cause conflicts between Acrobat Reader and physical printer drivers (especially TCP/IP printers). By defaulting to a virtual printer like 'Microsoft Print to PDF', the software loads the print dialog smoothly.
Click the Start menu, go to Settings, and select 'Devices', then click on 'Printers & scanners' on the left panel.
Scroll down and uncheck the box that says 'Let Windows manage my default printer'.
Click on 'Microsoft Print to PDF' (or another virtual printer like PDF Creator), select 'Manage', and click 'Set as default'.
Open your PDF in Acrobat Reader, click Print, and manually choose your physical printer from the Printer drop-down menu to print without freezing.
Print the PDF as an Image
Printing the document as an image bypasses complex font and vector rendering issues that may cause the software to freeze.
Run the Acrobat Cleaner Tool and Reinstall
If standard uninstallation leaves corrupted registry keys behind, using the official cleaner tool ensures a completely fresh installation.
Print PDF Files Smoothly with WPS Office
If Acrobat Reader continues to freeze during printing, you can easily open and print your PDF documents using WPS Office. It provides a highly stable, built-in PDF reader that effortlessly handles physical and network printers without crashing.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get WPS Office from the official website and complete the quick installation process.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Right-click the PDF file that is causing issues, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Office.
- 3. Access the Print Menu: Click the 'Print' icon on the top toolbar or press the Ctrl + P keyboard shortcut.
- 4. Select Printer and Print: Choose your physical network or local printer from the list and click 'Print' to safely print your document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF reader crash only when a physical printer is set as default?
This is often caused by a conflict between recent Windows OS updates and the specific driver of the physical printer. When the print dialog opens, the application attempts to query the default printer's capabilities. If the driver is incompatible or stalls over a TCP/IP connection, the application freezes.
Will resetting preferences fix the print freezing issue?
It can help if the issue is caused by corrupted local application data. You can reset preferences by navigating to your AppData\Roaming folder and renaming or deleting the application's preference folder, forcing it to generate a fresh configuration upon restarting.
How do I know if my printer driver is the cause of the freezing?
Try printing a simple plain text document from Notepad. If it prints successfully but PDFs consistently cause crashes, the printer driver might be struggling specifically with PDF rendering instructions. Updating the printer driver directly from the manufacturer's website is recommended.
