Acrobat DC SO HORRIBLE it's making me want to cry.

[keebusameows]

I can't find anywhere to file a complaint or submit feedback, so here it is.

Acrobat DC is horrible. I feel like it wasn't made for professionals at all and makes it much more difficult to navigate a simple document. My custom toolbar at the top? Gone. Replaced by ridiculous pre-school style buttons on the right. Want to re-organize page order? It opens up an entirely separate window for that, totally unnecessarily.

Thanks for giving me a day of trying to figure out how I can delete this worthless pile of kindergarten garbage and somehow get back to just Acrobat XI while still using my cloud sub.

[Anubha Goel]

Hi keebusameows,

Thank you for your feedback.

We would pass this on to the development team so that necessary implementations could be made.

regards,

Anubha

[Tell_It_Like_It_Is]

Please pass this comment and the myriad of other posts who are totally disgusted with this mess on to the development team before having them sacked for trashing the Adobe brand.

They have committed corporate sabotage.

I know kids are starting to use computers earlier each year; but I didn't think Kindergarten kids were being employed by Adobe to do their programming.

This dogs breakfast of an iteration looks like it was hand written in crayon by kindergarten kids to replicate their crayon drawings after a Rugrats marathon.

What is even more annoying is sooner or later we will need to install yet another update to over ride this unmitigated disaster, so no point in uninstalling it.

You've stuffed up big time this time Adobe; this has made General Custer's stuff up at the battle of Little Big Horn look like a success story!!!!!

[harry l]

creative cloud took over my acrobat dc pro and converted it to subscripotion. ADOBE are robbers and extortionists.

[VAJackson]

AMEN!!!  This POS is ridiculous!  I have used Adobe Acrobat Pro for YEARS but this is the most worthless mess I've ever seen!  What were they thinking?!

[xtianf]

acrobat sucked since day one! you had years to make this right, adobe... corporate crap , getting crappier...

[lawoffice1285]

This so-called SOLUTION of staying with Adobe Pro is a sham.  Adobe Pro now isn't compatible with MicroSoft Office 15.  Shame on you Adobe for making life miserable.  THIS IS A DEFECTIVE AND RIDICULOUS PRODUCT.  The redact feature doesn't work at all. 

[FerrousJack]

Has the development team made any progress? This product is a lemon. The interface is nonsensical. As a professional Adobe user for more than 20 years, I am now seeking alternatives for basic digital document handling. The silence from Adobe on these issues is deafening. Your users are only angry because it is disruptive for them to find alternatives because Adobe products are integrated into their existing workflows. Basically, it's expensive to change, but I've spent the last 30 minutes wasting my time on forums and doing web searches trying to find the menu options I need. But the answers provided either 1) reference menus, options and buttons that aren't available to me, or 2) simply don't work! Why is this so difficult?!

[gener7 · Accepted solution]

If you want to uninstall Acrobat DC and get back Acrobat XI, follow these instructions.

Acrobat DC uninstalled Acrobat XI | How to get Acrobat XI back

You can always reinstall DC later.

[keebusameows]

Thank you!! This is very much appreciated!

[kathyj63608742]

Tried this but it asks for a serial number which I DO NOT HAVE.

[jkegarch]

Is it possible for me to douwngrade to version XI from DC even if I never had XI in the first place?  I came from version 8 Pro and when Iswitched computers could no longer transfer that license.  I'm stuck with DC and hate it.  Is version X or XI available?

[jskerrigan]

If you hate the older version Do not buy the newer one it is horrible It does not work. I am looking for a replacement right now. I have been on the phone no less than 25 times. Same answer it's a glitch in the software. STAY AWAY FROM THIS EDITION

[gener7]

jkegarch wrote:

Is it possible for me to douwngrade to version XI from DC even if I never had XI in the first place? I came from version 8 Pro and when Iswitched computers could no longer transfer that license. I'm stuck with DC and hate it. Is version X or XI available?

You can uninstall DC and install XI, but of course you need the license and since Adobe no longer sells it, you have to find a reputable re-seller.

I don't have experience with alternative PDF software, but you can google that. The problem is review sites that promote software. You want to avoid those.

So look for common computing magazines:

5 cheaper alternatives to Acrobat for PDF editing | PCWorld

If you are a lawyer or other professional, look at some profession oriented blogs:

https://lawyerist.com/72448/alternatives-acrobat/

[anotherdog]

I too have just installed this nightmare. Adobe really messed up with this bloated pile of crap. This is the "My Little Pony" version. I can only rollback to a useable version and hope the team that put this together gets sent down to kindergarten. I wasted a whole day and lost all of my settings on this little adventure.
What is with the light background?
Why cant I open pdf file to the preset magnification, just full screen? Do my customers get this if they download the reader?
Did I mention the horribly bright background?

Yes the large bright buttons are great for three year olds', but I earn my living with this software. NO!
Every time I look at a new feature I gasp. Well now I have stopped looking. I am rolling back to XI, and spending the time wasted by filling in this form.
This is the first time I have bothered to complain about Adobe software in some 25 years of use.
Okay, install complete, now I go back to work.
How about your Acrobat team go back to work too?

[madprof_1138]

Couldn't agree more. This update was clearly not made with graphics professionals in mind. All important functions eg. for checking print files etc are hard to find and clunky to use at best. Also got horrible display issues with larger files.
Going back to version XI now. Adobe, please don't start neglecting your professional customers to make your software "more accessible"!

[Bill12]

I will only address the pages issue. If you want to order the pages and not use the Pages tool, the open the LH Pane and select the pages display there (as in the past) and order the pages using that display the same was as in the past. Also not that in the Pages tool you complained about, there is a zoom button on the lower right to adjust the page sizes.

You will likely find a lot of the other features are still there, but organized differently. It takes some time to adjust to DC and that might be you biggest issue. As will all changes there will be pros and cons. There are things in DC I do not like either, but I deal with it.

[kentthompson]

Long time user of acrobat pro. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE AND REVIEWS!!!!

Low contrast white background is impossible. The interface--being praised as finally what Acrobat should have already done--is far more complicated than its predecessor--and graphical in a very childish way. I think Acrobat wanted to make a Acrobat Essentials, Acrobat Liteweight, but for whom?  Have professional users and designers abandoned Acrobat?

Unbelievably hard to FOLLOW ADOBE'S INSTRUCTIONS and reinstall an earlier version.

What a waste of time and energy at work projects.  Bought a different product after multiple headaches.

Learning curve?  Well, it's a learning liability for moderate level users to expert users.  If you guys think this is very intuitive interface--ala Apple or whatever.  Guess what it's not.

WHEN WILL AT LEAST THE low contrast, milky, vaguely cloudy white interface at least have an OPTION to CHANGE IT TO MORE CONTRAST.  Probably in a year or two.

[anotherdog]

So what use is this forum?
I have seen hundreds of professional graphic designers complain about this DC mess and Adobe say nothing. Do they even read this community? Do they bother? Clearly they don't need to. They have the subscription money, they are now the default for designers. As long as they churn out something each year they can claim they are keeping the software "current". As far as I can see all we got for the 2015 update was a new way for Adobe to make money off designers by selling them overpriced Adobe Stock images directly through the software. I have had to uninstall both DC and illustrator 2015 because both are piles of crap.
Adobe seems to have no interest in customer service other than extracting money.

[Bill12]

This forum is for users to help users, not to give feedback to Adobe. Most of us are just users and if you have an issue you need to submit either a bug report or a new feature request. DC indeed takes time to get used to. Many do not like the interface, but Adobe is going their way. As far as features, most are still there but in many cases are in different places and with different names. An example would be OCR that is difficult to find. Adobe added a tool search that is a big help in such things. If you enter OCR in the help it comes up with places the tool is located with the new name Text Recognition. The latter might be to help the non-pros who don't know what OCR is, but it words. Complain if you like, and you may get plenty of company here. However, don't expect Adobe to be listening here, and even if they were they probably will not change much, sorry.

[azuleta1960]

Sorry, I do not understand. This is a Adobe Forum, NOT a users of Adobe Forum. We could have a Forum at another place. The only reason to be here is the connection to Adobe. If the company (Adobe) doesn't want to have feedback then they should just say it.

It is obvious that I do not agree with you.

[Red Point]

@Bill@VT     That's correct, why care what customers are saying, right? But that's exactly what all users here are complaining about, lack of ear and lack of implementations of what power users want! Adobe is not listening to its user base anymore. I have posted serious issues with illustrator a year ago and the issue - albeit acknowledged - has still not been resolved. For another issue I received a support solution 2 years later. Why roll out new software, if the most basic once are not on par with peoples workflow?

And honestly, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what DC is: It's simply a flawed concept, created in a "Lets make all apps look like phone apps and make them simple and look like Kindergarten apps" mood. Seriously? If you want to expand into the Kindergarten market, do so with light versions or whatever. But don't abandon your power base, those clients that are readily paying 600 Euros a year to apply this software to real tasks and do more with Acrobat than just signing documents!!!

I have heard this argument so often: Don't post here, post a feature request or bug report through the appropriate forms! Its not like Adobe employees' have to go to the post office to pick up our letters. This forum is just a click away so please give us a break. Besides, I have posted feature requests on many occasions and have never received a response nor have any of my feature request been considered. (I did get support on two occasions from Dave which was great). I am referring strictly to feature request issues. I don't have the feeling we are heard, as many who have posted here feel the same way.

So why bother? Acrobat DC is still the terrible teletubies version that it used to be when it came out. If at least Adobe would further develop a XI Professional version along side its Kindergarten app, I and many others here would be happy. Its shocking to hear that XI Professional will be phased out. I really hope this is not the case. It would definitely be a game changer and make me seriously consider migrating my whole design needs to another platform. I have been using XI, then DC now back again to XI. The switch back honestly felt like such a relieve, I would even go as far as calling it a positive emotional experience after all that workflow hick-ups in DC. And when I say hick-ups I mean hours of trying to get it to do what I want.

But I really don't see why I should be using XI Professional "Old" Version when I am paying quite a lot of money annually. Yes, I am happy with innovation at Adobe. Yes I believe it is still a good software company. Yes I love Muse, Indesign, Photoshop, Lightroom. I understand and acknowledge that an ever growing software company can become over-structured to the point of apathy. All understood. But at the end of the day, this all doesn't change the fact that Acrobat DC is still a terrible piece of software. And as anyone following this post will see, many agree! If managers at Adobe want to keep ignoring our opinions no matter where they are posted, let them!

Adobe should be very thankful to users that care enough about their products to take some of their valuable time to post opinions! They should value postings like gold and use it to make strategic decisions. This is at the core of any functioning relationship. As far as I can see, all these postings are from the heart, so I would not make the mistake of belittling them. Adobe needs to resist its temptation of become more and more like a semi-government agency. Their quasi monopoly might become an issue and Snowden's revelations of close collaboration with government agencies that spy on their own citizens, that also hasn't helped Adobe regain the trust of its base. So yes, Adobe can demand some formal way to post in order not to get ignored, or better to then get formally ignored if you post the right way; Yes, that might work in the civil domain, but surely not in the economy. We users fund Adobe, lets not forget that! The government isn't paying them. We are. I have seen bigger companies fail in my lifetime, because their managers have lost touch with their base.

Let me conclude by saying, that we all have better things to do and would be very happy to get on with our lives without having to spent time to post only to be ignored. Maybe I will stop caring, maybe others will too. It won't come back to haunt me or others, because we will just switch to another software. Pasta!

[andrewb34932687]

I agree, DO NOT INSTALL ACROBAT DC, it is full of bugs and as others have stated the UI is not designed for a professional workflow. Looks like something from Fisher Price.

have gone back to XI.

Why do software developers always have to mess with the UI's. Their time would be better spent writing reliable robust code and doing proper debugging instead of adding useless, irritating bling.

[Bill12]

Sounds like Microsoft too!

[anotherdog]

The original issue was noted way back at the beginning of April. Now into July without even an update. Pathetic customer service. Just ignore the problem, make no statements, issue no fixes. Keep taking the money.