6 Fixes for Adobe Acrobat Reader Not Opening PDF Files on Windows

Is Adobe Acrobat refusing to open PDF files? Here's how to fix that.

For the majority of Windows users, Adobe Acrobat is the go-to PDF viewer. It's easy to use, a great tool for creating PDFs, and you can edit, print, and allow others to access your collection.

The software, however, sometimes acts up like any other app, so you may experience a variety of problems while using it. A common issue is when Adobe Acrobat Reader DC won't open PDF files. As such, here are six fixes you can try to fix Adobe Acrobat Reader DC not being able to open PDF files.

Getting Started

Before implementing any of the fixes, make sure the problem isn't occurring only with one PDF. Check any other file in the software. If all other files work fine, redownload the PDF or recall it from the source you got it from earlier.

When you are unable to open any of the PDF files, you can proceed to the below fixes.

1. Run Adobe Acrobat as Administrator

Whenever you run an app as an administrator, it has full access to all files of your operating system that would otherwise be restricted. As such, the first fix you should try is to run Adobe Acrobat Reader as an administrator. If Windows is stopping Adobe from opening PDF files due to missing or corrupted permissions, running it as administrator will fix the issue.

You can run Adobe Acrobat as an administrator by simply left-clicking on the icon and tapping Run as administrator.

If the software is working well now and opening PDFs normally, consider making this setting the default for Adobe Acrobat. Follow these steps to configure Adobe to run as an administrator by default:

1. Right-click on the Adobe shortcut and go to Properties.
2. Navigate to the Shortcut tab in the Properties window.
3. Tap on Advanced.

4. Check the box for Run as administrator and hit OK.

   

Note: Giving administrator privileges to programs that aren't backed by trusted sources can be dangerous. Always be careful of which programs you grant administrative rights to.

2. Run Adobe Acrobat in Compatibility Mode

With the Windows compatibility mode, older versions of Windows can be used as operating systems. There might be some programs that work better with an older version of Windows than an updated one.

If you are using an Adobe version that is not compatible with the current version of Windows, run it in compatibility mode. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the Adobe Acrobat shortcut and go to Properties.
2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab in the Properties window.
3. Check the box for Compatibility mode.
4. Choose any older Windows version from the available options.

5. Tap on Apply and hit OK.

   

If compatibility were the problem, Adobe would begin opening PDF as usual. If not, make sure you turn off compatibility mode before implementing the rest of the fixes on this list.

3. Disable Protected Mode

Protected Mode is a security feature introduced in Reader 10.0 that protects users from viruses and attacks. This is a good thing for your security, but it sometimes misinterprets files as malicious and doesn't open them correctly.

RELATED: Master PDFs With These Adobe Acrobat Shortcuts for Windows and Mac

As such, you can try temporarily turning off this mode to see if it's preventing the software from opening PDFs. Here's how to do it:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command.
2. Type Regedit and tap Enter to open Registry Editor.
3. Paste the following address into the Registry Editor.

   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\FeatureLockDown

4. Right-click and navigate to New > DWORD Value.

   
5. Rename the file to "bProtectedMode."
6. Right-click the file and tap on Modify.

7. Change data value to 0 to disable Protected Mode.

   

Run the PDF file again with Protected Mode off. Keep Protected Mode off if everything works well this time instead of having to turn it on/off many times throughout the day. Of course, this will compromise your security, so it's up to you to decide if it's worth keeping off!

4. Repair/Update Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

In the presence of Potentially Unwanted Programs, some of the files of software and apps can get corrupted. Corrupted files cause Adobe Acrobat to malfunction. The common issues are improper file saving, crashing issues, and software not properly loading all PDFs.

To make sure this isn't an issue, repair Adobe Acrobat once. This will repair any corrupt files and reinstall any missing files. To repair Adobe Acrobat, follow these steps:

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
2. Navigate to the Help tab.

3. Tap on Repair Installation.

   

If the problem persists after repairing the software, check for any available updates. An outdated version of Adobe Acrobat can also lead to such a problem.

To do that, open Adobe Acrobat and navigate to Help > Check for Updates. Adobe will take some time to check for updates, and you can update to the latest version if it is available.

In case none of the fixes work, you can reinstall the software.

5. Reinstall the Software

Before you reinstall the software, uninstall it and delete any of the associated system files that might still be lurking inside your computer.

To do this, go to Control Panel > Programs and Features. Once you have located Adobe Acrobat DC, right-click on it and choose Uninstall.

Remove the associated system files by going to the below address on your computer and deleting each file.

C:\Users\<add your username here>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Acrobat

Next, you'll need to reinstall the latest Adobe version from Adobe's website.

Consider switching back to Adobe Acrobat's older version if you are still having trouble even after reinstalling.

6. Roll Back to an Older Version of Adobe Acrobat

When a new version of software comes out, it often brings tons of unexpected issues. You can always revert to an older version of Adobe that isn't working correctly after an update. But before you do that, make sure you properly uninstall it.

RELATED: How to Enable Adobe Reader's Dark Mode and Read PDFs in a Dark Theme

Once you're done uninstalling Acrobat, it's time to download an older version to see if that fixes your problem. Adobe lets you roll back your copy of Acrobat, and you can use third-party websites that host some older files; however, make sure the source is legit before downloading.

Open PDF With Ease in Adobe Acrobat

If nothing has worked, you can disable all background processing, update Windows or roll it back to an older version, and run a security scan to ensure that no viruses are interfering. Even if these options do not work, you can try another reader for PDFs.

While there are many other Adobe Acrobat alternatives, PDFescape is a trendy one that you should definitely check out!

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