How do I turn OFF the setting that automatically displays bookmarks when I open a file?

[Guest]

Every time I open a PDF file, the bookmarks panel is automatically displayed, and I have to take the extra step of closing it, because I do not use bookmarks. I see that there is an option to change how a particular PDF file opens, but most of the PDFs I work with are not saved, so I want to change the settings for Adobe so that it does NOT open every PDF with the bookmarks panel displayed. Please help!

[Gonzalo27145744qh8c]

This worked for me. Bookmarks panel is gone now! The comments panel is the one I'm struggling with now.

[Jennifer28337676zwkd]

This doesn't work for me either. It wasn't there before for me, so it must have been some udpate. I am missing the upper toolbar also. Looking around I see "Disable new Acrobat". Anyone know what that does? 😕 

[Curtis246310747wfb]

Thanks for asking the question. I'm looking for the same thing. I work in an office where we deal with hundreds of engineering drawings per week. We review them, create them, send them, receive them... always new documents, never the same. We don't want to turn off the Bookmarks pane for every single drawing we open. We want it turned off ALWAYS.

[David25246255ikyn]

A simple solution would be to make bookmarks always visible when opening but provide an off button in preferences. This would be like comments and other persistent menus that open by default. If we are smart enough to find the off button, surely, we are smart enough to expand bookmarks if we want to see them. I would take this a bit further. Give us a catchall button to open DC with no menus expanded. 

[lascarco]

I found a bypass, as I found the bookmark tab as annoying as you did.  From any windows folder, right click on the document, select "Open With", then select "Google Chrome" or "Microsoft Edge" or other app listed.  What do you know!  No bookmark tab, which is evidence that the browser can manage if the bookmark pane is displayed or not.  
To make "Google Chrome" or "Microsoft Edge" the default when opening PDF documents, just google "make microsoft edge default pdf viewer" and follow the instructions.

[MWMc61]

This works:white_exclamation_mark:  THANK YOU

[deemin]

That's a good idea! 

Another way is to stop using Acrobat.  For example, PDF Pro as the default program for PDFs.

[MWMc61]

I like that idea even better.  We don't have to use Acrobat.  thank you

[Alex24645988l0pv]

Open the file and go to File - Properties - Initial View. Under "Navigation Tab" select "Page Only". Press OK and then save the file.

GOOD LUCK!

[j28588415xrum]

If you are using Adobe Acrobat Reader then the solution that works is to make a registry change (click on Start in Windows then type regedit):

Navigate to:

[Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Acrobat.Document.DC\shell\Open\command]

To be safe, right click on the "command" folder and select "Export" to back up it before editing it.  

Now amend the Data value to:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat\Acrobat.exe" /A "navpanes=0" "%1"

I found this from another site and it prevents Bookmarks from appearing after opening pdf. 

[Clement28905866t2hy]

You don't know how you saved my life, thank you so much

[Curtis246310747wfb]

I just tried this with a full version of Adobe Acrobat 2020, and it looks like the same thing should work! My personal problem with this method is that an error comes up when I try that says "Cannot edit: Error writing the value's new contents.". I am reasonably certain it is due to my network administrator's restrictions in place... I don't even have permission to delete application shortcuts from my desktop -_-

In any case, thank you for posting! I think this will help a great many people (with administrative privelages) who have the same problem.

[Magrela77]

This works really well! Thank you so much for offering this Registry fix.
And, if only occasionally you want to see any bookmarks on whichever documents have them, just go to View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Bookmarks.

[Magrela77]

One more note on this, which I found out later: to make the process of reinstating the viewing of the bookmarks on a specific document, you can either use the "View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Bookmarks" or, even simpler, RIGHT click anywhere on the open document, and the last line of the drop-down menu will give you "Show Navigation Pane Buttons".
Et, voilá!, as the French would say! 

[GTTG]

This is the right answer. For Adobe Acrobat Pro the registry key is HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\Acrobat.exe\shell\Open\command. Change the value of the

(Default) item to "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat\Acrobat.exe" /A "navpanes=0" "%1"

You may have to reboot for the changes to take effect.

[Curtis246310747wfb]

Thank you for clarifying this for the Pro version GTTG! It looks like with my first attempt I tried the wrong registry location. Alas, I tried it again in the location you clarified, and got the same error, pretty much confirming it is my administrative privelages being blocked. But again, I expect your (and j28588415xrum's)

relatively easy solution works for all users with administrative privelages, and solves the issue we are all experiencing. You guys are a great help.

Can someone mark those posts as the "Correct Answer" so people can find them easier? I think it has to be the OP or a mod.

[Neil Ross]

Hi GTTG

If the switches  /A "navpanes=0" "%1"  means no bookmarks, what switches would i use to always open with bookmarks showing, please?

Neil

[MWMc61]

This does not work with Adobe Acrobat Pro version 2023.001.20093 ~ but thank you for the registry edit solution for Reader.

[Lemuel3153697610bb]

This works! Thank you!

[Vaidas33737457ixpn]

Confirming that this works with Adobe Acrobat Pro 2023

[Gwenael37041902trfl]

You're the boss. 1h looking and reading until here. Chat GPT doesn't read your post, it's too recent XD

[Drewstre]

This works on Acrobat Pro 2023 on my Mac, not sure about Windows... With a PDF open, right-click the little bookmark icon. Look for "Unpin Bookmarks". See if that does the trick.

I personally find it helpful to "Pin" the Page Thumbnails view, as I like to see that more often than not.

[jwakerly]

I found a simple solution that works for me in Windows, and there is probably an equivalent solution in MacOS.  Simply set the default app for opening pdf documents to Google Chrome. You get a nice full window or tab with the few basic tools you need for quick viewing those 99% of documents.

A corollary to this solution is do not renew your Acrobat subscription, if any.

[David247836165iho]

That decision occurs when the PDF is created. For instance if the File is printed in Solidworks it needs changed in the Options popup. Uncheck the Bookmark box.

[Curtis246310747wfb]

WOAH this did it for me!!

For AutoCAD users looking to solve this problem:

- PRINT command (opens print dialogue)

- in the window, under "Printer/plotter", with a PDF plotter selected (the one I was using is "AutoCAD PDF (General Documentation).pc3", click on the button that says "PDF Options..."

- Under "Data" section, uncheck the box that says "Create bookmarks"

- Click OK, and save the changes to the pc3 file

Thank you @David247836165iho !