Adobe Reader does not work on Windows 10

Adobe Reader has been the customer's choice for nearly a decade across all platforms. Adobe Reader is packed with very useful features in addition to the normal viewing capabilities. However, There are cases where Adobe Reader stops working.

Adobe Acrobat has stopped working

The application does not open or crashes every time you load a PDF. This behavior is commonly seen after a Windows update is installed on the computer.. There have been numerous cases experienced by users for quite some time. The solutions to this problem are very simple and straightforward.. Make sure you start at the top and work accordingly.

What makes Adobe Reader not work on Windows 10?

Besides that Windows updates are the main reason, there are also other reasons why Adobe Reader might not work properly on your computer. Some of them are listed below:

• Damaged installation: There are some cases where the Adobe Reader installation has been corrupted. This is very common and is usually solved by reinstalling and removing residual files..

• Protected Mode: Protected Mode in Adobe adds an extra layer of security to your reader. This layer of security sometimes does not work and causes the reader not to load the PDFs.

• Windows update: as mentioned at the beginning, Windows updates are the main culprit for Adobe Reader not working properly and crashing. This problem is usually solved by running the application in compatibility mode.

• Administrative privileges: like other programs, Adobe sometimes also requires administrative privileges to run the application. With the growing Windows security architecture, this is very common and generally becomes a necessity after a windows update.

Before starting with the solutions, make sure you are trying to open a valid PDF file. If you are trying to open a corrupted or malicious one, the reader may not work. What's more, make sure you are logged in as administrator.

Solution 1: disable protected mode

To provide more security for users using Adobe Reader, the company introduced the “protected mode” long time ago, which is designed to launch the PDF file in a sandbox environment. This means that the application will launch the PDF in a confined environment where it does not have access to the external computing architecture.; Thus, provides more security. This mode is known to cause problems., so we will disable it and see if this changes anything.

1. Open the Adobe Acrobat DC application on your computer and click Edit> Preferences in the top navigation bar (you can also press Ctrl + K to launch the menu instantly).

2. Now select the Security option (improved) present in the left navigation panel and uncheck the following options:

Enable protected mode at boot
Enable Enhanced Security

1. Save your changes and exit. Now restart the application and check if Adobe Reader works as expected.

Solution 2: change administrative settings and compatibility

Windows updates are known to disrupt Adobe Acrobat settings and cause it to not start properly. Adobe Reader is linked to as many modules and background applications as it is to default programs, etc. Every time Windows released an update, it probably broke the Adobe reader. We will change the compatibility settings and check if this fixes something.

1. Press Windows + E to start Windows Explorer on your computer and navigate to the following location:

Change compatibility settings – Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

1. Now press Apply to save the changes and exit. Restart your computer and check if the problem is solved.

Solution 3: repair and install the latest patch

If the above two methods don't work, The installation files may be corrupt or parts of the files may be missing. We can always proceed with a fresh installation, but before trying, It is always advisable to repair or update the application to the latest version. Adobe also publishes updates to introduce new features and fix bugs..

1. Open the Adobe Acrobat DC application on your computer.

2. Click Help on the top bar and click Repair Installation.

Installation repair – Adobe Acrobat

1. A notice will be presented asking you to confirm your actions. Press Yes to continue and continue with on-screen instructions.

Confirmation of repair facility – Adobe Acrobat

1. What's more, select the Check for Updates option to have Adobe start looking for any available patches to download and install. If there are updates installed, restart your computer and see if the problem is solved.

Solution 4: reinstale Adobe Reader

If all the above methods don't work, we only have the option to reinstall Adobe Reader from scratch. To ensure that no remnants of the old application remain on your computer, We will also delete all the files present in the user configuration and the data of the program. Make sure you are logged in as an administrator.

1. Press Windows + R, type »appwiz.cpl» in the dialog box and press Enter.

2. Once in the application manager, look for the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC entry. Right click on the application and select Uninstall.

Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

1. Restart your computer correctly and press Windows + E to start File Explorer. Now navigate to the following locations and remove all the Adobe Acrobat related folders from the directories. Make sure you are logged in as an administrator.

At the following address, {username} corresponds to the username of your computer.

C:|UsersNNNNNNNNNNNN Our local data
C:N-Program Files (x86)N-AdobeNAcrobat Reader DC

Delete the Adobe installation files

1. Now restart your computer again and continue with the next steps.

2. Navigate to the official Adobe download website and download the application in an accessible location.

Download Adobe Acrobat

1. Right-click on the installation file and select Run as administrator. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the application. Now check if the problem has been solved.

Solution 5: roll back windows update

As we have mentioned throughout the article, Windows updates are one of the main reasons why Adobe Acrobat is not working properly. If you cannot solve the problem that the Adobe reader does not work on your computer even after following all the above solutions, the only solution is to uninstall the latest update installed on your computer. Make sure to back up your files and data before proceeding, as this might remove some of them.

1. Press Windows + I to start the Settings app. Now select Updates and security from the subtitle list.

2. Now click on Update History in the list of options.

Update history: windows update

1. Now click on Uninstall updates present at the top of the screen.

Uninstall updates: Windows update history

1. Browse Microsoft Windows. All updates will be listed here. Right-click on the update that you think is causing the problem and select Uninstall.

Uninstall Microsoft updates

1. Now Windows will uninstall the update from your computer. Restart your computer and check if Acrobat works. If it still doesn't work, follow Solution 4 again.