How to Fix Acrobat Pro DC Slow Scrolling When Converting Scanned Pages
Question details
The user needs to stop Adobe Acrobat Pro DC from automatically converting scanned PDF pages into searchable images, which causes the application to pause and scroll slowly.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Scrolling through a scanned PDF document in Acrobat Pro DC.
- Observed behavior
- The application pauses and displays a message about converting the scanned page to a searchable image, making scrolling extremely slow and unresponsive.
Ensure you have your Adobe Acrobat Pro DC updated to the latest version, as performance bugs and OCR background processes are frequently optimized in newer releases.
Disable Automatic Text Recognition in the Edit Tool
Turning off the automatic 'Recognize Text' feature prevents Acrobat from processing pages in the background while you scroll, instantly improving performance.
By default, Acrobat Pro DC attempts to make scanned documents editable and searchable as soon as you open them. Disabling this feature stops the heavy background processing that causes scrolling lag.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and open the scanned PDF document that is experiencing slow scrolling.
Click on the 'Edit PDF' tool located in the right-hand pane or under the 'Tools' tab.
In the Edit panel settings, locate the 'Recognize Text' option and clear the checkbox to disable automatic conversion.
Close Adobe Acrobat Pro DC completely and relaunch it. Open the PDF again to verify that the scrolling is now smooth.
Update Acrobat Pro DC to the Latest Version
Installing the latest patches ensures that performance issues related to background rendering and OCR are resolved.
Use WPS Office for Smooth PDF Scrolling
If Acrobat continues to lag, try WPS Office. Its built-in PDF reader is highly optimized for large and scanned documents, allowing you to scroll smoothly without forced background conversions slowing you down.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office Free from the official website.
- 2. Open the PDF tool: Launch WPS Office and click on 'PDF' in the main workspace.
- 3. Load your document: Click 'Open' and select your scanned PDF document.
- 4. Scroll smoothly: Scroll through your document smoothly without automatic background OCR interruptions.
- 5. Use OCR manually: Use the 'OCR' button in the 'Tools' tab only when you explicitly want to convert pages to searchable text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat Pro DC automatically convert scanned pages?
Acrobat Pro DC is designed to automatically make scanned documents searchable and editable by default. When you open a scanned PDF, it runs Optical Character Recognition (OCR) in the background, which can cause performance delays.
Will disabling 'Recognize Text' affect my ability to search the PDF?
Yes, if the PDF is a flat image scan without an existing text layer, disabling the automatic text recognition will prevent you from searching for or selecting text until you manually run OCR.
What should I do if the 'Recognize Text' option is not visible?
Ensure you have selected the 'Edit PDF' tool first. If the option is still missing, your document might already have a hidden text layer, or you may need to update your Acrobat version to access the latest settings interface.
