How to reset Acrobat Preference settings to default.

Report · May 29, 2017

Note:

1. Enterprise users, please consult your IT.

2. Re-creating the Acrobat preferences restores application settings to their default.

What are ‘Preferences’ in the Acrobat:

Adobe Acrobat lets you customize the in-app experience by adjusting various settings or preferences. The Preferences include Document View settings, custom settings for Tools, shortcuts for frequently used tools, and settings to display recently used ﬁles on the home screen. These custom settings are stored in Acrobat Preferences and are automatically saved each time Acrobat DC is closed.

Important facts About Preferences

User-Specific: Preferences are specific to each user profile on a machine. They are tied to the individual’s settings and remain intact even after updating Acrobat to a newer version. However, the machine and user profile must remain the same for preferences to persist.

Manual Reset:

Preferences can be reset manually, restoring Acrobat to its default settings and creating a fresh product version. Here’s how to reset preferences on a Windows OS:

Close the Acrobat DC application and terminate all Adobe processes from the task manager.
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the Preferences folder: C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC\Preferences.
Move the Preferences folder to another location or rename it as Preferences_old (to serve as a backup).
Relaunch Acrobat DC and it will generate a new Preferences folder in the original location.

Note: The AppData folder is hidden and may require adjustments in File Explorer settings to gain access. Please refer to a Microsoft Article: “Show Hidden Files”, for assistance.

Restoring original preferences through Windows registry.

In some instances, resetting preferences through the Windows Registry might be necessary. Here’s how to do it:

Open the Registry Editor by entering “regedit” in the search menu of the start bar or pressing Windows + R, then “regedit” in the Run box.
Navigate to the following location: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Adobe Acrobat[DC/2017/2020].
Right-click on the DC folder, choose Export and save the backup file locally on your machine.
Delete the [DC/2017/2020] folder in the Registry Editor.
Relaunch Acrobat and it will recreate the key in the registry location.

Note: Exporting the DC registry key is a backup for customer preferences. Suppose the issue reoccurs after resetting registry preferences, and the customer wishes to revert to the previous settings. In that case, they can delete the new key in the registry location, double-click the backup file, and import it again. This should restore Acrobat to its previous state.

Resetting Preferences on macOS

On macOS, user preferences are stored in a property list (.plist) files within the user library (~/library/Preferences). To reset preferences, follow these steps:

Create a backup:
Exit Acrobat and terminate all Adobe processes from the Activity Monitor.
Minimize other applications and click on any blank space on the desktop to select Finder (Mac’s File Explorer).
Select “Go” in the menu bar, then choose “Go to Folder” and enter “~/library/preferences”.
Locate “com.adobe.acrobat.pro.plist” and move it to a different location for backup purposes.

Resetting preferences:

Relaunch Acrobat and it will reset to factory defaults.
New .plist file will be generated in the preferences folder.3
Test the workflow to determine if the issue has been resolved.

Did you find it helpful? If so, please share your experience by joining the conversation here. We value your feedback and are eager to hear from you!

(Edited response)

Report · Apr 03, 2020

We pay for your crappy products and should not have to be tech wizards to make it work. That is the job of you geniuses at Adobe. Why be respectful? You do not respect your customers. I'm paying monthly for a product I can't use, but documents come to me in PDF that I can't read any other way that I know of. I also have to be abe to edit them. I'm not 20 years old anymore and do not want to learn a new profession (IT tech.) So fix your damn program yourself. For 35 years I put out fires and rescued puppies when people called. I did not tell them to put out their own fires or to ask the "community" to do it. Because I was a professional.

Report · May 29, 2020

Well said.

Report · Jun 26, 2020

You are so right. Thank you for expressing my feelings as well.

Whether using a free version or paid, we shouldn't have to fix their bugs !

Having to use 7 or 8 steps to utilize a tool the use to set on top is ridiculous.

Change for change sake is normal these days. That is why I seldom update unless the program stops and I am forced to.

I normally keep one compute offline all the time to prevent unwanted updates.

Report · Jun 27, 2020

By following the "logic" that you apply to Adobe: if you were a real professional there should be no fire.
It's stupid reasoning.

Report · Jul 23, 2020

By reading your post 'JR' you have single handedly [moderator removed inappropriate language]!

Report · Apr 05, 2020

Thanks. Worked like a charm.

I found no preferences folder, but simply deleted all files in the DC-folder under Acrobat in the path you describes

Report · Feb 07, 2021

I guess this setting has been moved. It was working for me until something happened and settings weren't taking effect anymore. Deleting the temp folder files didn't help but I found and renamed this registry setting from DC to DC1 which did the trick for me.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\DC

Report · Mar 02, 2021

You're the king! It works!

Report · Mar 02, 2021

After a short time (two more openings) the error come again. But after i delete the DC-Part in the registry (instead of rename) it works.. hmm..

Report · Mar 05, 2021

Wht worked; how to do pls..thx