Acrobat DC Won't Open: "Sorry, Something Went Wrong" Error on Mac

Issues

  • Adobe Acrobat DC shows "Sorry, something went wrong. Please try launching Acrobat first or contact your administrator."
  • Acrobat DC won't open on my Mac after installing Adobe Creative Cloud.
  • I get a licensing error when I try to launch Acrobat DC on macOS.
  • Acrobat DC worked before but stopped opening after a Creative Cloud update.
  • How do I fix the "something went wrong" error in Acrobat on a Mac?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin College faculty, staff, and students running Adobe Acrobat DC on a Mac. This error typically occurs on Macs where Adobe Creative Cloud was installed on a computer that previously used older versions of Adobe applications. This is a macOS-only issue; Windows users experiencing Acrobat errors should contact the Service Desk.

Resolution

This fix uses a command-line tool provided by Adobe to reset the Acrobat licensing state.

  1. Quit Acrobat DC if it is currently running.
  2. Download the AcrobatNGLEnableTool.zip file from the Attachments section of this article in TDX.
  3. Extract (unzip) the downloaded file.
  4. Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities).
  5. Run the following two commands, replacing the path with the actual location of the extracted file on your computer:

    chmod 775 /Users/<username>/Desktop/AcroNGLEnableTool
    /Users/<username>/Desktop/AcroNGLEnableTool

    For example, if you saved the file to your Desktop:
    chmod 775 /Users/jsmith/Desktop/AcroNGLEnableTool
    /Users/jsmith/Desktop/AcroNGLEnableTool
  6. Quit Terminal and relaunch Acrobat DC.
Terminal won't run the file after chmod? If macOS blocks the file from running:
  1. Locate the unzipped file in Finder.
  2. Control-click (or right-click) the file.
  3. Select Open With > Terminal.
  4. In the pop-up, click the grey Open button.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.

Additional Resources

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Step-by-step instructions for installing the Adobe Creative Cloud app on Bowdoin-issued Mac and Windows computers, as well as on personal devices. Covers signing in with a Bowdoin account and installing individual Adobe apps.