Issues modifying Adobe PDF Printer Preferences on Windows server 2019

[john_2644]

Hello -

I am trying to set up Adobe PDF printer preferences on a Windows 2019 VM.  I want to set the Adobe PDF Output folder to a mapped network drive for ALL users who have remote desktop access to the VM.  What I have done is create a reg script that adds a new registry setting to the following location:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\DC\AdobePDFOutputFolder]
@=dword:00000002
"2"="Z:"

Each user is able to run the reg script and it adds the Z drive to the list of values inside of the dropdown list for Adobe PDF Output Folder inside printing preferences.  HOWEVER, we are facing two problems:

1.)  The reg script is adding the Z: drive to the dropdown but is not setting it as the selected value despite the fact that the reg script sets the default to be the indexed option of 2.  The saved option for all users is stuck with "Prompt for Adobe PDF filename".

2.)  We have noticed that after random periods of time, any defaults that a user sets in the Adobe PDF printing preferences get completely wiped out and reverted back to what they were.  The Z: drive disappears from the list of values inside of the Adobe PDF Output Folder dropdown and other things that have been checked off (i.e. deselecting "View Adobe PDF results") reverts back.

Am I going about this wrong for setting defaults for all RDP users?  What could be wiping out the previously changed printing preferences for users?  The version installed on the server is the continuous release of Adobe Acrobat Pro version 2024.004.20243 (32 bit).

Thank you!

[S. S]

Hi @john_2644,

Hope you are doing well. Thanks for writing in!

From the description, there might be a few issues that can be addressed to get a solution.

Let's try them step-by-step:

1. For the registry script issue, HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry settings are specific to each user.The settings for Adobe PDF Output Folder are likely stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER and can be overridden by settings within Acrobat or Adobe PDF printer that get reset during certain actions or after logoff.

You could try modifying the registry path like this:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\DC\AdobePDFOutputFolder
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Adobe\Acrobat Distiller\DC\AdobePDFOutputFolder (for 32-bit applications on a 64-bit system)

You can create a new registry script that updates this key for all users on the system. Ensure that the mapped network drive (Z:) is accessible by all users at the time of login, or they may experience issues with the output folder being unavailable.

2. For the preferences getting completely wiped out, one such reason could be if the user profiles are not being properly stored or there are issues with profile redirection (common in RDP environments), settings could be lost, or the second being inconsistent availability of the mapped network drive (Z:).

Here are a few steps you might want to try for this: 

• Ensure that the mapped network drive is always available: Verify that the network drive (Z:) is accessible to all users on login. This can be done using Group Policy or through login scripts to map the network drive reliably for all users.
• Profile Redirection: Since you are in a multi-user environment, ensure that your user profiles are properly configured and that the relevant registry settings are saved to the correct profile location. You might want to consider using roaming profiles or folder redirection to ensure consistent preferences across user sessions.

Along with these, you might also want to use: 

• User Profile Management Tools or Roaming Profiles to ensure settings and preferences are consistently applied and saved across all user sessions.
• Logoff Scripts: Consider using logoff scripts to apply the necessary settings or verify that the Adobe PDF preferences are correct at the start of each session.

Hope this helps.

-Souvik

[jack543]

Hello,

complexities of a Windows Server environment with multiple RDP users. Here's how to address both problems:

1. Default Output Folder Not Being Selected
The problem occurs because the registry settings you're applying do not directly control the default selection in the dropdown. Adobe Acrobat uses both registry keys and other internal mechanisms to manage settings.
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