Fix Adobe Acrobat Crashing When Opening a Second PDF on macOS
Question details
The user experiences consistent application crashes in Adobe Acrobat when attempting to open a second PDF document.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS High Sierra
- Scenario
- Opening a second PDF file, either by double-clicking it in Finder or launching it directly from an InDesign export.
- Observed behavior
- Adobe Acrobat crashes or unexpectedly quits immediately after the second PDF document begins to load.
Ensure you have saved all open work in other applications, and note down any specific error messages or crash codes that appear when Acrobat closes unexpectedly.
Restart Your Mac and Update Adobe Acrobat
Applying the latest software patches and refreshing the system memory is the most effective way to resolve sudden application crashes on macOS.
Software updates often include patches for known bugs and memory leaks that can cause multiple document windows to fail. Ensuring Acrobat is fully updated for your specific macOS version usually resolves compatibility problems.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select 'Restart' to clear temporary system memory.
Launch Adobe Acrobat (using just one PDF for now). Go to the top menu bar, click on 'Help', and select 'Check for Updates'.
If an update is available, follow the on-screen prompts to download and install it. Once installed, restart your Mac again and attempt to open two PDFs to verify the fix.
Perform macOS System Troubleshooting
If updating Acrobat does not resolve the issue, check for deeper macOS system errors or corrupted preferences.
Open and Manage Multiple PDFs Without Crashing in WPS Office
If Adobe Acrobat continues to crash on your Mac, WPS Office provides a stable, lightweight, and completely free alternative for opening, reading, and editing multiple PDF files simultaneously in an intuitive tabbed interface.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the WPS Office application specifically optimized for macOS.
- 2. Launch the PDF viewer: Open WPS Office and navigate to the 'PDF' section on the main dashboard.
- 3. Open your first document: Click 'Open' and select your first PDF document to load it into a new tab.
- 4. Open additional PDFs seamlessly: Click the '+' icon next to the document tab at the top to browse and open a second PDF document without performance drops or crashing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat keep crashing on macOS High Sierra?
Crashing on older operating systems like macOS High Sierra is often caused by software incompatibilities, outdated application versions, or corrupted preference files within Acrobat struggling to manage memory for multiple active documents.
Where can I find the crash logs for Adobe Acrobat on my Mac?
You can locate crash logs by opening the 'Console' app located in Applications > Utilities on your Mac. Look under 'User Reports' or 'Crash Reports' to find logs specifically named after Acrobat, which can help diagnose the failing module.
Does uninstalling and reinstalling Acrobat fix the crashing issue?
Yes, completely uninstalling Adobe Acrobat, removing its cached system files, and then reinstalling the latest compatible version can often resolve issues caused by corrupted installation files.
Can I open multiple PDF files on macOS without using Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, macOS has a built-in 'Preview' application that handles standard PDF viewing. Alternatively, you can use highly stable third-party applications like WPS Office to open multiple PDFs in a tabbed view without experiencing crashes.
