How to Fix Acrobat Crashes When Copying Comment Text on Mac
Question details
Adobe Acrobat unexpectedly crashes on macOS when attempting to copy text from PDF comments and paste it into InDesign.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Copying comment text from Acrobat to paste into Adobe InDesign, or trying to add checkmarks to comments.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat crashes during the copy-paste process. Users also need a way to add checkmarks to comments without using keyboard shortcuts.
Save all open documents in Acrobat and InDesign to prevent data loss before attempting to restart your Mac or update your software.
Restart Your Mac and Update Acrobat
A simple system restart or software update often resolves memory leaks and clipboard conflicts causing the crash.
Clipboard conflicts between Adobe Acrobat and macOS can occasionally cause the application to freeze or crash when transferring text to another heavy application like InDesign. Refreshing the system memory is the best first step.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select 'Restart'. Wait for the Mac to reboot fully.
Open Acrobat and InDesign, and try copying the comment text again to see if the crash persists.
If the application still crashes, open Adobe Acrobat, go to 'Help' > 'Check for Updates', and install the latest available version.
Add Checkmarks to Comments Without Shortcuts
If keyboard shortcuts are causing instability, use the right-click context menu to manage comment checkmarks.
Use WPS Office to Manage and Copy PDF Comments Safely
Avoid unexpected crashes by using the built-in WPS PDF tool to open your documents, view comments, and copy text seamlessly into other applications like InDesign.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document containing the comments you need to extract.
- 2. Access the Comment Pane: Click on the 'Comment' tab at the top of the interface, then click 'Comment List' to view all document annotations.
- 3. Copy Comment Text: Select the desired comment from the list, highlight the text, right-click, and choose 'Copy' (or press Cmd+C on your Mac).
- 4. Paste into Your App: Switch to InDesign or your preferred application and paste the text safely without worrying about application crashes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat crash when copying text on a Mac?
Crashes during copy-paste operations are often caused by clipboard conflicts, memory leaks, or outdated software versions clashing with the macOS clipboard manager.
How do I check my Adobe Acrobat version on Mac?
Open Adobe Acrobat, click on 'Acrobat' in the top Apple menu bar, and select 'About Adobe Acrobat'. A window will appear displaying your current version number.
Can I export all comments from a PDF at once to avoid copying them one by one?
Yes, in Acrobat you can go to the Comments pane, click the Options menu (three dots), and select 'Export All To Data File' to save comments as an FDF file, which can help bypass copy-paste crashes.
What should I do if restarting my Mac doesn't fix the Acrobat crash?
If restarting doesn't help, ensure both macOS and Acrobat are fully updated. If the issue persists, you may need to reset Acrobat's preferences by holding down Command+Option+Shift while launching the app.
