Adobe Acrobat is one of the most popular programs for managing PDF files, but sometimes it can encounter errors that slow down your work. One of these is the message "A running instance of Acrobat has caused an error". If you encounter this error when you want to open PDF files, the guide below will help you get rid of this error.
This error occurs most often with users who frequently work with PDF files. For example, if during a working day a large volume of PDF files are opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader, there is a fairly high probability that the error "A running instance of Acrobat has caused an error".
The error indicates that there is a problem with a previous instance of Adobe Acrobat that is still running in the background. You may have multiple Adobe Acrobat windows open, and one of them is frozen or unresponsive.
Another possible cause of the error is a previous instance did not close properly, leaving background processes that interfere with opening a new file.
Error resolution: “A running instance of Acrobat has caused an error” when opening PDF files
The error can be solved by the following methods:
Close all instances of Adobe Acrobat:
- Check the taskbar: Find all icons related to Adobe Acrobat and close them.
- Use Task Manager: Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, find all Acrobat related processes and close them.
Restart your computer
A simple restart can solve many temporary problems.
Check the PDF file
Try opening the PDF file in a different application or on a different computer. If the problem persists, the file may be corrupted.
Related: How to edit PDF files with Microsoft Edge web browser
Most of the time, one of the above methods will solve this error that occurs when you want to open PDF files on Windows with Acrobat.
In conclusion, this message is not caused by a critical error or a virus present in your computer. Simply closing all open Acrobat instances or Adobe Acrobat Reader processes in Task Manager can resolve this issue.
