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11

'Prepare Form' tool missing in Adobe Acrobat Standard

Community Beginner ,
Oct 11, 2023 Oct 11, 2023

Have always been using prepare form tool with my previous laptop but since switching to an new laptop and using Creative Cloud, I no longer have the "prepare from" tool in Adobe Acrobat.

I've triple checked that I'm not using Adobe Acrobat Reader as that one doesn't support the functionality but using Adobe Acrobat Standard 2023.006 

Also did an uninstall and reinstall to see if that would solve the issue but no luck. Checked also latest updates (which there were none).

I can see under the Adobe plug-ins that Acroform.api is loaded and certified.

I've checked that pdf is not protected or I'm using a pdf in PDF/A format. Also tried to start from a word file and convert into pdf but no change

 

Anybody any ideas how to solve this?

TOPICS
Edit and convert PDFs , PDF , PDF forms
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1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Community Beginner ,
Oct 30, 2023 Oct 30, 2023

Just a follow up on my original question.

As this is a business laptop configured by the company I work, the IT departement actually checked out the case.

It seems that all new laptop come preconfigured with Adobe Reader and they recently switched to Adobe Creative Cloud in case you needed an upgrade to Adobe Acrobat. Somehow this is where things go wrong, installing Adobe Creative Cloud remotely didn't activate the majority of the plug ins that Adobe Acrobat uses. I thus end up with a very limited Adobe Acrobat version that doesn't allow for any creation of forms. Seems the only solution will be to bring in the laptop and let the IT department remove everything and do a fresh reinstall from their end with an admin account. Only work around at the moment is to use the cloud version until this is fixed.

 

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Community Expert ,
Oct 11, 2023 Oct 11, 2023

What happens when you go to Prepare Form mode, then? Do any fields appear in the Fields List panel?

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

If I go under the Tools Tab, there is no icon (see screenshot)

If I go --> "File" --> "Create" --> "Create Form" then simply nothing happens.

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Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

You have to open a PDF file first...

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

Makes no difference. Same thing happens. 

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

Even used pdfs that I was working off on my previous laptop and have already forms in them (and they are not protected)

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Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

The Prepare Form option doesn't appear at all? Try running a Repair Installation from the Help menu.

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

Also did (but will try again). Even did a complete uninstall and reinstall

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

Just finished a repair --> no difference.

Did again a complete uninstall - reboot - reinstall --> no difference

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Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

There are no "Prepare Form" tools in Acrobat Standard. They only exist in Acrobat Pro, like the Action wizard, Redact tools, etc.

But you can still make forms, it's just a little more tedious.


Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshoptographe
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New Here ,
Mar 08, 2024 Mar 08, 2024

I have Pro and it's not showing there either

 

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 13, 2025 Apr 13, 2025

I have the same problem.  I'm in an enterprise-issued Pro and there is no prepare form. 

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Community Expert ,
Apr 13, 2025 Apr 13, 2025
LATEST

What does your software show in the upper-left corner?

image.png

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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Community Beginner ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

If that is the case, then what is the purpose of this option in my menu? 

 

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Community Expert ,
Oct 12, 2023 Oct 12, 2023

To upsell you on Acrobat Pro, probably...

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Community Expert ,
Oct 14, 2023 Oct 14, 2023

"If that is the case, then what is the purpose of this option in my menu? "

Its purpose is to make forms, as I already said it's just a little more tedious because some tools are missing (JavaScript Console, Document scripts, Documents actions, etc.).

Fortunately, there are free scripts to replace some of the missing functions:

http://khkonsulting.com/2014/10/document-level-scripts-acrobat-standard/


Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshoptographe
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Community Beginner ,
Oct 30, 2023 Oct 30, 2023

Just a follow up on my original question.

As this is a business laptop configured by the company I work, the IT departement actually checked out the case.

It seems that all new laptop come preconfigured with Adobe Reader and they recently switched to Adobe Creative Cloud in case you needed an upgrade to Adobe Acrobat. Somehow this is where things go wrong, installing Adobe Creative Cloud remotely didn't activate the majority of the plug ins that Adobe Acrobat uses. I thus end up with a very limited Adobe Acrobat version that doesn't allow for any creation of forms. Seems the only solution will be to bring in the laptop and let the IT department remove everything and do a fresh reinstall from their end with an admin account. Only work around at the moment is to use the cloud version until this is fixed.

 

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New Here ,
Sep 16, 2024 Sep 16, 2024

I'm having the EXACT SAME PROBLEM!

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New Here ,
Sep 25, 2024 Sep 25, 2024

Literally SAME, did you figure it out? My assumption is that we need Pro but if you're not seeing it with Pro then I'm screwed :')

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New Here ,
Nov 25, 2024 Nov 25, 2024

you on the browser version or desktop?

It wasn't showing for me on the browser, but I clicked to open the adobe acrobat pro desktop version and it shows there.

Open the desktop version from here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/tools/?promoid=DRCFIIQN&mv=other&mv2=unav&locale=en-GB 

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