Adobe Pro 2020 Merge comments won't stop

[amberly_9565]

I sent one version of a PDF out for comments to one person. now, every version of that PDF I open, (including ones before the version I sent for comments and ones that have been renamed) asks me if I would like to merge comments. How do I get this to turn off? I am unable to "sign in" to the Adobe Pro 2020 on my desktop, and if I sign into the web version it says I've never sent any documents for comment. Is there anything I can do to unlink this PDF from the one version that I sent for comments? Commenting is done. I just need a "clean" version to work from without the Merge comments constantly popping up. (the PDF in question is security locked and I do not have the password, if that makes any difference. Even versions where I used a cracking program to "unlock" the paper to be editable are trying to merge. It's driving me nuts). 

Thanks!

(P.S. no, upgrading to the newest subscription only version of Adobe Pro is not an option. This is a work computer and they will not authorize the expenditure, and i won't buy it personally). 

[S. S · Accepted solution]

Hi @amberly_9565,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for your experience with working on shared for review documents.

In Acrobat Pro 2020, if you're constantly being prompted to "Merge Comments" even after renaming or editing the file, it's likely due to hidden review metadata stored inside the PDF.

1. Create a Flattened Copy:

• Open the PDF.

• Go to File > Print.

• Select Adobe PDF as the printer.

• Click Print to save a new copy.

This flattens the document, removing embedded shared review info — even in secured files if printable.

2. Check Document Metadata (optional):

• Go to File > Properties > Description > Additional Metadata.

• Under Advanced, look for anything under SharedReview or Review—you may need to use a preflight fix to fully remove it, which is limited in Acrobat 2020.

3. Save As Optimized PDF (if editable):

• Try File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF.

• Uncheck all options except Discard document information and metadata.

• Save it as a new file.

Reference: Remove hidden data and metadata

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Souvik.