How to disable Adobe Sign in prompt

Question

On our session host servers, Adobe Acrobat Reader (free version) auto updated to 2026.001.21367. Several users are now being prompted to log into Adobe. If they cancel, the program closes. Users should not need credentials to use a free program. I’ve had to change their default reader to be Edge just so they can continue to work.

I’ve tried the following:!--startfragment>

Disabled new acrobat

To fix Adobe Reader freezing, immediately try disabling Protected Mode in Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) and unchecking "Enable Protected Mode at startup".

Edit > Preferences > General 'Messages from/to Adobe' uncheck 'Show me messages when launch Adobe Acrobat'

This is a common fix, but ‘Sync preferences’ is no longer an option in this latest version.

Edit > Preferences

Select Adobe Online Services in the categories list.

Uncheck the option Sync preferences across devices and document services.

I can’t imagine uninstalling/reinstalling will fix it, since it’s the latest version, and Adobe doesn’t realize that not all of its products require logins. I’m tired of dealing with Adobe hijacking my users when all they need to do is open a simple pdf. Please tell me there’s a fix.

!--endfragment>

Anand Sri Bhattacharya · Accepted Answer

Hello ​@KD42and ​@Damian32804384qnx3I hope you're doing well. We apologize for the delayed response and the trouble.Could you please check if this is still happening with the latest build of Acrobat/Reader26.001.21431 Planned update, Apr 14, 2026?If yes, could you please share the exact version of the OS installed, the logs from the affected machine, and share them with us for further investigation? To collect the logs, please follow the instructions from this help article:https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-diagnostics.htmlRun the Log Collector tool. Ensure that you select all log options and attempt to reproduce the issue. After that, close the Log Collector tool; it will generate the logs along with a log ID. Please share this log ID with usRegards,Anand Sri.

Damian32804384qnx3 · Answer

We’re seeing the exact same issue after Adobe Acrobat Reader updated on our servers.

Multiple users are suddenly being prompted to sign in to Adobe. If they cancel the login, Acrobat immediately closes. For a free PDF reader, this behavior makes absolutely no sense. We’ve also had to switch the default PDF handler to Microsoft Edge just so users can keep working.

Things we’ve already tried:

Disabled New Acrobat
Disabled Protected Mode at startup
Disabled all Messages from/to Adobe
Verified Adobe Online / Sync options (as much as this version still allows)
And honestly, just about every registry key related to this issue that seems to exist

None of this provides a lasting fix. I also don’t see uninstalling/reinstalling helping, since this is the latest version, and the issue appears immediately after the update.

Bottom line: Adobe is effectively forcing a login for a free product, which is completely unacceptable in RDS / multi‑user environments where users just need to open a simple PDF.

If anyone has found a real solution (registry setting, GPO, MSI parameter, anything that actually works), we’d really appreciate it.
You’re definitely not alone in being frustrated with Adobe right now.

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded