Combine Files Context Menu item missing from File Explorer in Windows 11. How to restore it?

[DaveAtMacEwan]

Every post I've found for this issue is nearly 10 years old and references older versions of Acrobat so I have to ask again.

I have two scenarios.

1. A user has Acrobat Pro installed, but is missing the combine files item entirely.
2. I have Acrobat Pro installed but can only get the Combine Files option if I select only files that are local to my computer, any file that shows the Cloud Only Status for OneDrive will prevent the menu item from showing up.

We have tried
- uninstalling and reinstalling and repairing
- Editing registry keys
- Re-registering .dll files
- I've even asked chat GPT and CoPilot fir help and they've been utterly useless.

This feature works perfectly fine for both scenarios above on my user's old WIndows 10 laptop so what do I have to do to make this work properly on her new Windows 11 laptop?

Thank you.

[S. S]

Hi @DaveAtMacEwan,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for the trouble.

I checked on this with the dev team, and this is what they had to say: "Cloud-only entities are "virtual things" in the file system. So, our extension doesn't really see them and thus can't work with them."

Also, about the Windows 10 scenario, would you mind sharing a screen recording where you have selected ONLY cloud files (with no local files in the selection), and you get the option? This will help me take this up further with the devs.

Hope this clarifies your question.

-Souvik

[Eric Dumas]

For cloud files, can you try to:

• select the files 
• Right-click on one of the selected file
• Select 'Always keep on this device'
• Once the synchronisation is complete (all the selected files show a green check mark instead of a cloud)
• Try to combine them again.

[S. S]

Thanks @Eric Dumas for chiming in!

This is a workable solution. 

@DaveAtMacEwan, you might want to try the step shared by Dumas and check if it works for you.

-Souvik