Fix Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 Freezing When Signing PDFs on Mac
Question details
Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 freezes or crashes on a Mac when attempting to sign or edit PDF files.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Signing a document, adding watermarks, or inserting text boxes in a PDF file.
- Observed behavior
- The application becomes unresponsive, freezes, or crashes, requiring the user to force-quit the program.
Ensure your macOS is fully up to date and close any heavy background applications that might be consuming excessive system memory.
Test with a Local PDF File
Rule out network latency or permission issues by working with a locally saved file instead of a shared drive.
Network interruptions or slow shared-drive connections can cause Acrobat to freeze when trying to save complex edits like digital signatures or watermarks.
If your PDF is stored on a shared network or external drive, copy the file to a local directory on your Mac, such as your Desktop or Documents folder.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 and open the locally saved PDF file.
Attempt to sign or edit the document again to see if the freezing issue persists.
Create a New macOS Administrator Profile
Determine if the freezing issue is caused by corrupted user profile settings or permissions.
Repair or Reinstall Adobe Acrobat
Fix corrupted application files that may be causing crashes during editing operations.
Sign and Edit PDFs Smoothly with WPS Office
Avoid system crashes and freezing by using WPS Office. Its built-in PDF editor provides a lightweight and stable environment for macOS users to seamlessly sign, watermark, and modify documents without performance drops.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office for your Mac.
- 2. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document you need to sign.
- 3. Navigate to Fill & Sign: Click on the 'Protect' or 'Fill & Sign' tab in the top navigation ribbon.
- 4. Add your signature: Create your digital signature and click on the document to apply it securely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Mac freeze only when adding watermarks or signatures in PDFs?
Editing actions like adding watermarks or digital signatures require additional processing power and re-rendering of the document. Corrupted app preferences, conflicting system permissions, or excessively large files can cause these specific features to freeze the application.
Does saving a PDF to a network drive affect editing performance?
Yes. Editing and signing directly on a network or shared drive can cause latency issues and lead to software freezes if the connection drops or delays while saving the signature data. Always copy the file locally before signing.
How do I force quit Acrobat on a Mac when it freezes?
If Acrobat becomes completely unresponsive, press Command + Option + Esc simultaneously on your keyboard. Select Adobe Acrobat from the list of applications in the Force Quit window and click 'Force Quit'.
