Fix Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Freezing When Saving or Emailing on Mac
Question details
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC becomes unresponsive and freezes on macOS when attempting to save or email a PDF document.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Saving or emailing a PDF document within the application.
- Observed behavior
- The application freezes entirely during the save or email action, requiring the user to perform a force quit to close the program.
Before proceeding with the troubleshooting steps, ensure your macOS is up to date and that you have saved any open work in other applications, as restarting your computer will be required.
Update Acrobat and Reset Application Preferences
Corrupted preference files often cause Acrobat to freeze during save or email actions. Updating the app and resetting these files usually restores normal functionality.
Software updates often contain patches for known bugs that cause application lockups on newer macOS versions. If an update does not fix it, resetting your Acrobat preferences will clear out any misconfigured or damaged settings that trigger the freeze.
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, navigate to 'Help' in the top menu bar, and click 'Check for Updates'. Install any available updates and restart the app.
Close Acrobat completely. Open Finder, hold down the 'Option' key on your keyboard, and click 'Go' > 'Library' in the top Apple menu bar.
Navigate to the 'Preferences' folder within the Library. Find the file named 'com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist' (and any other files starting with com.adobe.Acrobat) and drag them to the Trash.
Empty the Trash and restart your Mac. Open Acrobat Pro DC, which will generate fresh preference files, and try saving or emailing a PDF to verify the issue is resolved.
Completely Reinstall Acrobat using the Cleaner Tool
If updating and resetting preferences fails, deeply rooted application corruption might be the cause. A clean removal and reinstallation is required.
Save and Email PDFs Without Freezing Using WPS Office
Tired of frustrating app freezes and crashes? WPS Office provides a fast, lightweight, and highly stable PDF reader and editor tailored for Mac users, allowing you to edit, save, and share your PDF files seamlessly.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get WPS Office for Mac from the official website or Mac App Store and launch the application.
- 2. Open your PDF document: Click 'Open' on the homepage and select the PDF document you wish to view, annotate, or edit.
- 3. Save your document instantly: Click 'File' > 'Save' or use the Cmd+S shortcut to securely save your PDF without any system lockups.
- 4. Email directly from the app: Use the 'Share' or 'Email' function located in the top toolbar to instantly attach the document to your default mail client.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat Pro DC keep freezing on my Mac only when saving?
This specific freeze usually happens because Acrobat is attempting to connect to cloud services (like Adobe Document Cloud) during the save dialogue, or because corrupted macOS preference files are conflicting with the application's file management protocol.
Is there a way to force quit Acrobat if it freezes my entire Mac screen?
Yes. You can press the Command + Option + Escape keys simultaneously to open the 'Force Quit Applications' window. From there, select Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and click 'Force Quit'.
Will using the Acrobat Cleaner Tool delete my saved PDFs?
No. The Acrobat and Reader Cleaner Tool only targets application files, background services, and installation directories. Your personal PDF files stored in your Documents, Desktop, or other personal folders remain completely safe and untouched.
