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Participant
July 23, 2015
Answered

How do I prevent acrobat reader DC from opening .pdf files by default?

  • July 23, 2015
  • 5 replies
  • 49301 views

I have set Acrobat Professional as my default application for .pdf files, however it doesn't stick; unless I right click and choose the "open with" option, Acrobat DC takes over even with Acrobat Professional set as the default application.  I have no uses for DC as I have purchased Acrobat Professional, which is more useful and familiar to me in terms of manipulating .pdf files.  I would simply uninstall it, as I have before because of this but lately I have found sites are requesting I install it as former acrobat plug-ins are deprecating, so not having DC is posing a problem as well.  I know Adobe is proud of their new program, but DC is acting like a religious cult or an anxious teenager, I can't decide which one, either way the point is it's annoying; I don't want it.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bernd Alheit

‌Uninstall Acrobat Reader DC and repair Adobe Acrobat.

5 replies

Participant
August 5, 2021

For Google Chrome - Click on the 3 dots, click 'Settings', click on 'Extensions' on the left hand side and then click 'Remove' under Adobe Reader DC.

Legend
June 21, 2019

That does sound like a bug in Acrobat (if it can't open files that Reader can open), but not connected to the original person's problem - none of them mentioned this error, or a federal court setting. Sometimes tagging on the end of a problem stops the right people seeing your message, and works against you.

Participant
June 21, 2019

The answer does not solve the problem with the CM/ECF system in federal courts. Windows 10 does NOT provide the option to select Acrobat Pro as the default (NOT in the list). The download documents from the CM/ECF system required DC PDF Reader to open. Acrobat Pro cannot open (error or corrupted file). I must use another laptop with DC PDF Reader installed to load the documents and then use SAVE AS to another PDF file in order for Acrobat Pro to open. This is clearly a bug on the Adobe side, not Microsoft.

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Bernd AlheitCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 23, 2015

‌Uninstall Acrobat Reader DC and repair Adobe Acrobat.

AadeshSingh
Community Manager
Community Manager
July 23, 2015

Hi blind1st,

  • Right click on one of the PDF file, select Open with -> Choose Default program.

  • Choose Acrobat as the default PDF viewer & checkmark the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".

  • Click OK to confirm.

Let me know if the issue persist.

Regards,

Aadesh

blind1stAuthor
Participant
July 24, 2015

One of the problems I'm seeing is that Acrobat Professional does not appear

in my checklist for default programs; only Acrobat DC. This is not the

default program I want.

Acrobat Professional (8.1) only appears in prompt menus, so I can select it

as the default by right clicking and selecting Acrobat from a .pfg file,

but has been replaced by DC in all other instances, conversely Acrobat DC

does appear in both the default menu as well as the prompt menu (right

clicking from a file). All the same, selecting Acrobat Professional (8.1)

doesn't stick, it always returns to Acrobat DC.

It's likely that DC is being recognized as the updated version of all Adobe

Acrobat programs and it is not properly distinguished from Acrobat DC, as

Acrobat DC is the default protocol for ACROBAT, that parameter may override

all defaults; setting protocol ordering is substantially beyond my

knowledge of programming, but as I cannot change this default; I'm making

an assumption that this protocol may be preventing Acrobat Professional

from appearing in the default menu as well as maintaining defaults, but we

all know how assuming turns out.

Do you know anything about that end of things?

On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 10:55 AM, aadeshs76610910 <forums_noreply@adobe.com>