How to Fix Acrobat DC Freezing and Spinning Beach Ball on macOS
Question details
The user experiences frequent unresponsiveness and a spinning beach ball cursor when using Acrobat DC on macOS, particularly after updates or when opening multiple documents.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC
- Device & OS
- macOS High Sierra
- Scenario
- Opening multiple PDF documents or using the application after recent macOS or application updates.
- Observed behavior
- The application frequently freezes, becomes entirely unresponsive, and displays the macOS spinning beach ball.
Ensure you have saved any open work in other applications to prevent data loss. It is also helpful to note your current macOS version and Acrobat DC build number before proceeding with troubleshooting.
Update Adobe Acrobat DC and macOS
Installing the latest updates for both the application and your operating system often resolves compatibility issues causing the freeze.
Software updates often contain patches for known freezing and performance issues. Running outdated software on a newer macOS build can cause the spinning beach ball.
Open Adobe Acrobat DC, click on 'Acrobat' in the top menu bar, and select 'About Adobe Acrobat' to verify your current build number.
Navigate to 'Help' > 'Check for Updates' within Acrobat and follow the on-screen prompts to download and install available patches.
Go to the Apple menu > 'System Preferences' (or 'System Settings') > 'Software Update' to ensure your Mac is running the latest supported macOS version.
Disable Font-Management Utilities and Test Fonts
Third-party font managers like FontExplorer X Pro can conflict with Acrobat DC, leading to application hangs.
Isolate the Issue Using a New User Account
Creating a fresh user profile helps determine if the freezing is caused by corrupted user-specific preferences or background processes.
Use WPS Office to Open Multiple PDFs on Mac Without Freezing
If Acrobat DC continues to freeze on your Mac, WPS Office provides a stable, lightweight, and fully-featured PDF reader and editor that handles multiple heavy documents effortlessly.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for Mac from the official website and complete the installation process.
- 2. Open PDF Tools: Launch WPS Office and click on the 'PDF' tab on the main home screen to access the dedicated PDF tools.
- 3. Import Your Documents: Click 'Open' to select your PDF document, or drag and drop multiple PDFs directly into the workspace.
- 4. Work Seamlessly: Switch smoothly between open documents using the multi-tab interface without experiencing lag or application hangs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat DC display a spinning beach ball on Mac?
The spinning beach ball indicates that the application has become unresponsive. This can happen due to outdated application software, incompatible macOS versions, conflicting third-party font managers, or corrupted user preferences.
Can a corrupted PDF file cause Acrobat to freeze?
Yes. If only one specific document triggers the freeze while others open fine, the file itself may be corrupted or contain highly complex elements that the application struggles to render. Try opening the file in a different PDF reader like WPS Office to verify.
How do I force quit Acrobat DC on a Mac when it freezes?
You can force quit by pressing Command + Option + Escape, selecting 'Adobe Acrobat DC' from the list of active applications, and clicking 'Force Quit'. Alternatively, right-click the Acrobat icon in the Dock while holding the Option key, and select 'Force Quit'.
Will disabling third-party fonts fix Acrobat freezing?
If the freezing is caused by a font-management utility conflict (like FontExplorer X Pro), temporarily disabling the utility or reverting to standard system fonts can resolve the spinning beach ball issue.
