Fix Adobe Reader Freezing When Opening Digitally Signed PDFs
Question details
The user experiences freezing and display issues like vertical lines when attempting to open a digitally signed PDF document.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat and Reader DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening a digitally signed PDF file for viewing or verification.
- Observed behavior
- The application freezes shortly after opening the document, and vertical lines may appear on the screen. Viewing via the Signatures pane only offers a temporary workaround.
Ensure you have the exact version number of your PDF reader and check if your computer's graphics drivers are up to date before proceeding with these fixes.
Disable Hardware Graphics Acceleration
Turning off hardware acceleration often resolves freezing issues caused by graphics rendering conflicts.
Hardware acceleration uses your computer's graphics card to render PDF pages faster, but conflicts between specific driver versions and the PDF reader can lead to software freezes and graphical glitches like vertical lines.
Launch Adobe Acrobat or Reader. Navigate to Edit > Preferences from the top menu bar, or simply press Ctrl+K on your keyboard.
Select 'Page Display' from the left-hand Categories pane.
Under the 'Rendering' section, locate and uncheck the box labeled 'Use 2D graphics acceleration'.
Click OK to save your changes, then restart the application and try opening the digitally signed PDF again.
Update the PDF Reader to the Latest Release
Software bugs specific to certain builds (like version 2019.021.20048) are often patched in newer updates.
Report the Issue with Diagnostics
If the issue persists, the problematic file may need to be examined by the software's product team.
Open Digitally Signed PDFs Without Freezing Using WPS Office
If your current PDF reader continues to crash, you can use WPS Office's built-in PDF tool to seamlessly open, view, and manage digitally signed PDFs without performance issues.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office from the official website.
- 2. Launch the PDF tool: Open WPS Office and select the 'PDF' module from the main home interface.
- 3. Open your document: Click 'Open' and browse your computer for the digitally signed PDF file that previously caused freezing.
- 4. Verify signatures safely: View your document and click on the signature fields to verify the digital signatures effortlessly without performance drops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a digitally signed PDF cause my reader to freeze?
Digitally signed PDFs require the software to verify cryptographic signatures against certificate authorities upon opening. If there's a graphics rendering bug, a corrupted signature, or an outdated software version, this verification process can cause the application to hang or freeze.
How can I view the PDF if the main window keeps freezing?
As a temporary workaround, some users find that opening the document and immediately viewing the signed version through the Signatures pane can bypass the main screen rendering freeze, though it is not a permanent solution.
Can hardware issues cause my PDF reader to display vertical lines?
Yes, vertical lines and freezing often indicate a conflict between the PDF reader's rendering engine and your computer's graphics hardware. Disabling 2D graphics acceleration in the software preferences usually resolves these visual glitches.
