Fillable PDF form fields disappearing after saving

[AdrianCIT]

Hi, i am new to PDF's.

I am creating fillable PDF written assessments with Acrobat DC Pro for my students so they can be downloaded them from our online learning platform. They save the file to their own device, open it in DC viewer and fill in the feilds. They then save the completed file and upload it back into the learning platform.

Some times the students only half complete the document and need to save the file and come back to it at a later date and continue filling in the form.

The problem is, when the student saves the file the information thay have entered is there. But the fillable fields are no longer available. They can not continue filling the rest in.

Does anyone know what i am doing wrong?

Thanks Adrian

[AkanchhaS]

Hey Adrian, 

Thanks for the detailed description. From the description given above, in sort what I understood it, after filling and saving the half of the form, its getting locked and restricted to make further changes or filling. 

There are couple of possibilities, why its happening-

1- f you have a signature field assigned to each student, while filling the form, they might have added their signature on it and then saved it. 

Signing is a final process, once done, your document is restricted to make further changes and becomes uneditable. 

Ask them to do not apply signature on it, unless you are not done with all the fields.

2- Form is being used to fill in using a 3rd part app. Ask them to use either freeware Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat DC (paid) desktop application. 

If nothing works, then help us with a sample form. We'd try to fill it at our end. 

Thanks,

Akanchha 

[jennyr79727133]

Thanks so much for the solution (i.e., don't put your signature on an Adobe form if you want to fill fields after you save it)! I searched the whole web, and only you had the answer. Thanks tons! 🙂

[AkanchhaS]

Glad to know it has worked for you.

~Akanchha 

[Mehfoos30938711u6xo]

I'm finding it hard to believe that it's a security feature. I'm working on a document that requires the signature of 3 parties, so it getting locked after one person signs, and forcing the others to edit the pdf instead of filling in the form renders it more prone to security flaws.

[Bernd Alheit]

You can use a form with 3 signature fields.

[raymonds61077362]

This is a terrible design and a really poor product. Why is Acrobat so bad?

[AdrianCIT]

Hi Akanchha

Thanks for your reply. It was very frustrating as it was quite random weather it would happen or not.

You were correct, some students were using a saved digital signature, others were using the draw function in the comments section. The ones using the digital signature were being locked out of the entire document after saving.

Thanks for your help, ill make sure signing is the last step after marking.

Just by chance is there a way of turning off that function so the form stays editable after signing?

Regards

Adrian Gibbons
[Personal information removed by moderator]

[AkanchhaS]

Sure! You may get this checked. 

There wouldn't be any option to turn off this function. After Signing, form can not be edited, its a security feature. 

Thanks,

Akanchha

[AkanchhaS]

Sure! You may get this checked. 

There wouldn't be any option to turn off this function. After Signing, form can not be edited, its a security feature. 

Thanks,

Akanchha

[suecelia]

I am having the same issue but my form is 51 pages long and requires signatures on almost all of the pages. Is there really no way around this?

Thanks.
Suecelia

[defaultyyzk38j4klnt]

If your go to prepare form you can delete the form fields and add them back after it is signed to change the information. More of a nusaince than a security feature. 

[Eduardo25429985ojt2]

I have multiple people trying to sign my document. That is bothersome.