Fix Large White Box Freezing When Sharing PDFs in Acrobat on macOS
Question details
The user experiences an application freeze and a large white box obstructing the document when attempting to share or email a PDF.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS Mojave
- Scenario
- Emailing or sharing a PDF file directly from the PDF reader application on a Mac.
- Observed behavior
- A large blank white box covers the PDF document, and the application becomes completely unresponsive, forcing the user to abort the sharing process.
Before proceeding with troubleshooting, save any open work in other applications and ensure your Mac is connected to the internet, as you may need to download official software updates.
Identify Adobe Version and Apply Updates
Updating your PDF reader to the latest patched version is the most reliable way to resolve rendering glitches and freezing issues on macOS Mojave.
Software conflicts between macOS Mojave and older versions of Adobe Acrobat often cause rendering bugs like the white box error. Identifying your exact product version is the crucial first step to applying the correct patch.
Launch Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader on your Mac.
Navigate to the top menu bar, click on 'Acrobat' or 'Help', and select 'About Adobe Acrobat' or 'About Acrobat Reader' to note your exact version number.
Click on the 'Help' menu again from the top navigation bar and select 'Check for Updates'.
Follow the on-screen prompts to download and install any available updates, then restart the application to see if the sharing feature works normally.
Repair the Application Installation
If your software is already up to date, the internal application files may be corrupted and require a built-in repair.
Try WPS Office for Seamless PDF Viewing and Sharing
If your current PDF reader continues to freeze or display white boxes on your Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible environment for viewing, editing, and sharing PDF files without the hassle of unexpected crashes.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office application for macOS.
- 2. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your desired PDF document.
- 3. Share with ease: Click the 'Share' or 'Email' icon in the top toolbar to send your file seamlessly without performance drops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF reader freeze when I try to email a document?
Freezing during the sharing process usually occurs due to an outdated application version or a communication conflict between the PDF reader and the default macOS mail client. Updating the software typically resolves these communication bottlenecks.
Does this white box issue happen on all macOS versions?
While this specific graphical glitch is prominently reported by users running macOS Mojave, heavily outdated versions of PDF readers can exhibit similar rendering and freezing issues on newer operating systems like macOS Monterey or Sonoma.
How do I close the application if it is completely frozen on the white box?
Press the Command, Option, and Escape keys simultaneously on your Mac keyboard to open the Force Quit Applications window. Select your frozen PDF application from the list and click 'Force Quit'.
