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Answered

When a PDF is opened twice in different windows, changing the bookmark on the left PDF changes the right PDF's page instead of the left.. does anyone have this issue?

Forum|Forum|2 months ago
June 25, 2026
15 replies
273 views

This is happening to several people in our org intermittently but enough to where they are reporting about it.

Say there is a PDF, (A).

When we go to the top bar and press view, then new window, it opens another PDF (A) that we will call (A2).

So now, we have open PDFs (A) and (A2).

The issue is that whenever we navigate through the bookmark selection on (A), the pages on (A2) change instead of (A).

Our Acrobat is completely up to date, all Windows Updates installed, and we’ve reinstalled the program only for the user to tell us that it’s happening again a few days later.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Correct answer Anand Sri Bhattacharya

Hello @Stvnly,

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. We're sorry for the trouble you had. In Acrobat, when you use Window > New Window, both windows are actually two views of the same document instance, not fully independent copies. Because of this, some navigation actions (including bookmarks/left navigation panel) can stay linked between the views, which can lead to the behavior you’re seeing.

Does this happen with all sets of PDFs, or with any specific PDF? Assuming you are on the latest build of Acrobat version, and a Windows machine: 26.001.21677, Planned update, Jun 17, 2026, for testing purposes, go to Menu > Preferences > General

Uncheck “Open documents as new tabs in the same window”
Restart Acrobat
Open the same PDF twice from File Explorer (instead of New Window), and check the behaviour.

Also, capture exact reproduction details. Because this is intermittent, note which window had focus last, whether the bookmark panel was clicked in window 1 or window 2, and whether it happens right after switching focus between the windows. Please note that if the goal is to view two parts of the same file at once with independent navigation, use Window > Split instead of New Window. As with Split, "you can independently scroll, change the magnification level, or switch to a different page in the active pane without affecting the other pane." Use Window > Split for two panes; to return to a single pane, choose Window > Remove split. For more details, please check this article: https://adobe.ly/4wdCHFy

Let us know how it goes, and share your findings.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

C

Carrie34225282he7l

Participating Frequently

this issue should not be marked as answered. This issue still exists exactly as everyone above has detailed out. Splitting the screen is not an option based on how we have all always worked. We need to be able to select window/new window and navigate EACH window independently. Adobe’s stated answer that the view is a copy has NEVER been how it has previously operated. I have used this for over 15 years and since the recent update it now operates differently. We all NEED and REQUIRE the ability to have two (or MORE) instances open of the same file that navigate INDEPENDENTLY or there is no point in having multiple windows open. Adobe needs to address this

Anand Sri Bhattacharya

Community Manager

Hello @Carrie34225282he7l

I hope you are doing well, and sorry for the trouble you had.

From what you've described, the key issue isn't simply having two views of the same document available. The issue is that after the recent update, multiple windows of the same PDF appear to remain synchronized, preventing each window from maintaining its own position within the document.

Could you please share more details about the issue? Are you on a Mac or Windows machine, and what is the version?

Which Acrobat version are you currently using (Menu > Help > About Acrobat)?

Are both windows showing the same PDF, or does the behaviour also occur with different PDFs?
When you scroll or navigate in one window, does the second window immediately follow the same location, or is the sync behaviour only triggered under certain actions?

If possible, a short screen recording demonstrating the behaviour compared to how it worked previously would also be very helpful.

We’re here to help, just need more info.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

C

Carrie34225282he7l

Participating Frequently

adobe 2026.001.21789 64 bit

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

Version 10.0.26200 Build 26200

the issues only occurs when the same pdf is open twice (window/new window function) the navigation immediately happens in the second window and NOT the window I am trying to navigate in. I cannot share a video of sensitive client information and i cannot share a video of how it used to work since it no longer functions. The bottom line is - if i open a second or third windows and am actively navigating these windows they always operating indenpendently which is required for the work I do. now - a window OTHER than than the active window changes not the window I am currently attempting to navigate. I could screen share with support but I cannot post a video

D

different_Butterflyd70b

Participant

crobat Pro 2026.001.21789, 64-bit, Windows. Window → New Window initially provides independent navigation, but after working in the document, clicking a bookmark in one window intermittently changes the page in the other window. This did not occur in prior versions and has only started within approximately the last six months. This is happening to all of us at our accounting firm of 70+ people

Amal Jaiswal

Community Manager

Hi @different_Butterflyd70b

We are sorry to hear that the issue still exists. Would you mind sharing a short video recording of the steps you are taking and the issue as it occurs, along with the sample PDF, so we can have our backend team look into it?

~Amal

A

amazing_handsb032

Participant

Same! Omg, it is driving me crazy!!! I have never had this issue before when using multiple view windows until recently.

I already have the “Open documents as new tabs in the same window” unchecked.

Recording 2026-08-15 155016.mp4

Meenakshi0101

Community Manager

Hi amazing_handsb032,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing the video.

Sorry to hear that you are experiencing the same issue. Please confirm the current Acrobat version number and the OS installed on the machine. Could you please share these test files as well?

Thanks,

Meenakshi

B

Brian362059310fu9

Participant

Having the same problem. The issue is sporadic so unfortunately I cannot provide exact steps to reproduce the problem. I have noticed it happen several times after renaming a bookmark, but it does not happen every single time. All of the bookmarks are just normal “Go to a page in this document” bookmarks. No additional actions or anything special with them.

The suggestions above to uncheck the “open documents as a new tabs in the same window” did not help. I cannot open the same document again via file explorer that way. When i try to open the document a second time, nothing happens.

Meenakshi0101

Community Manager

Hi Brian362059310fu9,

Thank you for reaching out, and sorry to hear that you are also experiencing the same issue.

It would be very helpful if you could share a short video demonstrating the steps you take that affect the workflow (even if the issue cannot be captured). It will help us replicate the issue on our end. Additionally, please provide the version of Acrobat and the operating system you are currently using.

Let us know if you need any help.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

B

Brian362059310fu9

Participant

Hi Meenakshi

Unfortunately, I cannot share a short video demo as the documents I work on have sensitive Information. Here is how i can best describe the steps that eventually cause the issue:

Right Click the bookmark within the bookmark navigation pane on the left of the screen
Select “Rename”
Modify the name of the bookmark
Press Enter

Adobe Acrobat Pro Version: 2026.001.21691 64-bit

OS Version: Windows 11 Enterprise 24H2 26100.8655

Would also like to note that while i’m not 100% sure, I do not believe this issue started occurring until we switched from Acrobat 32-bit to 64-bit.

J

Jason22659563pq11

Participating Frequently

I have this same issue as well. I use this feature for large PDF files where I need to cross reference information. The troubling thing, this Adobe behavior seems to be new. It wasn’t an issue in the past… It defeats the purpose of having two windows open on one PDF file if you can’t navigate pages independently.

Meenakshi0101

Community Manager

Hi Jason22659563pq11,

Thank you for reaching out, and sorry for the trouble caused.

Could you please share a short video demonstrating the steps you take when the issue occurs? This will help us understand the workflow and provide the correct information.

Let us know if you need any help.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

Anand Sri Bhattacharya

Correct answer

Community Manager

Hello @Stvnly,

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out. We're sorry for the trouble you had. In Acrobat, when you use Window > New Window, both windows are actually two views of the same document instance, not fully independent copies. Because of this, some navigation actions (including bookmarks/left navigation panel) can stay linked between the views, which can lead to the behavior you’re seeing.

Does this happen with all sets of PDFs, or with any specific PDF? Assuming you are on the latest build of Acrobat version, and a Windows machine: 26.001.21677, Planned update, Jun 17, 2026, for testing purposes, go to Menu > Preferences > General

Uncheck “Open documents as new tabs in the same window”
Restart Acrobat
Open the same PDF twice from File Explorer (instead of New Window), and check the behaviour.

Also, capture exact reproduction details. Because this is intermittent, note which window had focus last, whether the bookmark panel was clicked in window 1 or window 2, and whether it happens right after switching focus between the windows. Please note that if the goal is to view two parts of the same file at once with independent navigation, use Window > Split instead of New Window. As with Split, "you can independently scroll, change the magnification level, or switch to a different page in the active pane without affecting the other pane." Use Window > Split for two panes; to return to a single pane, choose Window > Remove split. For more details, please check this article: https://adobe.ly/4wdCHFy

Let us know how it goes, and share your findings.

Regards,

Anand Sri.

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