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!

[try67]

It's actually a setting of each individual file, not a system setting. You can change it under File - Properties - Initial View.

If you have Acrobat Pro then you can run an Action that will change it for multiple files all at once.

[Guest]

Thank you, but that's not the solution I'm looking for. As I stated in my question, the problem is that most of the files I work with are not saved. For example, I usually get the file in an email, open it, read it, then close it, and never look at it again. So, most if not all of the PDF files I work with are never saved, and it doesn't do me any good to change that setting for each individual file. It just wouldn't make any sense. I'm guessing that this must be a default setting that Adobe has built into the program without thinking to give users the option to change it.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

As try67 explained, this is a setting that comes with the PDF file, so it's not a default setting in Acrobat, it's something that the document author selected when they created the PDF file. Usually, a document that has bookmarks opens the bookmarks panel - otherwise many users would probably not be able to detect that there are bookmarks in the document. There is nothing you can do in Acrobat to override this document setting. A custom Acrobat plug-in would probably be able to override such document settings.

[Pstreicher]

Finally, I find the answer I have been looking for. I use Acrobat Pro DC and have been looking everywhere to try and find a default setting for this. I will look for a plug-in next. It is so annoying to have to close this pane for every file that I open. You would think there would be a preference setting for this.

[KSorfleet]

Go to the document properties and change the default setting in the 'initial view' tab.  You will have to do this for each file though.

[Pstreicher]

That was stated earlier. Any chance of a plug-in for the browser to fix this for each and every file?

[KSorfleet]

If you go to your preferences under 'Page Display' you can set your default zoom and page layout, however it only works on new docs and docs that have not had custom settings enabled.  I hope this helps.

[Pstreicher]

I did find those settings but I didn't know it only applied to new docs and those that have not had custom settings enabled. I will give it a go and see how it performs. Thanks again for all your help!

[LeeWay]

I too suffer from this annoying 'default'. While I appreciate that author trying to notify me (and Adobe allowing me to be notified) it is a waste of time for 99% of my docs. Thank you for asking this question and at least giving me some insight.

[susanh31653121]

I struggle with this too. Very frustrating.

[galinm97802843]

Why would Adobe default to annoying popups?  The bookmarks aren't added by the creator - they're on by default.  I've never had any use for a bookmark.  I'm in and out of hundreds of new pdfs every day and this is a serious annoyance.  We have an option to show reference XObjects targets which NOBODY uses yet we have no option to make the program not annoying for every user???

[MWMc61]

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[jo_9636]

I think this is the best solution. I will also go for an alternative, as ADOBE is refusing to solve the topic. They even on purpose added the feature as it was NOT there in the past. Thanks for the tip, I wasn't thinking yet in this direction. 

[Curtis246310747wfb]

People aren't upset by documents having bookmarks. The "default setting in Acrobat" that people here are upset about is the way it is programmed to open a 'Bookmarks panel' - which takes up 10% of the screen real estate and decreases the viewed zoom level - for every document that has them.... and, by the way, ALSO for tons of documents that don't have them. I open thousands of PDFs in a year where the bookmark pane flings open to show absolutely nothing. Just a blank list with nothing in it.

Maybe that is because the program that created it added 'bookmarks' with zero content. Maybe. But I've seen reports produced from Microsoft Word, and drawings produced by AutoCAD, all opening with a blank bookmarks bar. So I doubt it is entirely the fault of the program being used to create the PDFs itself. But sure, let's say it is the fault of the program used to create the PDF.

STILL, there are better ways to notify user that there are bookmarks in the document.

There are lots of multi-page PDFs being opened without the Page Thumbnails panel flinging open for no reason. Why are bookmarks so important?

Regardless of how important they are, Adobe could easily implement an option for the user to just have the bookmarks panel not fling open for every document, or show a small glowing button in the toolbar when opening a document that actually has them, if they are so important.

I can't pretend this isn't Adobe's problem to fix. It is very annoying for many users who don't have the permissions to install an alternative program or plugin, and an option feature should be patched in to fix this.

[Curtis246310747wfb]

(My reply just above this one was intended as a response to Karl Heinz Kremer's comment. I clicked the reply button under their comment, but somehow it appeared as a response to  "Guest" instead. Not sure why it did that, and I can't seem to edit my response to clarify.)

[Pstreicher]

Adobe should code in an option for the bookmarks pane problem whereby when you open a pdf file there would be a button you could click to open the bookmark pane. Not just automatically open it and take up the screen space all the time.

Maybe make it with a color preference by default or by the creator's choosing. It could be a flashing button, whatever.

Here is another problem I have now that I am thinking of all of this. Whenever I open a pdf file I always have to click up at the top and enable the smooth scroll feature, instead of each page jumping to the next as I scroll down. This too is annoying as heck. Why not a button for that that is on the menu bar too? Maybe I ask for too much. 😉

[KSorfleet]

If you customize your quick tools set-up you can put that button wherever you would like... 

[Pstreicher]

That sounds like a great solution. I am going to look for that option now. Never heard of it or seen it before.

[Pstreicher]

Ahh, I found a setting in perference finally that fixes the page at a time thing.

Now all the pdf's will scroll continuous. Found it just now in 'accessability' settings.

So, cool. As for a custom button, there is no way to set up a button to click on or off of this setting.

Now that would be a cool tool. Thanks for your help in pushing me to look a little closer than I did before to find this.

[Adderly22671554s0re]

I was also looking for a solution about this, and finally I got it.

Go to: Preferences/Documents and mark the option Restore last view setting when reopening documents

Then you have to close the bookmarks windows and you are done. This is going to be the last time you do this.

Try to open another pdf and you wont see that annoying panel again.

[Victor23173202tyn5]

That didn't work.  So Annoying. I guess there is no solution for this.  cyanfalcon@yahoo.com

[maxd56210596]

I am not sure if "single key accelerators" need to be on for this to work... but hitting "F4" opens and closes the left pane which contains the bookmarks.  It would be a single key to hit every time you opened a doc that had the bookmarks pane open on start.

[MWMc61]

We need a setting in Acrobat that enables each new PDF to open without the bookmarks pane.  It is annoying and I do not know anyone who wishes to use the bookmarks.  If a user wants to use the bookmarks, Acrobat should make that an easy setting to "turn on."  Can someone let me know if the plug-in has been found and works?  Thank you.

[Curtis246310747wfb]

I can respect that there may be reasons for many, even most, other users to appreciate the Bookmarks functionality, and not want to miss created Bookmarks within the document when they open someone else's PDF, for example. So fine, leave it on by default per "factory" settings. I get that.

But for those many of us that NEVER use it, create an option to set the default to "OFF" (for all new PDFs we open). Closing the bookmarks tab every time I open a PDF to review it for a few seconds before reviewing another one has annoyed me so much to this point that I just want to remove it from my installation entirely. Alas, I am no programmer.

There are enough of us that want this.

ADD THE FEATURE PLEASE.