How to reset Acrobat Preference settings to default?

Report · Mar 05, 2021

How do I follow the process by going thru preferences; I'm not tech-savvy...

Mod: Moved from an old thread, edited the title and message body

Report · Mar 05, 2021

Hi @kind_Rainbow15C3

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble you had. Would you mind sharing more details about the issue and OS?

Are you on a Windows machine or on a Mac?

If you are on a Windows machine, then please follow these steps:

Note: This solution removes custom settings for Collaboration, JavaScripts, Security, Stamps, Color Management, AutoFill, Web Capture, and Updater.

• Quit/Close Acrobat.

• In Windows Explorer, go to the Preferences folder:

o (Windows 10, 7/Vista) C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\[version]

For example C:\Users\ABCD\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC

o (XP) C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\[version]

For example C:\Documents and Settings\ABCD\Application Data\Adobe\Acrobat\11/XI

• Move the Preferences folder to another location (for example, C:\Temp).

• Restart Acrobat.

Note: The AppData / Application Data folder is hidden by default: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files on how to display them.

If the problem recurs after you restore the Acrobat Preferences folder, then the problem isn’t related to the Preferences folder. To restore custom settings, drag the folder you moved in step 2 back to its original location. Then click “Yes to All” to replace the new Preferences folder.

If you are on Mac OS:

Quit Acrobat.
Drag the following files from the Users/[Username]/Library/Preferences folder to the Desktop:
- Acrobat WebCapture Cookies
- com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist or com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro_x86_9.0.plist
- Acrobat Distiller Prefs and com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist (if you are troubleshooting an issue with the Distiller)
- The Acrobat folder, which contains preferences for forms (MRUFormsList), collaboration (OfflineDocs), and colour settings (AcrobatColor Settings.csf)

Restart Acrobat

If the problem recurs after you restore the Acrobat preferences files, then the problem isn’t related to preferences files. To restore custom settings, drag the files you moved in step 2 back to their original location. Then click OK to the alert “A newer item named ‘[filename]’ already exists in this location. Do you want to replace it with the older one you're moving?”

Let us know if you still experience any issues.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

Report · May 24, 2022

Acrobat has been acting up, not allowing me to create or rename some very important tags needed to create accessible PDFs, which is detrimental to my job (and accessibility). I need to reset my Acrobat preferences. I installed and reinstalled Acrobat and that did not help.

The steps listed in this thread to reset the preferences for Acrobat on a mac do not work for me. Not all of the files listed are available to me to move/delete. The file path is not the same either. I have to access preferences this way: Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences as there are no Library or Preferences folders under my User > [Username].

Report · May 25, 2022

After a reboot, I am able to access the proper paths. However, the reset did not fix the tagging issue.

Report · Jul 26, 2022

Dear @AnandSri,

the explanation how to reset the preferences on a mac don't work anymore. The reason is that none of the files exist in the folder: library > preferences.

I run the newest Acrobat Reader DC version (2022.001.20169)

The explonation is copied from this entry from 2017: Link

It seems like it has to be updated. I can not comment under the original post from 2017 because it is locked.

Can you help?

Kind regards