Changing Default Commenter Name no longer working?

[M-S-Miller]

Running Adobe Acrobat Pro Version 2024.001.20604 on a Mac.

Previously, we could change the commenter name and make the new commenter name a default by editing the comment "Properties > General" and then checking "Make Properties Default", as detailed here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/acrobat-cc-comment-name-change/td-p/9307260

With the most recent update, "Make Properties Default" has no effect. It continually defaults back to each individual's Adobe User Name with every new comment. We can change each of them by hand, but cannot change the default behavior.

We can enable Edit>Preferences to "Always use Log-in name for author name", but that will *only* use the log-in name of the computer, which isn't helpful.

Any suggestions?

I've logged a UserVoice issue here, if you want to vote for it: https://acrobat.uservoice.com/forums/590923-acrobat-for-windows-and-mac/suggestions/48144833-default...

[Abambo]

It still works on my Windows 10 PC and Acrobat Continuous Release I Version 2024.001.20604.

[Scott35114778llm9]

I'm having the same issue. This has worked for years, but suddenly it won't work anymore. Tried repairing (no change) and no updates available.

[Cynthia362051311q59]

Our team is experiencing the same issue in Windows 10 and Windows 11, Adobe Acrobat Pro Conitnuous Release 2024.001.20615, both new and old Acrobat views

We spent hours changing settings and changing our name whereever we could find, but could not solve the problem. Hope someone finds a fix. This bug is slowing down our workflow significantly.

[JR Boulay]

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

[M-S-Miller]

Thanks for the suggestion, but we haven't started using the "New Acrobat" for a variety of reasons.

Cynthia also mentioned that she tried "both new and old Acrobat views" in her response.

This issue seems unrelated to the classic/new Acrobat user interface.

[GeoffinSeattle]

Same problem here with the latest version (Acrobat Pro for Mac 2024.002.20759). Embarassingly there are no updates about this in Adobe's help pages, just screenshots from old versions.

[Scott35114778llm9]

I found a solution. I simply stay logged out of Adobe. Then it works as I need it to. Graceful solution, it is not, but it works. 

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well.

I tried to reproduce the issue at my end and the application is working fine. Please try the steps as below and check

Place a comment on a document, then right-click on that comment and select "Properties". Now go to the "General" tab and change the name. Check the "Make Properties Default" checkbox at the bottom of the dialog and click on "Ok". From now on, the name associated with this type of comment should be updated. You will have to do that for all comment types you are using. 

Also make sure you have the recent version 24.02.20759 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

~Amal

[TNTGuys]

As multiple people up above have stated, THIS IS NOT - REPEAT - NOT WORKING!!!!!

Not sure if anyone else is seeing this, or what it might even mean; but when I bring up the Properties dialog, change to the "General" tab, change the author and come out of that field (whether by hitting tab or clicking the "Make Properties Default") the screen blinks and Acrobat looses the focus. It's almost like Acrobat started another process when the name was changed, but then, maybe, that process failed and that's the delay?

This only happens when you change the author, if you click in the field and come out of it again this deactivation doesn't happen.

As Cynthia362051311q59 stated above this is adding time to everything we do with Acrobat because we want to know who made the comments but we don't want our user names in the files when we send them to clients, so we're having to fix comments as we go.

Also stated above multiple times, this used to work fine. I just checked and there are no updates, version is showing as "Continuous Release | Version 2024.002.20759 | 64 bit." We also have another computer with the same issue that has the save version only 32 bit.

[Gena28966996v27j]

Did this multiple times. On version 2024.002.20857. OS is Mac OS Sonoma Version 14.5. This is still not working. Currently considering moving out of Acrobat and using another tool because changing each individual comment is not sustainable.

[Amal.]

Hi there

Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check. If the file is stored on a shared network/drive please download it to your computer locally and then try again.

You may also try to create a new test user profile with full admin rights  or enable the root account in MAC and try using the application there and check.

If it still doesn't work, please remove the application using the Acrobat cleaner tool https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/cleaner.html, reboot the computer and reinstall the application using the direct link https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/acrobat-dc-downloads.html  and check.

~Amal

[Passionate_glamour1086]

I had the problem with multiple unrelated local files on a fresh installation of Acrobat Reader (2024.004.20272) on a fresh Windows 11 installation. The only way I have found to fix it is to stay logged out of my Adobe account. If I log into my Adobe account (via Google, if that's relevant), then any new comments take the name from my Adobe Account, the "Author" field in the properties is reset to the name from my Adobe account, and the "Make Properties Default" option has no effect on future comments. If I log back out, everything works again.

[TNTGuys]

OK, so this is really terrible (and long) but not as terrible as Adobe's suggestion of reinstalling Acrobat, then if that doesn't work, reinstalling Windows. WHAT?!?!?!  😕

Full disclaimer: Messing with the registry and can cause issues if not done correctly, there is no life guard on duty, swim at your own risk. ;o)

Know that I used this method because I didn't want to have to figure a way to restore all the preferences for each user / computer. You could go through all the screens of the preferences taking screen shots of each tab and saving them, then clear the preferences, go back in and re-set the all. Yikes!

This worked on 3 computers but not on a 4th.  Never figured out why. This is only Windows, sorry Mac users.

1. Manually clear the preferences per this page. In all instances (those that worked and those that didn't) I cleared both the preferences in the registry and in the %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC folder.

****Be sure to export the DC registry key as it'll be handy to use it later to restore the many preferernces.****

2. Open Acrobat. It'll open with that terrible "New Acrobat," I left that on for now. On some of the computers it took FOREVER to accomplish anything once Acrobat was opened. Hang in there, it's probably rebuilding preferences, or something.

3. You can use the "Welcome.pdf" that shows in the Recent list to open and add a comment, set the name turning on the default and quit Acrobat. Re-open Acrobat and add another comment to make sure it worked. If it didn't work, I got nothin' and you'll have to uninstall and reinstall it.

4. Now re-import your exported DC registry branch, this will overwrite any existing re-created keys.

5. For some reason I had to do this twice, possibly Acrobat was "syncing" (or something) the various places it stores the preferences. Open Acrobat and add a comment, you'll see it's back to the way it was before you started. Set the name and set it as the default. Then close Acrobat, open it and do it all again.

On the computer that the above convoluted solution DID NOT work I deleted the tauthor registry key from this branch: 

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat\DC\Annots\cAnnots\cAnnot

Once I did that Acrobat went back to using the name that it was using before whatever update broke this. UNFORTUNATLY it still doesn't work correctly, the default still can't be changed. But for me, it atleast was what I need the name to be.

On at least one of the machines setting the value of that registry key set the default name on the comments, but not all the time.

Another method you might try:

1. Rename the preferences folder (or copy it someplace else) and export your registry key.

2. Uninstall and reinstall Acrobat, then put back the preferences folder and reimport the registry key.

I hope this painfully long post helps someone.

[stealthmouse]

You know what I love? When Adobe assumes it's the user's fault by default and never takes the time to read the actual post and other comments, instead basically regurgitating what is already available on the help page. Why would we be here if the official instructions worked. Thanks for this, although I hope not to use it. If the log out of Adobe idea doesn't work, I am going to simply check the box to let it use my name again. At least then it will only use my first name. Oh, and I also replied to let you know that no, they haven't fixed this problem.