How to Fix Adobe Acrobat Reader Crashing Issue in October 2024: Step-by-Step Solutions

This week, Adobe Acrobat Reader users are facing a frustrating problem. Adobe Acrobat Reader is crashing before you can even look at your PDF file. I ran into this during an emergency scenario where I must read my Appliance Installation guide. But I can’t read to page 2 because it crashes.

The current release of Adobe Acrobat Reader is crashing when opening locally stored PDF files. One moment, you click to open the document, and ten seconds later, the program closes unexpectedly. This issue affects many people who rely on Acrobat Reader for their essential work.

Facing Frequent Crashes? You Are Not Alone

Many users are reporting this problem. It seems to have just stared in mid-October 2024. You would not be clicking on this article except that you are losing time and productivity because of a stupid error on Adobe’s part. 

It raises a big question: why does an essential utility like Adobe Acrobat have this issue? Does Adobe test their updates thoroughly before releasing them? Many wonder if they will fix this soon.

Quick ways to get you back to work

1. Turn off ‘new Adobe Experience”

Some users report that you can stop the crashing by turning off “New Adobe Experience”.  Do the following:

1. Open Adobe Reader with no file open.
2. Open the left top corner “Hamburger menu”
3. Find the option 3/4 the way down to “Turn off New Adobe Experience”
4. Close Acrobat and reboot your PC.

2. Unplug the internet before opening Adobe

It seems apparent that the entire problem is that Acrobat Reader is trying to access online resources to show you the “Upsell” module that Adobe inserted in the October 2024 release.  Acrobat will work fine if it is offline.  So before you open your locally saved document, just turn off your Wi-Fi (Airplane mode) or remove the internet cable from your PC.

3. Revert to the 2014 version of Adobe Reader v11

1. Uninstall Adobe Reader 2024
2. Install Adobe Reader 11 from this link:  https://www.filehorse.com/download-adobe-acrobat-reader-dc/18843/download/
3. During the installation, select the option to turn off “check for updates”. This is heavenly!
4. Marvel in the fact that for the last decade, Adobe has not introduced a single useful feature that was not already in Reader from 2014. The older release is twice as fast, works like a charm, and contains an option to turn off productivity-damaging auto updates.

Warning about Adobe Reader 2024 Install

Some people might be tempted to uninstall and resinstall Adobe 2024 from the Adobe website. However, doing this will bring you into something truly evil.

If you try to install Adobe Reader from the Acrobat website, it will, without your permission, install McAfee Antivirus.  So, while reinstalling Adobe Reader 2024 will not solve the problem, it will introduce a completely new problem that will take you another 10-15 minutes to resolve.

The McCafee install takes 10 times longer than the Adobe install.  You then have to go through the effort of Uninstalling McAfee, which will add to your suffering.  Corporations who allow this type of piggyback install ought to be sued for the simple loss of productivity. 

Don’t Reach Out to Customer Support

Clearly, Adobe customer support is clueless. They cannot offer guidance on your specific situation.  It is just a total waste of time.  Save your energy and post to a public forum like Reddit or Stack Overflow.

How a simple bug in an essential tool becomes a burden to every business in the US.

Adobe has become a standard tool for many people. However, users often face frustrating problems. One of the biggest issues is when Adobe fails to load correctly. The reason is that Adobe is trying to load advertising. It is also loading an upsell module. This module does not load for many users. When this happens, people cannot open their documents. It causes delays and confusion, and many users feel annoyed and overwhelmed.

It is funny that the 2014 version of Adobe offers the same features 2024 version, but runs faster and has a mode to not auto-update. The big difference is that the 2014 version does not spam users with advertising. Users often feel annoyed with constant ads. For ten years now, Adobe has not provided any valuable new features. Instead, it has focused on pushing unwanted ads. This situation feels very outdated.

We’re looking at you, Microsoft

It reminds people of Microsoft Windows. Many users remember when Windows XP was useful. Today, newer versions feel slow and filled with ads. Windows seems more like an advertising platform for buggy Azure services. This trend makes people wonder about software design today. Why do companies prioritize ads over usability? Users just want programs that work without distractions.

Summary

If you have experiences or insights on this issue, please share in the comments below. Your feedback could help others facing the same problems. Software should make tasks easier, not harder. Technology should aim to support users, not bombard them with ads. Reverting to an older version may seem like a step back. However, it can sometimes lead to a more efficient experience. Consider the balance between innovation and user satisfaction. What do you value more: new features or a smooth, ad-free experience?