How to Disable Content Preparation Progress in Acrobat Pro DC for Mac
Question details
The user wants to stop the 'Content Preparation Progress' dialog from displaying every time a PDF document is opened in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for Mac.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Opening PDF documents for viewing or editing
- Observed behavior
- A dialog stating 'Content Preparation Progress. Please wait while the document is being prepared for reading' appears, delaying access to the document.
Ensure you have Adobe Acrobat Pro DC open on your Mac and keep a large PDF file accessible to test the loading speed after adjusting the preferences.
Change Screen Reading Options in Preferences
Adjusting the screen reading preferences to only read visible pages prevents Acrobat from preparing the entire document upon opening.
By default, Adobe Acrobat processes the entire document for screen readers when you open a file. This is highly beneficial for accessibility, but it can cause significant delays for users opening large PDF documents. Modifying this setting tells the application to only process the page you are currently viewing.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on your Mac. Click on 'Acrobat Pro' in the top Apple menu bar and select 'Preferences', or press the keyboard shortcut Command + Comma (,).
In the Preferences window, look at the Categories pane on the left side and click on 'Reading'.
Locate the 'Screen Reading Options' section on the right. Find the 'Page vs. Document' dropdown menu and change its value to 'Only read the currently visible pages'.
Click 'OK' at the bottom of the Preferences window to apply your changes. Close your PDF document and reopen it to verify the preparation dialog no longer appears.
Open PDFs Instantly with WPS Office
If you are tired of dealing with long loading screens and content preparation delays, consider switching to WPS Office. Its built-in PDF reader is lightweight, lightning-fast, and designed to open large documents instantly without forcing background preparations.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website, download the Mac version of WPS Office, and follow the simple on-screen instructions to install it.
- 2. Set WPS as Your Default Reader: Right-click any PDF file on your Mac, select 'Get Info', choose 'WPS Office' under the 'Open with' section, and click 'Change All'.
- 3. Enjoy Instant PDF Loading: Double-click your PDF documents to open them immediately without encountering any 'Content Preparation' progress bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat prepare the document for reading?
Acrobat prepares documents primarily for accessibility tools, such as screen readers. By default, it processes the text and structure of the entire document to ensure visually impaired users can navigate it, which can cause delays for large files.
Will changing this screen reading setting affect how my PDF prints?
No. Modifying the screen reading options only changes how the document is processed for on-screen viewing and accessibility software. It has no effect on print quality, formatting, or layout.
Does this solution work for the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC as well?
Yes, the identical steps apply to the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac. You can adjust the exact same 'Page vs. Document' setting under the 'Reading' category in Preferences.
