Resolve errors related to the AcroCEF/Rdr CEF processes of Acrobat or Acrobat Reader

Resolve errors related to the AcroCEF/Rdr CEF processes of Acrobat or Acrobat Reader

Issue

AcroCEF.exe/RdrCEF.exe are inseparable processes of Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader. They handle multiple integral aspects of the application, such as network interaction and Adobe cloud storage services, such as Fill and Sign, Send For e-signature, Share for View/Review, and more. 

If these processes don't function properly, an error message is displayed while using any services dependent on the processes.


For more information, see What are RdrCEF.exe and AcroCEF.exe processes?

Refer to The Chromium Projects  

Steps to troubleshoot 

Follow the steps below in the order they appear.

Step 1: Quit Acrobat or acrobat reader and relaunch it

Steps for Windows:

  1. 1. Quit the Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader application.

  2. 2. Open the Task Manager in Windows by doing one of the following:

    • Right-click on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen and choose Task Manager.
    • Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys on your keyboard and then choose Task Manager.

  3. 3. If there are any AcroCEF/RdrCEF processes running, select the AcroCEF/RdrCEF process and then select End Task.

    Repeat the step until no AcroCEF/RdrCEF process is running.

    End the AcroCEF or RdrCEF process from the Task Manager
    End the AcroCEF or RdrCEF process from the Task Manager

  4. 4. Launch Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

Steps for macOS:

  1. 1. Quit the Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader application.

  2. 2. Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.

  3. 3. If any AcroCEF/RdrCEF processes are running, select the AcroCEF/RdrCEF process and then select Stop.

    Repeat the step until no AcroCEF/RdrCEF process is running.

    Stop the AcroCEF or RdrCEF process from the Activity Monitor
    Stop the AcroCEF or RdrCEF process from the Activity Monitor

  4. 4. Select Quit when prompted.

  5. 5. Launch Acrobat or Acrobat Reader.

Step 2: Check for proper permissions to the webresources folder

Verify if you have read/write permissions for the WebResources folder at the specified location.

Windows

macOS

Adobe Acrobat

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat\WebResources

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Acrobat/DC/WebResources

Acrobat Reader

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\WebResources

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Acrobat Reader/DC/WebResources

Step 3: Safelist Acrobat and Acrobat Reader Folders to Protect AcroCEF/RdrCEF Processes

Sometimes, third-party software DLLs disrupt or interfere with the AcroCEF or RdrCEF processes. This is referred to as a DLL injection. To solve this problem, include the Acrobat installation directory in the third-party software's exception list. Once you add it, the AcroCEF and RdrCEF processes will function properly.

Note

The steps below explain how to add exceptions to Avast antivirus software. If you are using different antivirus software, follow the instructions on the respective website, and add the Acrobat or Acrobat Reader folder to the exception list accordingly.

Steps to safelist Acrobat or Acrobat Reader folder:

  1. 1. Open Avast antivirus and then select Menu > Settings.

    Avast settings

  2. 2. Select General > Exceptions, and then select Add Exception.

    Add Exception

  3. 3. Add the path of the Acrobat folder as below:

    Windows

    macOS

    Adobe Acrobat

    C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat\

    /Applications/Adobe Acrobat/

    Acrobat Reader

    C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\

    /Applications/Adobe Acrobat Reader/

  4. 4. Select Add Exception. The Acrobat or Acrobat Reader folder is now safelisted.

If you are still facing the issue, collect and analyze the logs using Adobe Acrobat Diagnostics to identify the third-party DLLs loaded in the AcroCEF or RdrCEF processes, and then safelist the Acrobat or Acrobat Reader folder in the corresponding third-party software.

Step 4: Repair Acrobat or Acrobat Reader installation (WINDOWS)

  1. 1. Launch the Adobe Acrobat application.

  2. 2. Go to  > Help > Repair installation.

    After the repair process is complete, restart your computer.

Step 5: Uninstall and reinstall Acrobat or Acrobat Reader

You can sometimes resolve the error by uninstalling and reinstalling Acrobat. 

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