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Why is Adobe Acrobat Reader crashing after the December 2025 update?
- Critical Update Advisory: Adobe Acrobat Reader v25.001.20982 Failures
- Update Status: Unstable
Adobe released Acrobat Reader version 25.001.20982 on December 2, 2025. This update introduces critical stability issues for a significant number of users. The application fails to launch immediately after installation. You will likely encounter immediate crashes or specific error dialogs blocking access to your documents.
Identified Error Patterns
Users report two primary failure modes upon launching the software:
Protected Mode Incompatibility
The application launches a dialog box stating, “Adobe Acrobat Reader cannot be opened in protected mode due to an incompatibility with your system configuration.” Attempting to bypass this by opening in “unprotected mode” triggers a subsequent “Fatal Error” and aborts the process.
Core DLL Load Failure
Users, particularly in enterprise environments using PDQ deployment, report the error: “Acrobat could not load its core DLL.” This indicates a fundamental failure in the software’s ability to call necessary runtime libraries.
Root Cause Analysis
The recurring “Core DLL” failure suggests a dependency mismatch introduced in this specific build. The software requires specific Visual C++ (VC++) runtime libraries to function. The 25.001.20982 update appears to conflict with older or missing VC++ redistributable versions (specifically v14.x, x86) currently installed on host machines. This is a code-level defect in the update, not a deployment error.
Recommended Remediation Steps
If your workflow is disrupted, apply one of the following solutions immediately.
The Rollback (Most Reliable)
Downgrade your installation to the previous stable release. Reverting to Adobe Acrobat Reader version 25.001.20918 eliminates the unstable code and restores functionality immediately. This is the preferred fix for enterprise environments requiring immediate stability.
The Runtime Update (Contingent Fix)
Update your Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages. Installing the latest v14.x (x86) redistributable resolves the “Core DLL” dependency error for some workstations. Note that this success rate varies; some configurations remain broken even after this update.
Summary for Administrators
Reinstalling or repairing the existing 25.001.20982 installation will not resolve the issue. The defect lies within the build itself. You must either rollback the version or manually intervene with runtime library updates.