How to Completely Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a known PDF reader that allows you to view, print, sign, and comment on PDF files. However, some people who have downloaded this app may have problems using it, prompting them to seek ways to uninstall the application. Uninstalling an unneeded application on Mac may be easy, but how about deleting the whole program components from your system?

We cannot be sure if these are entirely removed just because you have removed the application. There are things you must know if you are planning to learn how to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac. If you're wondering the same thing, you've come to the right place because this guide will show you in detail how to thoroughly uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader from your Mac along with the app components that it has.

Contents: Part 1. Preparation Before Uninstalling Adobe Acrobat Reader DCPart 2. How to Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC from Mac Manually?Part 3. Quickest Way to Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader on MacPart 4. Conclusion

Part 1. Preparation Before Uninstalling Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Before starting the uninstallation, check if the app is running or not. Because if you proceed with uninstalling while it is running, the process may fail and cause an error. There are many options to quit the Adobe reader:

1. The app icon can be seen in the Dock; you can then right-click and select Quit.
2. In the Menu Bar, click the app and select Quit [app name].
3. Open the Activity Monitor, search the target app's name, pick any process related to the app, click the X button seen on the upper left corner, and choose the Quit button.
4. Use the Option – Command – Esc keystroke to open the Quit Applications window, choose the app from the list and click the Force Quit.

You must make sure to quit the app before starting to learn how to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac. However, there are times where you still cannot shut down applications by any of these options. The only option or choice you have now is to reboot the Mac into Safe Mode for you to kill the unwanted app.

Part 2. How to Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC from Mac Manually?

To thoroughly uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC from Mac, you have to delete the executable files as well as all associated support files, including caches, logs, and preferences. Aside from showing the manual approaches on how to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac, this section will also explain how to look for the remaining files of Adobe Reader.

For those who installed Adobe Reader from Mac's App Store:

1. From the Dock, click the Launchpad icon, then type Adobe Acrobat Reader DC into the Search box.
2. Hover the cursor over the target app's icon when it appears, then press and hold until the icon jiggles. Then, in the app icon, click the Delete
3. To finish the deletion of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, click Delete on the pop-up window.

For those who installed Adobe Reader that is not through the App Store:

1. Launch the Finder and select the Applications folder from the sidebar.
2. Locate Adobe Acrobat Reader DC in the Applications folder, then drag and drop its icon to the Trash icon (at the end of the Dock).
3. Right-click the Trash, select Empty Trash, and then click Empty Trash again.

Manually Removing Adobe Acrobat Reader DC's Components

To learn how to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac, the components is quite important. The components of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC include the software itself, preference files, bundled program, kernel extensions, and supporting plugins. To be able to detect the remaining files, you can find these on either or both of the two locations: /Library and ~Library.

Delete Components in /Library

1. Go to the Menu Bar in the Finder and click Go > Go to Folder...
2. Input the path of the top-level Library on your hard drive: /Library, then Enter.
3. In the following folder locations, look for those whose names contain the keyword(s) of Adobe Acrobat Reader: /Library, /Library/Caches, /Library/Preferences, /Library/Application Support, /Library/LaunchDaemons, /Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/PreferencePanes, /Library/StartupItems.
4. Locate the corresponding files and directories, and then delete all.

Delete Components in ~/Library

1. Open the user library in your home folder by typing /Library into the address bar.
2. In the Search Bar, type the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC keywords, and then select "Library".
3. Find matched items in the results, right-click them, and select Move to Trash from the menu.
4. After you've deleted all of the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC leftovers, empty the Trash. If you see an error message stating that an item is "in use and cannot be erased", restart your Mac and try emptying the Trash again.

Part 3. Quickest Way to Uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader on Mac

Deleting the app and its files may be a hassle when doing it manually. If you don't want to search through your computer to remove Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, you may use a professional tool to do it for you.

PowerMyMac is a simple app that has a App Uninstaller feature. With this app, you can now easily remove the Adobe Reader along with its related files in just a few clicks without having to go through the folders in your drive. Not only does it remove the files, but it also helps you save valuable disk space and speed up your Mac. Here is a 3-quick step to see how to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac using the PowerMyMac's App Uninstaller.

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Step 1. Launch PowerMyMac and Select the App Uninstaller.

Download PowerMyMac, install the app on your Mac, and click to open the app. Once you click the App Uninstaller, click SCAN. This will let PowerMyMac begin scanning all of the applications installed on your Mac.

Step 2. Select the Adobe Reader from the list.

Once the scanning is complete, a list of apps will appear on the left side. You can then find the app you want to uninstall, or you can type the name into the Search box to find it quickly. Select the Adobe Acrobat Reader and the files associated with it, which will appear on the right side.

Step 3. Uninstall Adobe Reader and its related files

Click the CLEAN button; then the Adobe Reader, as well as their associated data, will be deleted. A pop-up window labeled "Cleanup Completed" will then appear and show how many files were cleaned and how much space is now free on your hard drive.

As you can see, PowerMyMac - App Uninstaller allows you to entirely uninstall software and eliminate any unnecessary residual files without wasting time looking for them all over your hard drive.

Part 4. Conclusion

Uninstalling unwanted applications can be easy when you have a Windows PC, but as you have noticed, it is entirely different when it comes to having a Mac. There are even some Mac software or application that are even hard to remove from the device. The article discussed how to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac, manually and through using an app but manually removing the Adobe Acrobat Reader DC could be time-consuming and very hassle for you.

Many users have difficulties locating the associated files of Adobe Reader. That is why it is more efficient to use a tool that can delete the app and the related files in just a few clicks. This article introduced the PowerMyMac - App Uninstaller that can delete the Adobe Reader and its files entirely. By using this, you can now feel more confident that all the unwanted files have been removed from your Mac.