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

[talented_Fountain6117]

Nobody addressed the first scenario above:  "1. A user has Acrobat Pro installed, but is missing the combine files item entirely."

That is basically my situation. I have Acrobat XI Standard on a Windows 10 computer.  FUp until a few days ago, I had the "Combine files in Acrobat" option in my right-click context menu.  Yesterday, it disappeared:

How can I get it to again show in my context menu when I right-click selected files?

[talented_Fountain6117]

Wow.  So, it turns out that the solution is quite easy.  Just go to the Help menu and select "Repair Acrobat Installation":

After Acrobat repairs the installation, it restarts your computer.

And now, the context menu once again displays "Combine Files in Acrobat...":

[casey_7788]

Hi, Im using win 11. I had same issue with combile files option disappered from file explorer, i did a repair adobe which fixed it.

But after 2 days now again i'm facing same issue with adobe. I couldnot see combile files. But this time repair, modify adobe didnot help. 

Can you suggest why is this happening and a permanat way to fix this

Thanks

[Elena28190123mrs2]

Having the same issue, is there an update?

[KinoTongan]

After updating Acrobat DC, we are now missing "combine files" also. Is there a fix yet? 

Adobe, anything you can help us with this? Reinstalling the program doesn't help anymore. 

[beth_2480]

This seems to now be the case with the new update that was just pushed on Sunday, is there a fix as of yet or is this the new design? 

[KinoTongan]

I agree. After updating our acrobat DC, we don't have the combine files on right click menu anymore. 

Adobe, any help on this please? thanks

[S. S]

Hi @KinoTongan,

Thanks for reporting this, and sorry for the delayed response.

I would like to understand the workflow you are trying to use.

When you select files to combine, are some of the files located in a cloud drive, or are all the files on your local storage?

This could be a major reason why the option does not show up.

Also, please ensure that Acrobat is updated to the latest version (25.1.20630) for the best experience.

To do so, go to Menu > Help > Check for Udpates.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Souvik.

[trevor_1381]

We are experiencing this with a few of our users as well. Attempted a repair install and a complete uninstall then reinstall. The combine pdf tool is completely missing still. 

There seems to be another update since your last comment S.S (25.001.20643)

[serkan_3029]

I am having the same issue, last sunday I think it updated to last update and the menu "combine in .pdf" dissapeared as like other users.

You mentioned to update to "25.001.20630" but my version is already that version and the problem is that update already. So we need a new update to fix the issue or need to find a solution. Becuase last week it was alive working right click menu to combine files.

[trevor_1381]

I was able to resolve this yesterday. I completely uninstalled Acrobat. I then installed creative cloud > installed Acrobat through that and all the tools were there.

[kuroneko3]

I'm also noticing that some of the context menu items are missing after this update. I'm on Windows 10 fwiw. I often use the "Convert to PDF" for photo files and "Combine Files in Acrobat" in the context menus so this is really hard to manage at this point. I store all of my files locally, no cloud junk. 

Any help or insight would be greatly apreciated. Ideally there needs to be a menu option to add/remove context menu items as needed. Otherwise it's just another crime against the end user... 

[SONER24210793ddki]

I have the same problem. This menu disappeared with the current update. When I right-click on the folder, the option to combine these files with Acrobat does not appear. If I go into the folder, select the PDFs, and right-click, this option appears. This is meaningless.

[stacy_0414]

I am having the same issue after the update!  Frustrating

[PravalJain]

Apologies for the inconvience. This issue is fixed in the latest update. Release notes - https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/ReleaseNotesDC/continuous/dccontinuoussep2025sec.....

Please do a "Help -> Check for updates" to update to the latest version and let us know if you still see issues.