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kelovlyn
Participant
May 29, 2020 5:28 PM UTC
Question

Starred and recent files list empty/missing

At least once a week my starred files and recently opened files list is cleared without me asking it to be cleared. Today I opened Acrobat Pro DC to start work and the files were there then they just vanished. I use the same base files every day, and it is starting to get annoying to have to go back and set up my starred files again for easy access. My recent files list is set to 100 so I'm not sure why they keep disappearing. Is there a setting somewhere that clears the list automatically that I can turn off? Or if I get logged out does it clear my starred files? Thank you for suggestions!

44 replies

Participating Frequently
Jun 21, 2025 7:24 PM UTC

The reason is that Adobe doesn't care that you spend a carload of money on their products every year. They just do what they want to do because they're a monopoly and your time is meaningless to them. My starred and recent got cleared on me and I have CC2025. It's just the monopoly treating us like dirt.

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Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jun 21, 2025 8:03 PM UTC

Do you have anything useful to add or did you just want to rant? 

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David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
Participant
Jan 9, 2025 10:10 AM UTC

This just happened to me as well. I rebooted my computer and all of a sudden a hundred starred and recent .pdfs were just...gone. Also, my saved signatures were also missing (but at least that bug I knew how to fix).

 

Is there any update on how to restore recent/starred file lists?

(Local machine files only, no cloud files, am signed in to Acrobat, etc.)

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Participant
Dec 23, 2024 4:16 PM UTC

I have the same issues on windows machine , adobe is clearning everything which is local , fix this ASAP very annoying.

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JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
Aug 2, 2024 8:44 PM UTC

Try to revert to the Classic UI: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/acrobat-2023-how-to-revert-to-classic-gui-user-interface/td-p/14052807
Consider the "new Acrobat" as a beta version, many features are still missing or half-implemented.

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Participant
Feb 23, 2024 10:06 PM UTC

Same issue, I'm trying to star a locally saved file as I'm reading an e-book for study. It removes the starring within a couple of seconds. This is not an issue we should be experiencing in 2024.

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Participant
Mar 26, 2024 9:35 PM UTC

Same issue.  Fix this please.

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Ambrosial_Rocket5E50
Participant
Apr 10, 2024 5:24 PM UTC

This issue just started a few weeks ago for me as well. All apps and systems are updated. Very frustrating.

 

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Participant
Feb 19, 2024 6:44 PM UTC

I'm having the same issue on a new Macbook. I'm running the build below. There are o updates available. I'm signed in and there is no one else using this computer so I never sign out. I'm only workig with local files, nothing on the Adobe cloud.

Architecture: arm64

Processor: Apple M2 Max

Build: 23.8.20533.0

AGM: 7.1.4

CoolType: 9.1.0

JP2K: 4.0.2.54248

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Participant
Feb 19, 2024 6:49 PM UTC

I use Acrobat daily. This has been happening on and off since I first started installed the program on this computer, but it hasen't happened for a few weeks until today. Today I noticed a blue "new" icon next to starred.

 

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Participating Frequently
Sep 13, 2021 3:53 PM UTC

I don't sign out. Adobe just signs me out and then forces me to sign in before I can work. This is what I pay you more than $50 per month for: to interfere with my ability to work by your paranoid security. I'm not going to continue with my subscriotion, which I've had since CC started. I'm sick of being interfered with when I'm trying to work. I always use the same programs on the same network on the same computer. I shouldhn't have to sign into them at all, much less have them challenge me and reset things.

 

Really sick of the Adobe Monopoly.

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Participating Frequently
Jul 29, 2020 2:25 PM UTC

This has continually happened to me too. This feature does not work consistently since it has been introduced. Nice feature and would be better if it actually worked.

 

Please note - I can only star documents that are saved locally. These documents cannot be saved to the Adobe Cloud due to privacy & confidentiality. I am using Adobe Acrobat enterprise subscription so I have to be logged in to use product. 

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Adobe Employee
Jul 30, 2020 1:50 AM UTC

Hi,

Thanks for your feedback here. Do you still see this issue happening? 

Can you please share few details here:

1. Please update to the latest build, and share build info (Help -> About Adobe Acrobat DC)

2. Workflow that triggers recent/starred getting cleared

Thanks,

Charu Karwa

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Participant
May 22, 2021 10:17 PM UTC

Seriously,  I understand this is an old post.  Is every single one of your replies to say   "PLEASE UPDATE TO THE LATEST VERSION"  Your customer service is terrible.  Not once did you ever address the Question correctly.  If you dont know the answer then you should escilate it to a level two tech or even the developers to get a real answer.  we all undersand and know about it being on the cloud.  The question is about "LOCAL"?  Thats the real issue the way I look at it.   LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL

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Adobe Employee
Jun 3, 2020 12:49 PM UTC

Hi,

Please update to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat DC (2020.009.20067) and check if you still observe the issue of recent getting cleared.

Thanks,
Charu Karwa

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JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jun 4, 2020 8:25 PM UTC

I already had this version that I just installed on a new PC, but unfortunately that doesn't change anything.

Unlogging and re-login:

 

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Participant
Jul 20, 2020 10:19 AM UTC

Notice Adobe support just "stops" questions when they don't have an answer?

I have this same issues:

 

Recent file list just shows up empty all of a sudden.  It works, and then it does not.  No, I can't store several thousasnd PDF files in the cloud, that's why we have our own files servers and network.   A lot in our office use recent file history and have the same issues.   50-60 files in the recent list just "gone."  

 

 

 

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JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 30, 2020 2:34 PM UTC

I got the same issue (Windows 10 version)

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe
Adobe Employee
Jun 1, 2020 2:33 AM UTC

Hi,

Can you please share few details I requested above, will be really helpful in understanding the issue and providing with solution.

Thanks,

Charu Karwa

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JR Boulay
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jun 1, 2020 5:29 PM UTC

Sorry, I cannot.

I had reseted this PC since I sold it after buying a new one. It was a HP ProBook 6970b running the latest Acrobat pro DC version and the latest Windows 10 version.

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe