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Andre_Best
Andre_Best
Participant
March 30, 2026
Question

Si j'active "Reader Extend" sur un PDF. Fonctionne pour le reader gratuit mais pas pour le professionnel

  • March 30, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 90 views

Bonjour à toutes et tous,
Je cherche une solution à mon problème:

Je suis développeur et je crée des formulaires en PDF.

Le formulaire fonctionne très bien avec le “ADOBE ACROBAT” professionnel.

L’utilisateur peut enregistrer son travail à n’importe quel moment.

Par contre, avec le ADOBE READER (gratuit), il n’est pas possible d’enregistrer le formulaire avec des données.

Sauf si “Reader Extended” est activé.

Si je le fait, le problème s’inverse. Il n’est plus possible (pour ceux qui utilisent la version professionnelle) de sauvegarder leurs fichiers !

Quelqu’un aurait il une idée pour résoudre mon problème ?

Merci d’avance de votre aide

Bonne journée

André

    2 replies

    Andre_Best
    Andre_BestAuthor
    Participant
    April 24, 2026

    Hello,

    I apologize for the long delay, but I have a huge workload.
    Things are quiet today, and I'm taking the time to reply to you.

    Answers to your questions:

    - Versions used:
      For my work, I use Adobe Acrobat Professional.
      I asked someone with the free version to test the document.

    In both cases, see the screenshot for the versions

     

    - Security:

      Regarding security, yes, I protected the document with a password.


      See the screenshot.

    - Testing other documents:

      I haven't tested with other documents. I'll look into doing that.

     

    - The problem:

      To understand the context:

      I created a medical form used by different categories of users.
      
      These can include:
      - Pharmaceutical companies
      - People working in the medical field
      - etc.

      Large companies don't mind using the professional version of "Adobe Acrobat Pro."
      However, smaller businesses or ordinary individuals can't afford the professional version and use the free version.

      This form is a document of about ten pages containing various fields of all types (text fields, lists, radio buttons, or checkboxes).
      Depending on certain business rules, the document's behavior varies. Some fields become mandatory, while others do not.

      Given the size of this document, it's possible that users may take several days to complete it.
      Therefore, they would like to be able to import data from their work into the document.

      Once the document is complete, they can check that all required fields have been filled in.
      If everything is correct, they can then sign and send their documents to the appropriate people.

      The problem:
      You absolutely need the professional version to do this job. With the free version, ... no!

      You might say: it's possible to activate the backup with the command:
       Menu    : File
       Sub-Menu: Save as Other/Reader Extended PDF/Enable More Tools (...)

     

    I did it. At this point, this document no longer works with "Adobe Professional".
      The user can no longer import data. The command is not enabled.

     


      See screenshot.

      They can still perform other functions (export, print, and sign the document).

      Here's my problem.

      Do you have any solutions to suggest?

    Thank you in advance for your eventual support.
    Best regards
    Andre

    Amal Jaiswal
    Community Manager
    Amal JaiswalCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    April 27, 2026

    Hi there ,

     

    Hope you are doing well and thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed explanation.

    When you use “Reader Extended PDF” (Enable More Tools), Adobe Acrobat Pro adds special usage rights so that users of Adobe Acrobat Reader (free version) can fill, save, sign, etc. However, once a PDF is Reader-extended certain advanced features (like Import Data) become restricted, even in Acrobat Pro. This is expected behavior by design, not a bug so you’re seeing a limitation of how Reader Extensions work.

    You cannot have both at the same time:

    • Allow free users (Reader) to save & sign AND
    • Keep advanced Pro features like Import Data active once extended, the document is “locked” into a mode optimized for Reader users.

    As a workaround try to maintain two versions of the form and see if that works:
    Version A (Non-extended) > Used internally or by Pro users (supports Import Data)
    Version B (Reader-extended) > Shared with external/free users (supports save, sign, basic fill)

     

    Let us know how it goes.

     

    ~Amal

    Andre_Best
    Andre_BestAuthor
    Participant
    April 28, 2026

    Hello,

    I appreciate your professional answer and thank you for it !

    I’m afraid, unfortunately, that your explanations may not be able to be put into practice.

    The reason is simple

    Imagine working in an small company with 2 departments and 5 persons:

     

    The first department: the workshop

    There are 2 computers provided for the staff to be able to encode their information. These 2 computers are equipped with the free version of "PDF Reader" and use the PDF Version B (Reader-extended) .

    Once their parts have been encoded, this file is processed by the second department which must ratify the document

    The second department: The validation

    On the computer of this department, the professional version of "Adobe Acrobat" is installed.

    How will he have to open and validate the document?

    How do I transfer the data from the document version B > version A?

    impossible!

     

    This company is obliged to take 3 licenses of the professional version !

    No choice!

    Expansive 

     

    Thank you so much for your help

    Best regards

    Andre

    Amal Jaiswal
    Community Manager
    Amal JaiswalCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    April 2, 2026

    Hi there 

     

    Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out and sharing your observation. 

     

    We need some more infomation to better understand the issue:

    • Which version of Acrobat are you using? Go to Help > About Acrobat and try updating the application to the latest version available. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.
    • Are you applying any security settings or scripts in the form?
    • Is this an issue with a particular PDF form or with all the PDF forms? Try with a differnet PDF and check.
    • What exactly happens when Acrobat users try to save — do they see an error message? If yes, please share the screenshot of the same for more clarity. Also a small video recording of the steps you are taking and the issue as it occurs would be very helpful.

     

    By default, Adobe Reader cannot save filled form data unless the PDF is Reader-enabled (extended).
    When you enable Reader Extended features, it allows Reader users to save their data. However, this process adds usage rights to the PDF, and depending on how it's applied, it can sometimes cause unexpected behavior when reopening or re-saving in Acrobat.
     

    Normally, enabling Reader Extended features should not prevent Acrobat users from saving files. If that’s happening, it could be because:

    • The form is being re-saved in a way that removes or conflicts with usage rights
    • The file is being edited after enabling Reader rights (which can invalidate them)
    • There may be restrictions or compatibility issues in the form design (e.g., scripts, security settings)

    Please try the steps below and see if that works:

    1. Finalize your form completely in Acrobat Pro:
    • Add all fields, scripts, validations, etc.
    • Make sure no further edits are needed
    • Save a master copy (for editing later)
    1. Create a separate distribution copy
      Go to:
      File > Save As Other > Reader Extended PDF > Enable More Tools (includes form fill-in & save)
       
    2. Do NOT edit the Reader-enabled file again, If you need changes, go back to the master file and repeat the process.

     

    Hope this information will help

     

    Regards

    Amal

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