Comment list takes too long to load
Getting comment list to show in Acrobat DC takes way too much time. It's a drag. At least on Mac OS.

Hi All,
We have provided a registry protected fix, some users confirmed that this worked for them.
Could you please try this at your end as well and let us know your feedback?
Kindly make sure you are on the latest DC build(20.012.20043) and then follow the steps from the attached word file: “Steps.docx”.
Regards,
Arvind
65 comments
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Steve commented
The fix from yesterday helps a bunch. It's still very slow for some operations (filtering for example). Am seeing fewer/shorter beachballs, but they're still there and still annoying.
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Steve commented
BTW: PDF Expert is blindingly fast for these operations. Can't do some of the things Acrobat can (Filter, export/import FDF, ...), but loading comments is fairly fast (~15 sec) and scrolling through the document is instantaneous.
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Steve commented
Made the March 26 suggested setting change on macOS Catalina using Xcode 11.6.
Initial load of comments is unchanged (~2 minutes), doing anything with comments (filtering, going to a comment to scroll to it, editing a comment, ...) is also unacceptably slow.
It seems that the comment storage algorithm doesn't scale. Loading the first ~200 comments is fast and then it slows down and gets even slower the more comments are loaded. Also tends to use lots of CPU (as evidenced by it running the fans on high during the comment load with nothing else going on and the fans slowing down upon completion).
Minor issue was the difference between AcrobatDC not Acrobat Reader. I have DC but the instructions appear to be for Reader. I think I guessed correctly where to put the change for DC.
I'm working with a 1299 page, 11.2 MB PDF (Specification) and I am currently at about 755 comments. All files are local (SSD). The file was created with PrinceXML which was then edited with Acrobat DC (to rearrange bookmarks, add watermark).
Same unacceptable performance on Win10 (same file, also Acrobat DC).
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dale commented
Comment for Admin: I think the big picture is that as advanced users of Acrobat Professionals, we have been communicating that the "app" segregation of various Acrobat functions simply doesn't work for us. Within one single document, I may combine multiple PDF files, add/remove/sort pages, optimize file, add comments and drawing markups, edit, forms, print production, optimize, accessibility. It's incredibly cumbersome to open each app and go back and forth waiting for them to load. Why can't we have windows that we can view, organize, and customize like other Adobe products?
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Anonymous commented
Anyone else see the irony of waiting 3 years, 2 months (and counting) for an issue about things working too slowly to be fixed?
(This is also perhaps not a constructive comment, but pertinent nonetheless.) -
Evan commented
That's 3 years, 2 months of inconvenience, to be precise (and counting). Really astonishing. Yes I realize this isn't a "constructive" comment....but A) I gave my constructive comment on this issue in March 2018, so I don't feel too bad about it and B) This really SHOULD be a constructive comment about the overall abysmal state of Adobe customer service, if anyone cared to read it.
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Sabrina Bowers commented
Multipage PDFs with dozens or more comments can take a very long time to load.
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Anonymous commented
Editing in the comments toolbar of large PDF with many comments is nearly impossible even with local PDF (WIn 10, Acrobat Pro DC 2020.009.20067). Does the registry fix of meaggarw (Admin, Adobe, Freitag, 27. März 2020) solve the problem? Unfortunately I don't have permission to edit the registry on my company PC. Are there other solutions?
Update 03.07.2020: „Help \ Repair Installation“ has solved the problem! -
Anonymous commented
Adobe, please update and give more information on the registry fix mentioned. This is becoming a major problem with our workflows as more people in my company are working from home and struggling to use the commenting and markup features in Acrobat.
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eliyah commented
totally, it's ridiculous. working on the most updated software and it take s a few minutes to show the 3 comments that are there, doesn't make any sense.
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Jaleed Gilani commented
Admin, I don't know how to add the registry key you are proposing. I use windows 10. Please advise? Maybe through a video uploaded for all on Youtube? Thank You.
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Jon commented
Takes longer to open the comments panel of a 6.4 mb PDF than it takes to open a 3.5 gb photoshop file. Just embarrassing Adobe.
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roman commented
I never edited a plist file before. Provided I did it correctly* it didn’t work for me. It still took about 15 seconds to open the comments panel.
* MacOs: I converted the file using `plutil -convert xml1 <FILENAME>`, pasted the tag in the inner of AVGeneral, then converted it back using `plutil -convert binary1 <FILENAME>`.
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Hum3 commented
Has anyone on here found an alternative PDF application that can deal with comments and has checkboxes? After three years, it is clear adobe couldn't care less.
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Hum3 commented
Plus one from me. This problem is historic. I purchased this iMac five years ago to overcome the problem. Even with a new Mac back then I had the same problem. I don't mind the load time so much (an excuse for a cup of tea), but the scrolling not working and having to click on EXACTLY the right part of the next comment to bring it up from the bottom of the screen drives me nuts. If Adobe can't replicate this problem and sort it, it doesn't say a lot for them as software developers – Oh hang on... I run InDesign too – and that is also rubbish!
Acrobat Reader DC 2019.021.20061
OS Catalina 10.15.2
Retina 5K iMac, 27-inch Late 2015
750 comments
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Jaleed Gilani commented
Seconded. I have like 3000+ notes in a PDF and the Comment list takes forever and freezes the PC. Please correct this.
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Tomáš Siničák commented
Hey Adobe it's more than two years, please fix it!
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Lara commented
It takes way too long, especially because the initial view can't be set to display comments. If I'm opening 50 files with comments, I have click comments, wait, click comments, wait. It's very time consuming. Even if I could click that view for all open documents at once, it would save me a bunch of time.
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John P. Milligan commented
Juha - in pro, click on the comment icon on the far right and the comments window opens up
turning fonts off that you're not using fixes the lag issue
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JUHA RÄTY commented
And not only the comment list, but each and every comment needs a wheel to spin around for seconds before it opens, and again seconds before you can actually copy the conrtents. WHY IS THIS? There's nothing like that in Reader, and in Reader, you can even browse the comments in the comment window, which is SUPER HANDY. WHY IS THE PRO VERSION WORSE THAN READER? HALOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!