Are you encountering the “There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader” error on your Windows PC? Some Acrobat Reader users have reported experiencing this error message while opening a PDF document in the app or a web browser. The full error message is as follows:
There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader. If it is running, please exit and try again.
The message is accompanied by different codes at the end like 523:523, 0:104, 10:10, etc. If you are one of the users facing this error, we got you covered. Here is a completed guide showing you working fixes to resolve the error.
There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader
If you are getting There is a problem with Adobe Acrobat/Reader error message while opening a PDF document, you can use the following fixes to resolve the error:
- Disable Protected Mode at startup in Acrobat Reader.
- Make sure Acrobat Reader is up-to-date.
- Uninstall old versions of Acrobat Reader.
- Switch to a different web browser (if applicable).
- Reinstall Acrobat Reader.
1] Disable Protected Mode at startup in Acrobat Reader
Several affected users have confirmed that changing security settings in Acrobat Reader i.e., disabling protected mode at startup has helped them fix the error. Hence, you can try doing the same and check if the error is fixed or not. Here are the steps to turn off the Protected Mode at startup in Acrobat Reader:
- First, open the Acrobat Reader app and click on the Edit menu from the top menubar.
- Now, select the Preferences option from the appeared options.
- Next, navigate to the Security (Enhanced) tab from the left panel.
- After that, under the Sandbox Protections option, uncheck the Enable Protected mode at startup box.
- Finally, press the OK button to save changes and restart Acrobat Reader to check if the error is fixed or not.
If the error continues, you can move on to the next fix to resolve it.
Read: Cannot edit PDF files on Acrobat Reader DC.
2] Make sure Acrobat Reader is up-to-date
Another thing you can do to avoid such errors and issues is to update Acrobat Reader to its latest version. To do that, open Adobe Acrobat Reader and click on the Help > Check for updates option to download and install available updates. When done, restart Acrobat Reader and check if the error is fixed or not.
3] Uninstall old versions of Acrobat Reader
If there are previous versions of Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, remove them and then check if the error is fixed or not. Here’s how you can do that:
- First, open Settings using Win+I and go to the Apps tab.’
- Now, click on the Installed apps option.
- Next, look for an older version of Acrobat Reader and tap on the three-dot menu button.
- After that, select the Uninstall option and follow the prompted instructions.
- Once done, restart your PC and check if the error is fixed now.
See: Fix Adobe Reader error 109 when opening, reading, or saving PDF.
4] Switch to a different web browser (if applicable)
If you are getting this error when opening a PDF file in a web browser, try switching to a different web browser. You can use Opera, Chrome, and other web browsers to open PDFs. If the error is resolved, well and good. In case the error still persists, you can use the next fix.
5] Reinstall Acrobat Reader
In case the error is still not resolved, the last resort to resolve it is reinstalling the Acrobat Reader app on your computer. It might be a corrupted or incorrect installation of the app that is causing this error. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, uninstall Acrobat Reader completely from your PC. And then, reinstall a clean copy of the software by downloading the latest version from its official website and installing it on your computer.
See: Adobe Acrobat Reader could not open PDF files in Windows.
Why is Adobe saying There is a problem reading this document?
There was a problem reading this document error in Acrobat Reader is likely to occur when your PDF document is corrupted. Hence, repair your PDF document and then try opening it in Acrobat Reader. The error might also be caused if you are using an outdated version of the app. So, update Acrobat Reader to fix this error.
How do I reset Adobe Acrobat Reader?
To reset preferences to their default values in Adobe Acrobat Reader, close the app and then move to the C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\[version] location. Now, look for the folder named Preferences and move it to a different location on your computer. When done, restart Adobe Acrobat Reader and your preferences will be reset to the original. It will clear all the custom settings for Collaboration, JavaScript, Security, Stamps, Color Management, Auto Fill, Web Capture, and Updater.
Now read: Adobe Acrobat Reader DC has stopped working in Windows.
