Fix Adobe Acrobat 2017 Hanging When Converting DOCX to PDF
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where Adobe Acrobat 2017 becomes unresponsive during document conversion.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat 2017, Microsoft Word 2016
- Device & OS
- Windows 10
- Scenario
- Attempting to convert one or multiple Word (DOCX) files to PDF format using Adobe Acrobat.
- Observed behavior
- Adobe Acrobat 2017 hangs, freezes, or fails to complete the process when converting DOCX files.
Ensure that you have saved all open Word documents and closed any background applications that might be utilizing high system resources.
Update and Repair the Adobe Acrobat Installation
This solution resolves freezing and hanging issues by ensuring your software is fully patched and repairing any corrupted application files.
Acrobat relies on integrated background services to communicate with Microsoft Word. If these files become outdated or corrupted, the conversion process can freeze indefinitely.
Reboot your Windows 10 system to clear out temporary memory states and stop any hung background conversion tasks.
Open Adobe Acrobat. Click on the 'Help' menu at the top of the window, choose 'Check for Updates', and install any available patches. Restart Windows once completed.
If the software still hangs after updating, open Acrobat, click on the 'Help' menu, and select 'Repair Installation'. Allow the repair process to finish.
Restart your computer one final time, open Adobe Acrobat, and try converting your DOCX file to PDF to confirm the hanging issue is resolved.
Convert DOCX to PDF Seamlessly with WPS Office
If Adobe Acrobat continues to freeze, you can bypass the issue entirely by using WPS Office. WPS Writer features a robust, built-in PDF conversion tool that handles DOCX files natively without needing external plugins.
- 1. Open your DOCX file in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open the Word document you want to convert.
- 2. Access the Export tool: Click on the 'Menu' button in the upper-left corner of the interface, then select 'Export to PDF'.
- 3. Configure PDF settings: In the pop-up window, select your save path, choose the export range, and select standard or compressed quality.
- 4. Complete the conversion: Click the 'Export to PDF' button. The file will be converted and saved instantly without freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat hang specifically when converting DOCX files?
This typically happens because Acrobat relies on a plugin (PDFMaker) integrated into Microsoft Word. If there are conflicts between Word 2016 and Acrobat 2017, outdated software versions, or complex formatting like macros in the document, the plugin can fail to communicate properly and cause a freeze.
Can I convert my DOCX files to PDF directly in Microsoft Word?
Yes. Instead of using Adobe Acrobat to initiate the conversion, you can open the document in Microsoft Word 2016, click 'File', select 'Save As', and choose 'PDF' from the file format dropdown menu.
What should I do if the Acrobat 'Repair Installation' option fails?
If the built-in repair tool does not resolve the issue or fails to complete, you should completely uninstall Adobe Acrobat from your Windows 10 settings, restart your computer, and reinstall a fresh copy of the software from the official Adobe website.
