How to Fix Adobe Acrobat Out Of Memory? (4 Effective Ways)

This “Adobe Acrobat Out of Memory” error is a common problem that a lot of users experience.  The error happens when Adobe Acrobat can't open a file because it doesn’t have enough memory to process it. The frequency of its occurrence significantly increases when dealing with larger or more complex PDF files. This can be very frustrating, especially if you are using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and expect it to handle these tasks smoothly. In this article, we are going to discuss why this issue is caused and how to fix it.

Part 1. Why Does My Adobe Acrobat Keep Saying Out of Memory?

If Adobe Acrobat keeps saying out of memory on your device, these could be the possible reasons for it:

Opening a Large PDF with Many Images or Pages

If there are a lot of pages or images in the PDF file you’re trying to open, Adobe Acrobat will require more memory to process and display the content. With each image and page, the size of the file increases. The chances of this error occurring are higher if your device has limited RAM or processing power. The workload can be further increased if complex layouts or high-resolution images in the PDF are slowing down the system and causing the "Out of Memory" error.

Using Old Acrobat Version

If you are using an older version of Acrobat, then you’re likely to encounter this problem. This is because the older versions of Acrobat are not very compatible with larger files. Especially the ones that have a lot of images and pages. This can lead to slow data processing time and at times, the software crashing entirely. To get rid of this problem, you will need to download the latest version of the software.

Low Disk Space

if your computer or SSD is almost full, there may not be enough space to manage temporary files and processes that Acrobat needs. This can lead to memory errors when opening large PDFs.

Background Programs or Malware

Other programs running in the background like automatic updates or unwanted software can steal memory from Acrobat. In some cases, malware might also be using up resources, slowing down your computer and causing memory problems in Acrobat.

Part 2. How to Fix Adobe Acrobat Out Of Memory?

If you’ve been encountering the out of memory error in Adobe Acrobat, there’s no need to worry! Here are some quick Adobe Acrobat out of memory fixes:

Fix 1. Use Adobe Acrobat Alternative

If you often work with big PDFs full of images and pages, UPDF is a great choice. It handles large files quickly and doesn’t run into memory issues like Acrobat sometimes does. Plus, if you just want to read PDFs, UPDF is free! UPDF also offers advanced features at a much lower price than Acrobat. One license lets you use it on two mobile devices and two desktop computers, making it super budget-friendly.

Ready to switch? Download UPDF via the button below to give it a test. And after testing, you can upgrade to pro version at a very low price.

If you want to know more features for UPDF, you can watch the video below or read this review article.

Fix 2. Uninstall and Download Acrobat 64 bit Version

With the 32-bit version of Acrobat, it’s not uncommon to face issues such as slow performance and errors with large files. These problems can be solved by switching to the 64-bit version. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by opening the “Control Panel”. Next, go to “Programs” >  “Programs and Features” and  look for “Adobe Acrobat.” Right-click on it and select “Uninstall.”

2. Go to the “Adobe Acrobat Download Page.”
3. Choose the “64-bit version”, download it, and follow the installation steps.

4. Open Acrobat and go to “Menu>Help > About Adobe Acrobat” to check it says "64-bit."

Fix 3. Split PDF into Smaller One to Check

Large PDF files can sometimes cause errors or slow performance. A simple solution is to split the PDF into parts using Adobe Acrobat. This makes the file easier to manage and helps identify if the size is causing the issue. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open the large PDF in Adobe Acrobat.

Step 2: From the top of the page, select “Tools.”

Step 3: Click on “Organize Pages.”.

Step 4: Select “Split” from the toolbar and the pick how you want to split the file: by pages, file size, or bookmarks. For example, I select “Split by Number of pages”, enter the pages for each PDF, and click on the “Split” button to split the whole PDF.

Step 5: A little window should pop up indicating that the document has been successfully split.

If you can’t use the split tool because Acrobat keeps showing error pop-ups, then it is recommended to try UPDF instead. Not only is UPDF easy to use but it can also effectively handle large files without any problem. For step-by-step instructions on how to split PDFs with UPDF, you can check out this guide: How to Split a PDF with UPDF.

Fix 4. Compress PDF Files

The “Out of Memory” error often pops up when you’re trying to open a PDF that is too large. In that case, it's a good idea to reduce the file size before opening it.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Open the PDF file you want to compress using Adobe Acrobat DC.

Step 2: Next, go to “File” menu and click on “Save as Others” > “Reduced Size PDF”

Step 3: Pick where you want to save the smaller file and click “Save.” A message should appear saying the PDF size has been reduced.

After compressing PDF, try opening the smaller file to see if the error is gone. If you can’t compress the file in Adobe Acrobat because of the "Out of Memory" error, don’t worry! You can use UPDF instead. It’s simple to use and can compress large PDFs without any memory problems.

Check out this guide on How to Compress PDF with UPDF to learn how it’s done!

Final Words

If you’re tired of the Adobe Acrobat out of memory message, you’re not alone, it’s undoubtedly annoying, especially with large PDFs. It usually happens because of too many apps open, low disk space or outdated software. If nothing works, try UPDF. It’s easy to use, works fast, and handles large PDFs without any trouble. Download it now and make your PDF life easier!