How to Fix Blank Apply Redactions Dialog in Adobe Acrobat DC
Question details
The Apply Redactions dialog box appears completely blank when trying to redact sensitive information in Acrobat DC.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to apply redactions to a PDF document after a recent hotfix or application update.
- Observed behavior
- The dialog box that confirms or configures the redaction is blank, preventing the user from completing the redaction process.
Ensure your current PDF work is saved and you have administrative privileges on your computer, as you may need to access Task Manager or Activity Monitor to generate process dump files.
Update Adobe Acrobat or Reader to the Latest Version
Installing the latest software patch often resolves known display bugs, including blank dialog boxes appearing after recent hotfixes.
Open Adobe Acrobat DC and navigate to 'Help' > 'Check for Updates' in the top menu bar.
Follow the on-screen prompts to download and install any available updates for your Acrobat or Reader application.
Once the installation is fully complete, restart your machine to ensure all changes take effect properly.
Identify and Troubleshoot a Hung AcroCEF Process
If updating doesn't work, the blank dialog is likely caused by the AcroCEF process hanging or crashing in the background.
Easily Redact Sensitive Information with WPS PDF
Avoid frustrating blank dialogs by using WPS PDF to quickly and securely redact sensitive text and images in your documents.
- 1. Open the PDF document: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF file you need to redact.
- 2. Access the Redact tool: Navigate to the 'Protect' tab on the top ribbon and select the 'Redact' option.
- 3. Select areas to hide: Click and drag your cursor over the sensitive text or images you wish to cover.
- 4. Apply redactions: Click 'Apply Redactions' to permanently remove the hidden information from the file structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Acrobat DC redaction dialog appear blank?
This display issue usually happens due to a hung or crashing AcroCEF process, which handles web-based UI elements, often triggered right after a recent hotfix or software update.
How do I know if the AcroCEF process is causing the blank dialog?
Open Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) and search for 'AcroCEF'. If it is marked as 'Not Responding' or its Process ID is rapidly changing, the process is hanging or crashing.
Where are crash dumps saved on Windows for Adobe processes?
If you enable Windows Error Reporting user-mode dumps via the registry, Adobe crash dumps are typically saved directly in the C:\Dumps\ directory on your local drive.
Will simply reinstalling Adobe Acrobat fix the blank redaction screen?
Often, just updating to the latest version via Help > Check for Updates resolves the issue without a full reinstall. However, if updates fail and the AcroCEF process keeps crashing, a clean reinstall may be required.
