How to Fix Acrobat DC Crashing When Opening a Second PDF on Mac
Question details
The user experiences application crashes when trying to open a second PDF document in Adobe Acrobat DC.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC
- Device & OS
- macOS High Sierra
- Scenario
- Opening multiple PDF documents concurrently.
- Observed behavior
- Adobe Acrobat DC (version 2019.012.20034) crashes upon opening a second PDF, sometimes causing other Adobe applications to freeze as well.
Ensure you have saved any ongoing work in other Adobe applications, as troubleshooting may require restarting your Mac or forcefully closing frozen programs.
Update Software and Perform Basic Mac Troubleshooting
Outdated software or temporary system glitches are common causes for Acrobat freezes on macOS.
Adobe frequently releases patches to address stability issues on specific macOS versions. Ensuring both your operating system and Acrobat DC are up to date is the most effective first step.
Open Adobe Acrobat DC, go to the 'Help' menu at the top of the screen, and select 'Check for Updates'. Install any available updates and restart the application.
Open the Apple menu, select 'System Preferences', then click 'Software Update' to ensure macOS High Sierra (or your current macOS version) is fully updated.
Click the Apple menu and select 'Restart'. Once rebooted, open Acrobat and test the stability by opening two PDF files simultaneously.
Collect and Submit a Crash Report to Adobe
If Acrobat DC continues to crash after updating, submitting a crash log helps Adobe identify the specific conflict.
Use WPS Office for a Stable and Free PDF Experience on Mac
If Adobe Acrobat continues to crash or freeze your Mac, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a lightweight, free alternative that handles PDFs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files seamlessly without heavy system resource usage.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for Mac from the official website and install it on your system.
- 2. Set as Default PDF Reader: Right-click any PDF file, select 'Get Info', choose WPS Office under 'Open with', and click 'Change All'.
- 3. Open Multiple PDFs: Double-click your PDF files to open them smoothly in WPS Office's stable tabbed interface without crashing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat DC freeze my entire Mac?
Acrobat DC can freeze your Mac if there is a memory leak, a conflict with macOS High Sierra, or if the application is outdated. Updating both macOS and Acrobat usually resolves these system-level freezes.
How do I find the crash log for Adobe Acrobat on Mac?
When Acrobat crashes, macOS typically displays a crash dialog. You can click 'Report' to view the log. Alternatively, open the 'Console' app on your Mac, navigate to 'User Reports' or 'Crash Reports', and look for files starting with 'Acrobat'.
Can I open multiple PDFs in tabs instead of new windows to prevent crashes?
Yes, opening PDFs in tabs can sometimes reduce resource usage and prevent window-management crashes. In Acrobat, go to 'Preferences' > 'General' and check 'Open documents as new tabs in the same window'.
