How to make the scrollbar thumb always appear

[no352959818vt6]

Apologies if this has been posted before, I tried looking for similar issues but couldn't find this exact issue*.

How do I make the scrollbar thumb (the bit you click on the drag the scrollbar around) always appear in Adobe Acrobat on Windows 11?

Right now the thumb only appears when you mouse over the scrollbar. This is a major usability issue, especially for long documents, as I have to guess where the thumb is and then make a corrective mouse movement when I inevitably get it wrong. In Acrobat on previous Windows versions and in every other app on Windows 11, a skinny scollbar thumb is always shown so that I can mouse directly to it and the thumb gets big when you mouse over it. In Adobe Acrobat on Windows 11, no thumb is shown by default and the skinny thumb only appears when you mouse over the scrollbar.

The following screen captures demonstrate the issue.

In the first screen capture, I am attempting to scroll a long document in Adobe Acrobat. Notice how the scrollbar thumb is not visible, and I have to make two mouse movements to grab it to scroll:

In the second, I am attempting to scroll a different application. Notice how the scrollbar thumb is always visible so I am able to mouse directly to it:

Like I say, this appears to be a Windows 11 specific issue as I only noticed it after upgrading from Windows 10. Other apps don't have the issue, so it appears to be Acrobat specific thing.

How do I make the scrollbar thumb always appear?

*I found a lot to do with the scrollbar not appearing at all, but that's not the issue I'm having, those issues appear to be Mac specific, and the suggested resolutions refer to options that don't exist on my Acrobat.

[S. S]

Hi @no352959818vt6,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for the issue with scrollbar thumb not appearing on Acrobat.

Here are a few steps for you to try:

• Go to Settings(System Settings)> Accessibility > Visual effects

• Turn "Always show scrollbars" to ON

Next, would you mind trying out the New UI for Acrobat? To do so, go to View > Enable New Acrobat.

This will help us understand if the issue is limited to the Classic UI or for Acrobat in general.

Also, please ensure that you are on the latest version of Acrobat (2025.001.2047x) for the best experience.

To do so, go to Help > Check for Updates.

Looking forward to hear about your findings.

Regards,
Souvik.

[no352959818vt6]

Thanks for the quick response. I can confirm that this issue affects both the Classic UI and New Acrobat. Setting "Always show scollbars" to On in system accessibility settings does not affect the behaviour. I am using the latest Adobe Acrobat (25.001.20474).

[steve_0347]

I am having this same issue since the Windows 11 upgrade.  Newest version of Adobe, both on Classic and New versions.  Please let me know if there is a solution to this.  I want to see the thumb when I am scrolling with my mouse wheel, not just when I am hovering over the scroll bar.

[S. S]

Hi @no352959818vt6 @steve_0347,

Thanks for reporting this. 

I have forwarded the issue to the engineering team. Please allow me some time to get this checked and circle back to you.

Your kind understanding and patience are highly appreciated.

Regards,
Souvik.

[steve_0347]

Thank you very much.

Related to this the scroll bar will not scroll when with the mouse wheel when it is hover over the bar.  In windows file explorer and all microsoft apps, the mouse wheel will scroll the bar while it is hovering as well as when it isn't.  In Acrobat, its the only app where the mouse wheel only scrolls the bar when it is NOT hovering over the bar.  The functionality is different.  I can't use the mouse wheel scroll and see the thumb bar at the same time.  I don't know if this is by design or not, I can't think of why the mouse wheel disables scrolling when it is hovering over the scroll bar.  Counter intuitive.  I would like if this could be fixed as well.  Thank you!

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I'm using Acrobat Pro and the scroll bar is always on (thumb-tab visible) in either interface. 

What exact version of Windows are you using and what exact version of Reader are you using?

For example: Windows 11, version 24H2, update KB5058411.

Acrobat (Pro in my case): 2025.001.20474

[steve_0347]

Windows 11 Pro

Version 24H2

OS Build 26100.4061

Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.84.0

This has been an issue since upgrading from Windows 10 to 11.

As you can see, no thumb bar, and if I have hover to see it, I cannot mouse wheel scroll while hovering.

Screenshot here doesn't show the mouse cursor because windows screenshot removes the cursor, but it is hovering to make the thumb appear.  On windows, the thumb is thin until I hover and it becomes thicker, on Adobe it is thin when I hover, disappears when I am not.

Windows File Explorer thumb when hovering:

Windows File Explorer Thumb when not hovering:

It's like adobe goes from thin to nothing rather than thick to thin.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Out of curosity, do you have the Windows Settings>Accessibility>Visual Effects>Always show scroll bars on?

[steve_0347]

Unfortunately, wether it is on or off makes no difference for this particular issue.  It is on currently and was on when I took those screenshots.  The scroll bar is always present, it is the thumb of the scroll bar that disappears in Adobe Acrobat.  I'd like to see the thumb when I am mouse wheel scrolling, not just when hovering over the scroll bar, during which I cannot wheel scroll.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Perhaps it is a Reader bug. I'm not seeing it on Pro.

Older versions used to have an "always show scroll bar" setting under the Page Display preferences. Perhaps Reader still has that setting? (It's gone in Pro.)

[steve_0347]

This is not a reader issue, I am using Pro.  I can edit documents, etc, have a paid license.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I was responding to the OP. Their screen shot showed Reader. 

[steve_0347]

Either way, it is happening in both Reader and Pro then.

[steve_0347]

Are you using the 64-bit version?  I noticed the OP and I both have 64 bit versions.  Even though he has Reader and mine Pro.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Are you using the 64-bit version?  I noticed the OP and I both have 64 bit versions.  Even though he has Reader and mine Pro.

By @steve_0347

Yes.

[no352959818vt6]

Good to have it confirmed that I'm not the only one experiencing this issue, thanks. My version/build ets numbers for Acrobat and Windows are all the same as steve_0347's, although as pointed out I am using Acrobat Reader rather than Acrobat Pro and my Windows edition is Windows 11 Enterprise rather than Windows 11 Pro.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

The problem is if the problem is only happening to a relative few people, it becomes very hard to track down. 

As I mentioned, and my video showed, I'm not having a problem. 

All things being equal, I would check my GPU drivers. Go the the GPU manufacturer's website and see if there is a newer version. Can't think of anything else. 

[no352959818vt6]

My GPU drivers are up-to-date. What are your full Windows specs? (Settings > System > About > Windows specifications; you gave Version but not Edition, OS Build, or Experience.) steve_0347 and I posted ours, if yours are different maybe that helps narrow things down. Also did you upgrade from Windows 10 or is your Windows 11 a clean install on a new machine? Like steve_0347, I started noticing this after upgrading from Windows 10.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If you are responding to me, I did give the general specs on May 28th:

Clean install of Windows 11 (Pro), version 24H2, update KB5058411. (Now at KB5058499)

Acrobat (Pro in my case): 2025.001.20474

Here is some more info:
Processor 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K 3.00 GHz
Installed RAM 96.0 GB (had 128 but had to remove defective chip; haven't replaced it yet)
NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4080 16GB; Studio driver 576.52

[steve_0347]

For my Windows 11 it was an upgrade from Windows 10, this is a work laptop and is updated by our tech team, I would be unable to do a clean install.  Perhaps the difference is that it only occurs on upgraded versions and not clean installs?

[no352959818vt6]

The upgrade vs. clean install does seem to be the main commonality among/difference between those experiencing the bug vs not, but Dave you still didn't give OS build or Experience numbers to see if those are the same as/different than mine & steve_0347's.

My most recent KB is KB5058411, so same as yours on 5/28. Here are my hardware specs as well, since maybe it's a hardware thing:

CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P 2.1 GHz

RAM: 16 GB

GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics, driver version 31.0.101.4575

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

26100.4202

[no352959818vt6]

OS build is another difference then, steve_0347 and I are both on 26100.4061. Since your number is bigger I'm going to assume it's more recent, so it's possible that this has been fixed between 4061 and 4202. If check for updates in system settings it says I'm up to date though, so perhaps 4202 hasn't been pushed out to all users yet or it's being held back by my organization (which would accord with steve_0347's machine also being a work machine). Will report back if my build number ever increases.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

BTW, AFAIK, the OS build and update version (KB....) are the same thing. I could be wrong, however but it appears that way.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-11-version-24h2-update-history-0929c747-1815-4543-...