Adobe makes a bunch of software used heavily by the professional and creative industries. Acrobat Reader is another such software that has become synonymous with PDF readers.

However, when installing Acrobat Reader, users also get another software component called AcroTray.exe. In this article, we’re talking about AcroTray, what it does, and how you can disable it from launching at boot.

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What is AcroTray?

AcroTray stands for Acrobat Tray and is an extension of Adobe Acrobat that helps users open and convert PDF files to different formats. The extension launches at startup and runs in the background, and keeps track of Acrobat’s updates as well.

There are several reasons why you want want to disable the extension. Some of the most common ones are as follows:

• Impacts startup speed: The extension can elongate your boot times as it’s quite resource heavy and can take up some time to start on slower PCs.
• Consumes system resources: Although sparingly used, the extension always runs in the background and keeps using system resources constantly. If you’re already running low on memory, this can be an unnessacary headache.
• Can potentially be a malware: Malware operators often mask their malware under legitmate Windows service names. If the extension is completely hogging your system for no good reason, there’s a good chance it might be a malware.

Also read: What is APC index mismatch in Windows 10? 5 Fixes

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2 ways to disable Acrotray

Here are two methods you can use to disable the Acrotray extension from launching at boot.

Using the Task Manager

The task manager can be used to control what applications start at launch. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Windows Key + X to access the Quick Access menu and click Task Manager.

Step 2: Head over to the Startup tab, select the AcroTray process and click Disable.

Now the process won’t launch at boot.

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Using Windows Services

Applications can also set startup manually using the Services app in Windows.

Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type services.msc and hit enter.

Step 2: Find the process and double-click it to open properties. Click on Stop to stop the process. 

Step 3: Under Startup type, change the setting to Disabled.

Now restart your PC, and your CPU should be freed up comparatively. 

Also read: Windows was unable to complete the format: 2 Fixes