How to open pdf's in separate windows? [2016] [Locked]

[tomasw96402913]

Note from moderator: this post is from 2016 and things have changed. If you have a

question about the current version, please start a new post. This post is now locked.

Two answers are marked Correct. One is how to disable the "New Experience" and the other is

from 2016 and tells you how to disable tabs and see the PDFs in separate windows.

Separate Windows are not available (yet) in the New Experience. The first step is to disable it.

When I open different pdf's I want them to open in separate windows.

It is possible to manually separate the different documents after opening them by dragging the tabs.

But it doesn't seem to be possible to set as default that the files open in separate windows.

How do I do that?

[Dave__M · Accepted solution]

Go to preferences (Edit>Preferences - on Windows), or faster is control-K (cmd-K on Mac).  Select the General category on the left, and look for the setting labelled 'Open documents as new tabs in the same window', and UNCHECK this.  You will need to restart Acrobat for this to take effect.

My best,

Dave

[Dave__M · Accepted solution]

Go to preferences (Edit>Preferences - on Windows), or faster is control-K (cmd-K on Mac).  Select the General category on the left, and look for the setting labelled 'Open documents as new tabs in the same window', and UNCHECK this.  You will need to restart Acrobat for this to take effect.

My best,

Dave

[prady1563]

Hi Dave,

I need help in this.I don't have Adobe acrobat in my system.Where do I go to edit-->preferences?

Regards

Pradeep

[Janssen294780982bkw]

thank you

[peters89803752 · Accepted solution]

On the newest version (May 2023), you have to first select "Disable New Acrobat" from the upper left hamburger menu first before the option to  "Open documents as new tabs in the same window" will appear. To make that option visible, you have to first "Disable New Acrobat"

[Max30011381u1xk]

Thank you!!

[Michael29892720xy78]

I did this once and it totally made Acrobat non-functionable. I had to have IT do a complete re-install of my Acrobat.

[Tony z]

Gesh! i dint wanthe new PRO anyways. this solves alot of my issues. I thouht I was nuts. Wasted a couple hrs in this and other trite wiht the NEW! thanks, 

[Brenda33044598yxmn]

I have this unchecked and it is still happening, so frustrating!!!

[curtise74378145]

thank you

[Angela R25759537iwaj]

How can I do this on a Macbook Pro runninng IOS 12.3?  it's driving me crazy. thanks.

[defaulto330qz9htw3q]

The option is no longer on the menu on the latest version that appears web-based. I hate this version!  Want to go back to previous version.

[Мартин2861777268yg]

Found it:

Click the 3 horizontal lines button at top left

-> Disable new Acrobat Reader

-> Restart

-> Edit>Preferences>General

-> Uncheck the option "Open documents as new tabs in the same window (requires relaunch)"

-> Restart

-> Like this comment, enjoy

[NISHAN29228078fwk4]

Thanks for this, i hated new Adobe

[Heather29281531xjpo]

OMG thank you!!! This is a lifesaver! The new Adobe was HORRIBLE lol 

[Chet5E15]

Thank you very much, the new version wass driving me insane with no option to open in new windows!

[yomidnightstar65]

Thank you!  I'm not worthy!!

[Kat Mekanic]

This is the way (thank you sooooo much!).  I don't know what Adobe was thinking.

[Karla305503897qqv]

Thank you!!! This is the most helpful info I found and all in one click!  You're awesome!

[33285536gdmd]

many thanks! very frustrating. i wonder which developers at adobe sit at the meeting table and say, "let's put this in as a feature, people will love it"...

[AndreaDee]

Thank you so much for the 3 horizontal line option Мартин2861777268yg! Whew!

[JLCampbell2010]

This is driving me mad. I have checked the box, exited and restarted the application countless times and still it reverts to the default of separate tabs. Why can I not get this to work properly? Is there a tab that requires "save changes" somehwere that I am not seeing?

[Amy303068813wp4]

I am experiencing the same frustration.  After disabling the new Acrobat, I can uncheck the box "Open documents as new tabs in the same window (requires relaunch)" but the setting will not save.  Very irritating!

[Amy303068813wp4]

I am running Adobe Acrobat Standard 2023 on Windows 11.

[Elisabeth309214059kwn]

After unchecking the box, scroll all the way down to the bottom and click OK.  It's a huge window and on my screen, the bottom was cut off so I couldn't see the OK button at first.