How to Stop Acrobat DC from Repeatedly Showing "Preparing Content"
Question details
The user wants to prevent Adobe Acrobat DC from continuously displaying a "Preparing content" loading dialog every time a document is opened.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC Pro
- Device & OS
- Windows 10
- Scenario
- Opening and viewing PDF documents for daily workflow.
- Observed behavior
- The application repeatedly interrupts the user by displaying a "Preparing content" message, delaying the ability to view and edit the document.
Verify that you do not actively use screen readers or other assistive technologies, as the steps below will disable the background optimizations required for these tools.
Disable Screen Reader and Accessibility Options in Preferences
By modifying Acrobat's Reading and Accessibility preferences, you can stop the software from automatically tagging and preparing documents for assistive technologies.
Acrobat's 'Preparing content' dialog appears because the software is trying to analyze the text and structure of your PDF to make it readable by text-to-speech tools. Disabling this background process will allow your PDFs to open instantly.
Launch Adobe Acrobat DC Pro. Click on the 'Edit' menu at the top of the window and select 'Preferences' from the dropdown list, or simply press 'Ctrl + K' on your keyboard.
In the left sidebar of the Preferences window, select 'Reading'. Under the 'Screen Reader Options' section, change the 'Page vs Document' dropdown to 'Only read the currently visible pages'. Also, uncheck the box for 'Confirm before preparing untagged documents for reading'.
Next, select 'Accessibility' from the left sidebar. Look for the 'Other Accessibility Options' section and uncheck 'Enable assistive technology support'.
Click the 'OK' button at the bottom right to apply your new settings. Close Adobe Acrobat DC entirely and reopen your PDF document to verify the dialog no longer appears.
Open PDFs Instantly with WPS Office
If Acrobat continues to lag or interrupt your workflow with loading screens, switch to WPS Office. Its built-in PDF reader is incredibly lightweight, allowing you to open, read, and edit PDFs instantly without unnecessary background processes.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite from the official website.
- 2. Open the PDF Tool: Launch WPS Office and click on the 'PDF' tab on the home screen interface.
- 3. Select Your File: Click 'Open' and select the PDF document that was previously loading slowly in Acrobat.
- 4. View Instantly: Enjoy instant document loading and smooth scrolling without any background preparation interruptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat DC show the 'Preparing content' message?
Acrobat displays this message because it is automatically analyzing the document's structure and text to prepare it for assistive technologies, such as screen readers used by visually impaired users.
Can I skip the 'Preparing content' dialog without changing settings?
Sometimes you can click 'Cancel' on the dialog box to stop the process for your current session, but the popup will reappear the next time you open a document unless you modify the reading preferences.
Will disabling assistive technology support affect my ability to edit PDFs?
No. Turning off these reading and accessibility features only disables screen reader preparation. You can still view, edit, print, and save your PDF documents exactly as you normally would.
